Getting paid by your customers for the work you do in an efficient and timely manner is pivotal to the success of your landscaping business. Here’s a look at how mobile payments can help you do just that:
Customers now expect all businesses to accept credit payments.
Cash may have been king at one time, but customers have collectively decided that is no longer the case. According to a CreditCards.com poll, consumers 49 and younger are twice as likely to pay with a credit or debit card rather than cash. Landscaping businesses that accommodate their customers’ preferences by accepting mobile payments can benefit financially. A consumer behavior study conducted by Dun & Bradstreet revealed that customers spend 12 to 18 percent more per transaction when paying by credit instead of cash.
Mobile payments eliminate the need to invest in credit card processing equipment.
If you’re among the majority of Americans, you have a mobile device. Thanks to mobile payment technology, you can now use it as a point-of-sale terminal that is ready to accept credit and debit card payments. Once a merchant account with a mobile payment processor is established, you can securely process customer credit card payments, either through the payment provider’s secure app or a small card-reading device that plugs into the headphone jack of your smartphone or tablet. Customers can receive payment receipts electronically (via text or email), eliminating the cost and hassle associated with hard-copy invoicing.
Mobile payments can offer a competitive advantage.
According to data compiled by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), about half of all small businesses currently accept credit cards. Mobile payments enable you to give customers the same payment options as your competitors, without requiring that you accrue additional costs.
Mobile payments reduce your risk.
Mobile payments allow you to expedite the collections process from your mobile device when jobs are complete, even from the customer’s front lawn. If a secure Wi-Fi connection isn’t available, most mobile payment providers allow you to collect the customer’s payment data securely but suspend processing until you can connect with secure Wi-Fi.
Mobile payments also enable you to obtain deposits from customers in exchange for reserving a place on your company’s schedule during peak seasons. In addition, customers may be charged for job materials in advance so you needn’t pay suppliers out of pocket. Once the mobile payment transaction is approved, most mobile payment providers electronically transfer funds to your business bank account within 72 hours.
Editor’s note: This column was written by Kendall Reed, a marketing specialist with NCR Counterpoint POS.