Thread: Accept Credit Cards Through Your Smart Phone

I absolutely never put forth the payment options until i sign the folks up for a home inspection. Then I tell them cash, personal check, money order or cashiers check. They almost always go for the personal check and never question any of my choices. The rest go for the cash. Problems with payment or check being bad. Almost one hundred percent no as far as problems as long as I have been working doing anything.

Just saying. In the past when I took credit cards for a while I used to get the low cost homes that are twice as long to inspect and twice as long a report when it is 1500 sq ft compared to a 5000 sq ft home. Which I got 4 times the money for.

The reason why I took credit cards is because everyone said it was a must have. I had "accept credit cards" everywhere. Still at that time even with all the marketing the percentage was so low that I might as well not make comment on it.

Just saying.

Times are changing Ted
Time to get with the 21st century.
I have even dropped my "checks are preferred" from my list of payment options. Card processing with the Square is just so easy it is worth the price for me. I still accept Cash, Check, or card and leave the choice to the client.
I am more and more frequently coming across folks that use their debit card for everything and have not written a check in years or don't have checks. Old codgers like me are fading fast with the next generations using electronic payment for everything and cash being the choice for lower income types. Heck, even food stamps are given on a card these days.

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Times are changing Ted
Time to get with the 21st century.
I have even dropped my "checks are preferred" from my list of payment options. Card processing with the Square is just so easy it is worth the price for me. I still accept Cash, Check, or card and leave the choice to the client.
I am more and more frequently coming across folks that use their debit card for everything and have not written a check in years or don't have checks. Old codgers like me are fading fast with the next generations using electronic payment for everything and cash being the choice for lower income types. Heck, even food stamps are given on a card these days.

I actually do live in the 21rst century. As I said I used to take credit cards. Almost no one paid with them. Now folks order up an inspection and before they order the inspection not one, well a rare occasion one, person asks what type of payment I accept. I tell them after they order the inspection.

As far as the 21rst century goes I just ordered up all the components and built maybe the fastest coolest running computer around, my second in 6 months. I am well connected to the pace of the day and all I was doing was expressing the facts that I personally have found in my daily run of business.

No one cares whether I accept plastic or not. No one grunts or groans or second thinks the purchase at all.

AS far as all else.

How is it going lately Jim. I was just up toward you way in Wylie at the Exotic cat rescue place insync exotics. Lyons, Tigers, bob cats, lynx's, leopards oh my. Great place.

In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Education Center Wylie, Texas  75098 in case anyone is interested.

Always accepting donations to help out with all those rescued kitty cats.

[QUOTE=Ted Menelly;213518]I actually do live in the 21rst century. As I said I used to take credit cards. Almost no one paid with them.

No one cares whether I accept plastic or not. No one grunts or groans or second thinks the purchase at all.
QUOTE]

How do you deal with out of state customers that do not attend the inspection?

Very good question

I have a very decent amount of out of state clients. They either mail me a check or they have their Realtor take care of the payment to me.

Never a Hitch. Ever! No one seems to mind as I get referrals from them once they are here.

You gotta think. When you are out you are going to pass you bank. A quick 2 minute stop at the bank and deposit the check. If it is out of the way you just stop at the bank another day. Not a hassle or inconvenience at all.

One thing I find with out of state clients is never a hassle. Never calling around to a half dozen other inspectors. I tell them how much and the check is here a few days later. Usually and I should say most of the time before I do the inspection. Sometimes a day or 2 after. So? I can live with that. I do not press them on it. I even send the report off the night of the inspection.

I should add this. I would say 50% or more and I am guessing a lot more and make a direct transfer to my account. When that happens I have the money in my account the day I set up the inspection. All done on the computer they are sitting in front of ordering the inspection.

Just funnin' with you Ted. I did not take credit cards for the first 10 years of inspecting and never really had a problem with it.
Even waited for payment until closing and rarely had a problem... then I moved to the big city and a different way of life.
Of course, you are in Cow Town that has a whole different feel than Big D. Everything here and especially in Collin County is "bigger, faster, better" (at least that is the feel).

I suppose I could get by without taking cards but it is expected in my local.
Different strokes for different folks!
Still Square processing model is great.

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Just funnin' with you Ted. I did not take credit cards for the first 10 years of inspecting and never really had a problem with it.
Even waited for payment until closing and rarely had a problem... then I moved to the big city and a different way of life.
Of course, you are in Cow Town that has a whole different feel than Big D. Everything here and especially in Collin County is "bigger, faster, better" (at least that is the feel).

I suppose I could get by without taking cards but it is expected in my local.
Different strokes for different folks!
Still Square processing model is great.

I know you were Jim.

Funny though

Bigger, Faster, Better

I do a lot of work in Westlake. Two years ago and probably now it was considered the highest per capita income in the US. I just inspected a home there and it was the baby as in smallest in the entire neighborhood at 8300 sf and 8 car slots, plus guest quarters and pool. Two years to build. We might have smaller areas of the bigger, faster, better but we do have them. Already getting referrals from that one. Gotta love it.

Yeah yeah. Some of the old farts like you :-) still call it cow town and rightfully so.

I do not do Dallas. Maybe the north sections and Plano, Carrollton, Frisco and I was just in McKinney a week or so ago. Dont really like Dallas. It reminds me as a much younger man driving in and out of Boston to work.

635, 75.....forget about it. Said in a snickering older x Yankee voice. I guess that was 22 years ago when I moved out of there. Does that still make me a Yankee????

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Said in a snickering older x Yankee voice. I guess that was 22 years ago when I moved out of there. Does that still make me a Yankee????

Well, you said it yourself Once a yankee, always...

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Well, you said it yourself Once a yankee, always...

Damned Yankee