Gotta Have It! : Portable Credit Card Machine

Of course everyone knows that the traditional US currency, made up of linen and cotton fibers portraying legendary Presidents (that look like they may have been as wrinkly in real life as their printed image on the crumpled up bill found in the pocket of my washed then dried jeans), is slowly but surely being replaced by plastic gold. I say "gold" because it seems credit cards are what Leprechauns are hiding in their pot of gold and too many people have found their way to the end of the rainbow, indulging in the seemingly endless amount of money that is... well, not technically theirs.... Unless of course it's debit...

Anyways, knowing this, it's always a good idea for artisans to be prepared for those customers who choose to pay with a card. Since not every artist can be so lucky to pick a display spot right next to the ATM machine, the only other option is to have your very own portable credit card machine.

Now you can rent one of those bulky credit card machines you'll see at retail stores. I'm not too sure of all the details of how to obtain those since after doing only a little research on prices I quickly exited the web tab.

My best advice, (which you definitely should always take with a grain of salt since I'm no professional but just an opinionated rambler) is to first get yourself an iPhone. I'm not sure if these options which I'm about to show you are compatible with other smartphones or if there are different options for the other smartphones, but I do know that the iPhone has been a business savior for me. In all candidness, if you ever considered renting one of the bulky credit card readers, you might as well buy yourself an iPhone and save money.

Once you have an iPhone or have always had one, here are two options that I know of that are FREE small compact portable credit card readers that plug right up into your phone!! There no monthly payments and you only have to pay a small percentage of every sale, (maybe 2% but don't quote me on that).

Square



I don't personally use the Square, but most of the artists I've seen who have this type of credit card reader use this brand.

Intuit GoPayment



This is the brand I use. It's bulkier than the Square, but I like to think of it as being sturdier. Also, the lanyard is a definite pro since it's super easy for me to lose things.

Just click those links and do a little bit of your own research and figure out which one tickles your fancy. I remember the application and registration process being pretty straight forward and easy. Intuit called me to make sure I am a real person with a real reason to have the card reader, so I can say they are legit. I received the reader within two weeks and they also included window decals showing the major credit cards I accept. As of right now, I have no complaints. I see all types of small businesses, from freelance artists to food trailer vendors, use these handy little devices.

It's up to the individual to decide if a little card reader is worth it. But honestly, who has a decent amount of cash in their wallets anymore? I'm sure there are still people walking around with fat wallets protruding from their back pocket like a lumpy target for thieves or gold-diggers, but more than likely anyone wanting to carry that much heat rather have it all in one secure and humble place. I always feel bad when I see the little cub scouts and girl scouts camped out in front of Wal-Mart looking up at me with those darling freckles and cute buck teeth and asking if I'd like to donate money. Sure, they'll make sells and probably a lot of sells with their arsenal of cuteness equipped with guilt guns pumped full of morality bullets. But can you imagine how much more sells they'd make if they took credit cards??? If they could guilt you where it counts, your plastic gold?!?

I hope you found this post somewhat helpful with the couple of tips I threw into a sea of ramblings. :D

Happy crafting!!