Phone Credit Card Transactions

Customers love it when companies accept credit cards over the phone because they need not dress up to go shopping, they don't have to find a babysitter, they need not put gas in the car, and they don't have to worry about stopping at the bank for cash while en route to your establishment. Here is how to get started.

First, to accept credit cards over the phone you will need a merchant account. This will provide you with a financial underwriter for coordinating customers' credit payments with your account. The underwriter facilitates the credit payment to ensure it is good and when cleared, puts the money into your account for ready access. Of course there are fees for this service, but most merchant account users feel they are well worth it because of the unlimited potential for growth and profit. Find a reputable financial underwriter, like a solid bank or other lender, and apply for a merchant account.

Telephones are being used more and more for business ordering and payment services, especially with the credit payment feature for those who wish to accept credit cards online. By paying a few cents for each transaction or a low interest rate overall, you can remove limits from your sales field and increase volume dramatically. Contact a First Data representative to find out more about the many exciting possibilities that await you when you implement the latest technology for your business, beginning with the choice to accept credit card s over the phone.

Step 1: Obtain the necessary information from your customer. You will need to obtain the customer's complete billing address, including zip code, the type of credit card, the credit card number, expiration date, security code and the customer's full name. Double-check that the customer has provided the billing address for the credit card, which may be different from the shipping address. Also, confirm the total amount to be charged with the customer. If the customer does not approve the total amount, the charge could be reversed.

Step 2: Input sale in credit card machine or online processing software. Most credit card companies will require you to have an on-site credit card terminal, even if you are only processing payments over the phone. Begin by pressing the "clear" key to make sure the machine is ready to accept a new transaction. Then press the "sale" key and follow the on-screen prompts. Procedures vary by machine type, but most will ask you to input the credit card number, security code, expiration date, sale amount, the customer's street address and zip code. After entering all the requested information, wait for the charge to process.

Step 3: Process the receipt. Upon approval, the credit card terminal will print two receipts. One copy is for your records and the other for the customer's records. In a normal credit card transaction, the customer would sign the copy that you keep for your records. Since the customer is not able to sign the receipt, mark "phone order" on the signature line. This way, if the credit card company questions the charge, you will have a record that the receipt is unsigned due to a payment over the phone. Mail or scan and email the duplicate receipt to the customer. If you are shipping items to the customer, it is appropriate to attach the credit card receipt to the invoice.

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