Hello Tara... and all! Yes, there is no doubt that the credit card sales will improve your sales. For those that worry about the fees, I can say that when we went from the "knuckle buster machines" to the electronic devices, we saw a good percentage of people in line put away their c.c. and pulled out cash for their purchase countless times. They knew you were able to verify their status instantly. Obviously their credit cards were no good and they were saving themselves the embarrasment and us a good amount of "canceled card" notices.The amount of the purchases multiplied by the amount of times it occured paid for the fees incurred all thru our multiple u-pick seasons.
It also was nice to have the mobile unit because we used it everywhere on the farm verses being tethered to a pole. Of course, as was said before, the service in those areas need to be checked before signing a contract with your service company. Nathan Milburn Milburn Orchards,Inc. www.milburnorchards.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] \443-309-2077(cell) -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Kurt Alstede" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello Scott, We actually process through our local commercial bank. I have investigated a lot of the merchant billing companiesâ¦a lot of them offer some slick deals up front, but then ratchet things up after they have got you in. We analyze our account each year and evaluate the total credit card sales, the total number of transactions, and the average transaction amount. The higher the average sale and the greater the total gross, the less the discount that the merchant billing charges. We are currently paying 2.20% on credit card sales nearing $1 million annually and average sales averaging approximately $60.00 each. We expect this to drop again this year. There are some additional fees charged on certain types of cards depending on the type of card used, but generally they do not add significantly to the cost of using the cards. I like working with our local commercial bank because we find that it gives us a lot more clout when we are both seeking service and also negotiating discounts since all of our other banking is done there; and also because we are stock holders in the bank. When we last used a wireless machine in 2006 we were leasing them and it cost approximately $100.00 per month including all of the connections fees, air time, etc. We own all of our 110 volt terminals and now have six in all plus one that can do food stamps. They cost us $300 each and we also use them for gift cards and loyalty cards. The bank provides all of our paper for free. A customer can now use a credit card anywhere on our farm that they make purchases. I feel that this has been a very important provision as almost 30% of all our retail transactions are now done with cards. We only accept visa/mastercard as both Discover and Amex have much higher fees and take much longer to deposit the money in your account. We currently receive our funds on the second business day following the transaction date. It may seem like it is a big step forward, but I think that you will discover that it is well worth it. Kind Regards, Kurt W. Alstede General Manager Alstede Farms, LLC P. O. Box 278 Chester, New Jersey 07930 United States of America Tel. 908-879-7189 From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 9:02 AM To: Apple-Crop Subject: RE: Apple-Crop: wireless credit card machines Kurt, Can you elaborate on which Credit Card provider/processor you are using? Also costs involved(Wireless machine, monthly, and transaction charges)? Scott Scott Overby Log Cabin Orchard Plymouth, WI 53073 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Kurt Alstede" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent by: <apple-crop@virtualorchard.net> 07/15/2008 07:36 AM Please respond to "Apple-Crop" <apple-crop@virtualorchard.net> To"'Apple-Crop'" <apple-crop@virtualorchard.net> cc SubjectRE: Apple-Crop: wireless credit card machines Hello Tara, I have used wireless credit card machines for our pick your own operation for several years. Credit card payment was warmly welcomed by our PYO customers; so much so that we installed a new electric service and phone lines to our pick your own check out sheds to operate permanent credit card machineryâ¦and an ATM. The portable equipment is as reliable as a cell phone is and naturally requires adequate signal strength. Generally charging overnight allowed for enough battery strength to get through a busy sales dayâ¦but you need to watch that carefully. Keeping it dry is also very important. We have consistently found that credit cards and ATM machines increase sales per customer and far outweighs the cost of machinery and service charges. Kind Regards, Kurt W. Alstede General Manager Alstede Farms, LLC P. O. Box 278 Chester, New Jersey 07930 United States of America Tel. 908-879-7189 From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tara A Baugher Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 7:40 AM To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net Subject: Apple-Crop: wireless credit card machines Greetings, Does anyone have experience using wireless credit card machines, e.g., in pick-your-own blocks? One of our growers would appreciate any incites you can share. Tara Tara A. Baugher Tree Fruit Extension Educator Penn State Cooperative Extension, Adams Co. 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Suite 204 Gettysburg, PA 17325 717-334-6271, ext. 314 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.. -- Nathan Milburn Milburn Orchards, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1-443-309-2077 (my cell)
