Square App Processes Credit Cards
May 9, 2011 by Mary Ellen · 1 Comment
Annoyed by merchant accounts and endless lists of fees?
Tired of refusing credit card orders?
If you’re a small business owner looking to accept credit card payments, get ready for a revolutionary device that lets you swipe credit cards with your phone.
Pay with Square is an iPhone (as well as iPad and iPod) and Android app that revolutionizes the payment process, making it mobile, paperless and painless.
For 15 cents per transaction plus a 2.75% fee, Square modernizes transactions, even allowing for tips or sales tax.
I learned of Square and applied for the free credit card reader in April. The device arrived almost immediately and I approached setup with trepidation, expecting a technical hassle to get it running.
Instead, setup was a non-event. I followed the simple instructions, downloaded the application, established my bank account, and waited for verification. Two days later, Square made two small transactions in my account and I was approved. Thus reassured, I launched into the first transaction.
Again, Square made it easy to process a charge. I had the option to take a picture of the product/service and receive an email or a text receipt, both of which I did.
My customer received an immediate email with my picture (the default if a product picture is not included) and the charge, along with a Google map that showed where the transaction took place. The receipt was complete and included an online viewing option. My confirmation from Square read like this:
Hello, Merrigan Group LLC.
You accepted $5.00 from a card ending in 7083.
You can see more about this payment at https://squareup.com/payments/_______
As of this payment, your Square balance is $4.86.
Thank you!
I used both a Visa and an American Express to make my two test charges on the same day. Both went through quickly and easily. The monies were transferred to my account within two days.
Hello Merrigan Group LLC,
Thank you for using Square! We have initiated a $9.72 credit to your ________ Credit Union account. The funds will be available in 1-3 business days.
Thanks again,
Square https://squareup.com/
Along with my free Square reader I received a nifty sticker for display. I merely attached it to a stand to advertise I accept all forms of credit cards.
I already had a PayPal account set up. One of my ‘tests’ included checking to see if it was more difficult to initiate the Square process without the advantage of PayPal. The answer was a resounding no. Once again, Square made it relatively easy, even for someone with little online experience.
Since the initial use, I’ve accepted several payments and told dozens of friends about Square. What an awesome tool for the mobile professional. Think authors, photographers, crafts-women, attorneys, consultants, food cart operators, etc., etc. Anyone could use Square – anytime, anywhere.
Other forms of mobile payment exist. A recent blog post from iLounge covers Intuit’s option, for example, and offers a detailed review of Square.
Local Storefronts Looking for Customer Traffic Advantage Must Sign up for Local Search
August 30, 2010 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
Local marketing. Brick-and-mortar marketing. Storefront marketing. What do you know about real-life marketing?
“Look. I get that marketing has changed. But I want to know when I can do it? It’s great to know the other merchants in the area, but does that bring in a customer? I’m interested in specific things that bring me more customers. Or, do I just need to wait for the economy to improve?”
“How can you guarantee a successful promotion? What works in advertising today?”
There’s no one answer and that may be the confusing factor for many entrepreneurs.
Local is bigger than ever. But the locale is different. Interested in knowing more? Read on to find out about location-based marketing.
Begin your local marketing by registering with the three main local search engines:
Why? For one thing, mobile search is coming to the forefront of today’s business. In year’s past, the yellow pages dominated many business advertising expenditures. When competitors increased the size of their ads, you were forced to step up or be left behind.
“Over time, the single greatest opportunity is to rule the local search landscape. Twenty-30-year olds go straight to their mobile browser or Google maps to find everything – shoes, food, insurance, a dentist, you name it. If they don’t find you by doing that, then you don’t exist.” –John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing, February 2010
So, step one is to set up your keyword optimized profile in local search engines.
Google Places lets you optimize 200 characters for keywords in five different categories. In other words, your description can run slightly longer than a tweet on Twitter. Five different categories gives you listings for five products, for example.
Before you rush in and slap it up, think about adding more than simple operation information. For example, highlight payment options, or mention the fact that customers can find easy parking in front of the store.
In talking with one client, I encouraged her to use photos. Not only are they eye-catching, but pictures can be search friendly.
You can also add up to five YouTube videos. Videos, which are quickly indexed by the search engines add interest and character to your site. You may even trump the competition as you add to your presence.
Yahoo! Local, another free service, also offers businesses a place to display address, phone number and web site URL; again, you can put your business in five categories, listing products, services, or brands.
Bing Local lets you sign in with a Windows Live ID and improve or update your listing anytime to suit your needs. According to Bing Local, users can find businesses near them or near where they want to go. Best of all, it’s free.
Take the time to beef up your web presence with the addition of these three local search engines. You will find your web presence increasing and have the opportunity to drive traffic directly to your store.
Next? How will you maximize your online presence? We’ll talk about the advantages of mobile applications like Foursquare and Yelp and what those reviews might mean to your brick and mortar business in our next segment of Local.
Notable and Quotable
June 17, 2008 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
“In 2007, 5 of the top 10 best-selling books in Japan were written on a mobile phone.”
–Brent Lewis, Director of digital commerce at publisher Harlequin
As seen in Fast Company, June 2008
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How large were these books? My thumb hurts from texting a page, let alone a book.
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Who edits these books? I’ve seen email I’ve texted. It’s not pretty. My editor has enough trouble with my regular writing.
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What kind of phone are we talking about? The Verizon 6900 battery would probably last through chapter one!
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Where are these people that they have to write on a phone? Isn’t it worth taking the computer? What about pen and paper?
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Are these best-selling books being compose on the subway? at a restaurant? in a company meeting?
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Is Harlequin getting this kind of demand for romance fiction?
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Are authors this inspired that they can pound it out with best-selling style on a mobile phone? Puh-leeeeeze.
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What am I missing? Is this some kind of trend I need to watch?
I’ll grant you one thing: I’m looking at Fast Company July with a whole different attitude.
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