Do I Need a Merchant Account for My Business?

As you work on running your business, there are a lot of things to consider that will help determine how successful you can be. One of these items, whether you are a small or a large business, is whether to get a merchant account. A merchant account is a great tool that allows you to accept credit and debit cards from your customers, rather than just cash or checks. Too many businesses decide to forgo a merchant account because they think getting one will be complicated or the fees will be too high. But in reality, getting a merchant account is easy, and not getting one is just leaving money on the table from customers who will choose to shop somewhere else.

If you run a brick and mortar business and never plan to sell anything online, you might think that you can do all of your transactions through cash and checks. It might seem like you do not need a merchant account at this point since you are not taking any credit card payments. But this can be because customers who insist on using a credit card are finding somewhere else to shop.

The main reason to accept credit cards is to attract customers who prefer to pay that way. And you don’t know about the customers you don’t know about–the ones who never come to your store because you don’t accept credit cards. And studies have proven that when customers shop with a credit card, they are more likely to make a purchase, and they are more likely to spend more money when they do make a purchase. Not having a merchant account will limit how much you can earn.

For online businesses (or brick and mortar business that have an online component), you have probably already realized that you must have a merchant account in order for your customers to have any practical way to pay you at all. No one is going to send out cash in the mail for you, and the delay caused by waiting for a check to come and then waiting for it to clear means that you lose cash flow and you miss out on impulse buyers. A merchant account can be set up quickly, and once you get it all set up, you are ready to run your business from anywhere.

Some small businesses start out at craft fairs or traveling from event to event. This can be a great way to start a business and be found by lots of different customers you wouldn’t otherwise cross paths with. You can still benefit enormously from a merchant account. With the right merchant account provider, you can get a mobile credit card terminal at no additional charge when you sign up for an account. You can also accept credit cards using a smartphone or any other device with a working web browser.

To find more information about whether you need a merchant account for your business, or to sign up for a merchant account now, you can visit Charge.com or call (888) 924-2743. No matter what you sell or how you sell it, Charge.com can help your business succeed and grow.