How to Accept Credit Card Payments on Your Phone

Most businesses start with a simple, exciting dream. If you adore cafés, you might picture yourself pouring coffee and serving scones to cheerful customers. Interested in fashion? Your daydreams might contain glamorous buying trips to New York and Paris. Animal lovers might envision a doggie daycare where they spend hours playing with pups. 

As a small business owner, you'll have the opportunity to live some of these dreams—from time to time. But your working hours will still contain plenty of less exciting work, too. At some point, you'll find yourself Googling phrases like "how to accept credit card payments on my phone."

It's true that some tasks will always be tedious. But with modern payment tools, accepting credit card payments doesn't have to be one of them. 

Read on to learn three ways a smartphone-based payment system can help your business grow.

You Don't Need Expensive Hardware to Accept Credit Card Payments on Your Phone

Any new business comes with plenty of startup costs. It's easy to accept that rent, furniture and computers are the cost of opening up shop. 

Still, it's important to save money when you can. That's where learning how to accept credit card payments on your phone can help. After all, you probably already have a smartphone or tablet. (You might even be reading this blog post on a mobile device!) It's much less likely that you would have spare credit card machine — or five — laying around. 

Unlike clunky, outdated credit card machines, hardware for mobile devices is lightweight and sleek. It's also very affordable, because you'll own — not rent — your equipment. As your business grows, adding more mobile card readers won't break the bank. 

Mobile card readers add another key benefit: flexibility. While your brick-and-mortar location can serve as your HQ, you won't end up getting stuck there. Want to sell at a holiday pop up market? How about a conference? Or a collaborative event? It's as simple as grabbing your mobile device on your way out the door.

If you want to accept credit card payments with less stress, expense and hassle, mobile payment processing is the way to go.

Apps Make It Easy to Accept Credit Card Payments on Your Phone

If you want to learn how to accept credit card payments on your phone, know that a good payment processing app can be game-changing. 

Your payment processor should provide a mobile app. (If it doesn't, consider that a major red flag.) For customers, a reliable app makes checking out a breeze. 

Wondering what features customers appreciate? Look for convenient, user-friendly options such as:

• Sending receipts via email or SMS
• Touchscreen signature capture
• Security features such as end-to-end encryption
• Plenty of options for credit and debit cards, plus digital wallets

As a bonus, you won't have to worry about wasteful paper receipts. Going mobile means less clutter — and reduced impact on the environment.

And customers aren't the only ones who benefit from a mobile app for payment processing. Your employees will enjoy greater freedom and convenience, too. When lines get long, employees can scatter through the crowd, processing transactions on the spot.

Keep Tabs on Transactions When You Accept Credit Card Payments on Your Phone

Sure, it's important to figure out how to accept credit card payments on your phone. But keep in mind that transactions are only the first step. A good payment processor will make your entire bookkeeping process easier, too.

Look for a payment processor that will allow you to check on transactions in real time. You should be able to review details such as:

• Revenue analysis, including incoming revenue and monthly or annual totals
• Chargebacks resulting from returned or refunded purchases
• Individual customer profiles featuring payment histories
• A breakdown of different payment methods
• Dates and times for all transactions

These records will open new possibilities for understanding how your customers and sales. For one thing, you'll be able to identify your most loyal customers at a glance. 

You can also begin to map patterns, such as days or times that are most likely to drive sales. Sometimes, this data may yield surprising insights. 

For example, let's say you notice a spike in sales every Thursday at 3:00 PM. When you investigate, you discover that a group of office workers always stops by your café for a post-meeting pick me up. Once you make the connection, you're able to let them know about your catering options. All of a sudden, you transform a dozen afternoon lattes into hundreds of regular orders. 

Finally, be sure to ask the right questions before signing up for a phone-based payment processor. Fees and deposit schedules should be at the top of your list. For example, contactless payment provides next day funding with no hidden fees. 

Want learn more about how simple accepting credit card payments can be? Download GoSite's free eGuide to learn more about payment processing!