When you operate in the real world AND in a digital space, accounting can get tricky fast.
You need to take online and in-person payments. Your customers have cash, checks, credit cards... AND your books need to square, without opportunity for confusion or mistakes.
This breaks down into 3 problems:
- Selecting a merchant and a website
- How to take credit card payments in person
- Integrated accounting
If you’re selling online, you need a merchant to process your digital payments. (Like Paypal, Stripe, etc.)
But different merchants charge different transaction fees... and sometimes your website will limit which merchants you can use (Squarespace, for example, only integrates with Stripe.) Even worse, your website provider itself could charge commission on top of merchant fees! This is bad all around, and a big reason you should be careful when selecting a platform.
Look carefully at the terms of your ecommerce website and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Does the provider offer a range of merchants to work with?
Investigate the fees for each merchant and find a schedule that works best for your business. Zibster integrates with a wide variety of merchants so you can pick the best and most affordable choice that fits your budget and sales volume.
Does the website charge commission on your sales?
Some website companies (like Zenfolio, SmugMug, etc.) will charge you to have an online store... then charge you AGAIN to use it! That’s sneaky. Zibster NEVER takes a cut of your sales or charges a commission of any kind.
So what about in-person sales? No sweat. Your phone or tablet can process credit & debit payments with our Point Of Sale app and (optional) credit card swiper. This allows you to get paid anywhere, using whatever method your customer likes best.