We’ve received a few emails since we started this site containing stories about real people’s experiences with various credit card processing companies. Below is one that kind of stood out to us so we’re presenting it here. If you have a similar story, please drop us a line and we may publish it as well.
I didn’t set out to become an online business owner, but that’s what I have turned into. Now I’m not going to threaten Amazon or Shopzilla, but I’m bringing in a nice little revenue stream and for that I have to thank credit card processing on my site – specifically Charge.com – but I’m getting a little head of myself.
Three years ago we were cleaning out my mother’s attic and I found box after box filled with my old comic books. Most were in pretty good shape so I got this wild idea that I’d sell them on the Internet.
I got a domain name and a good hosting service and I thought I was ready to open for business when a buddy asked me if I had added an eCommerce merchant account. Well, first he had to explain what that meant – did my site have the capability to accept credit cards. When I told him I didn’t he suggested that I add that option before trying to make my first sale. More than 80 percent of everything bought online is paid for using a credit card, which was enough to convince me to at least look.
The first company I looked at had a long list of fees, and most of them due before I made my first sale. Like $250 for submitting an application – and no refund if I was rejected. There was another $250 for my Internet shopping cart software. I stopped reading at that point. I couldn’t believe it was going to cost me $500 (probably more) to have merchant services on my site.
So then I looked at a site that said it had the lowest prices. The problem here was the language on their site. If I was reading it correctly to get the big discount you had to conform to a certain set of parameters. I tried calling their sales department and I felt like I was on a used-car lot. Instead of answers I was getting a high-pressure sales pitch. Long story short I crossed the “discount” option off my list.
The third site I looked into was Charge.com. The first thing that made me feel good was no application fee. In fact I didn’t spend a dime getting set up, which I was able to do with 24 hours after I was approved. But that wasn’t what really sold me.
First, their rates for things like the payment processing gateway was well below the industry norm (and I checked around) as were their fees for monthly minimum transactions and the monthly statement fee. I didn’t expect everything to be free, but Charge.com had a schedule that I could live with.
But what really sold me was the customer support. I spent about 45 minutes on the phone before I signed on and, based on the first two companies I considered, I really grilled the sales rep. She took all the time needed to answer my questions, and I never felt like my arm was being twisted to sign up.
I did sign up with Charge.com and it’s still hard to believe that a little comic book e-store like mine accepts VISA, Discover, American Express and MasterCard. It makes my cash flow smooth but it also gives the people who buy from me the knowledge their transactions are secure.
By the way I have expanded my business to selling comic-related items – like the DVD movies of heroes like Batman, Daredevil and Superman, action figures, and other collectibles. Who knows? One day I may be the next big thing on the ‘net.
I’m sure the folks at Charge.com don’t wear tights or capes, but they are heroes to this small online business.
~ Jim O. - site withheld at author’s request
