Credit Card slip AND Sales Slip or Receipt... How should I handle transactions?

Okay- I'm a newbie. I've sold quite a few pieces on line (with credit cards) and in person - with cash- and all went fine - but I'm having my first Craft Show this Saturday and I'm a little nervous about the actual transactions... Should I ask, "how will you be paying for this?" Should I fill out a Sales Order Form slip (the book I bought has spaces to for their name, address, etc) or should I just give them a little Receipt from a little pad I also have (which has "received from... amount... paid by check, cash or credit card & room for my signature) - and if they're paying by credit card - is the credit card form I'm imprinting (have a pump) form sufficient - or should I give them a copy of that AND a Sales Order Form copy or a Receipt -YIKES... I'm relaxed about everything except that part...

Thanks guys!!

Replies

Lisa Braun September 3, 2011 at 9:38pm

Okay- I had my first show today- and it went really well - and it was a lot of fun! All but 2 of my sales were cash and no one needed or wanted a receipt. I did document each sale for my own purposes - (inventory number & amount sold for)... as for the 2 credit card transactions, I used my pump (no knuckle busting with a pump :-)) and then called ProPay's phone number on the spot to send the transaction in... worked FABULOUSLY- took very little time & I didn't have to worry that it wouldn't go through after I couldn't do anything about it at home. I didn't even bother asking for anyone's number or address - all I needed in addition to the imprinted info was their zip.

Thanks to everyone for your advice & guidance - it is much appreciated!! :-)
- Lynn Kvigne > Lisa Braun September 4, 2011 at 3:13pm
  
  Yay! Now that you have that all out of the way, the real fun begins. ;-) Congrats on making it thru the first one.
  - Lisa Braun > Lynn Kvigne September 4, 2011 at 11:05pm
    
    Thanks so much Lynn! :-)
William D. Hobbs September 2, 2011 at 11:06pm

I usually give the credit card receipt (we have a wireless machine and compact printer), but this doesn't break down the amount into price and tax. Since a couple states I sell in require me to provide a receipt that shows the tax amount, I also write out a receipt that does ...... on this, I can also fill in contact info if needed, since I'll have the carbon copy. I then staple the two receipts together for the customer. It may sound like a pain ...... but I find it goes pretty quick.
mea rhee September 2, 2011 at 2:57pm

oops I need to specify what I wrote earlier. It is not a U.S. federal law that prohibits recording personal information (like phone numbers) along with a credit card transaction, but it is a state law in the following states:

CA, DE, GA, MD, MN, NJ, NV, and NY

I am in MD so that must be why my processor told me it's illegal.
mea rhee September 2, 2011 at 10:05am

I have a "store and forward" terminal which I just got last year. My processor told me that it is indeed illegal to require a phone number (just like it's illegal to set a minimum purchase, or a surcharge, for your credit card sales, you can't impose any such conditions when accepting credit cards). But it's not illegal to ask for a phone number and allow the customer to say no. Though you never know when you're customer is a Visa executive, so be sure to make it clear that it's ok if the customer says no.

I do not take phone numbers, even though I "store and forward." I don't like when merchants ask for mine, so I won't do that to my customers. In 9 years I've only taken 2 bad credit cards. Maybe this is different for other mediums, but I think that handmade pottery fans are very unlikely to be credit card frauds.
- Jim Parker > mea rhee September 6, 2011 at 12:31pm
  
  The times I've had to use the phone number to call the customer back are when something gets messed up at the processors end. I've had times when a transaction would not go through properly, generated an error, and got stored for forwarding. Then when batching out, I get an error because the transaction is duplicated at the processor's server, but not on the wireless terminal. It usually requires a phone call to the processor, and sometimes the transaction needs to be rekeyed. Then you need to call the customer back and get the credit card number, or you are out the amount -- big or small.
- Chris Hoyt > mea rhee September 6, 2011 at 9:23am
  
  The Frank-Dodd Act of July 2010 now allows merchants to have a minimum charge amount as long as it does not exceed $10. So we now no longer have to withstand those silly small amounts that cost us money. In Vermont we can set any amount we wish as a minimum. So it's becoming common to see $15 minimums.
Lynn Kvigne September 2, 2011 at 8:21am

I worked in the credit card industry for 15+ years. I am very aware of the regs and privacy laws.

There's a huge difference between Wal-Mart and an independent artist/business person. Wal-Mart can (and will) absorb chargebacks and fraud. If I lose data because a card didn't get swiped correctly or doesn't go thru because it's over limit (and yes, I re-submit a week later), I have a harder time absorbing that cost.

In my 12+ years of art show/craft show cc processing, I've had only a couple of cards that were bad, and a handful that didn't process correctly (only happened after I got my swiper - operator error). I called the customer and got payment in another method. I have never had anyone refuse to give me a phone number, and while I could be given a false number, I don't know that I have (plus in today's online world, I can find your phone number and other info pretty darned fast if I have your full name...)

All I'm saying is, protect yourself from fraud. It may be a regional thing as well. I live and show in the Midwest, and find most people are pretty much what they appear to be. ;-)
- Lisa Braun > Lynn Kvigne September 2, 2011 at 9:07am
  
  Well said :-)

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