Mobile Credit Card Processing Problem ?

Q: I will be starting a courier business in the new year. I am hiring a mobile debit card/credit card electronic terminal. Whilst learning to use the terminal, I discovered that it wasn't set up to be able to process keypad entries. This means that my customers won't be able to give me their debit/credit card details over the phone - I would need to swipe their card through the terminal. I rang the bank, who says I need to have the terminal for at least 6 months before I am able to process payments over the phone, for security reasons. I did not know this, and was not informed during my application, so now it's too late. This is a /huge/ problem for me. Once the customer receives my invoice by mail/fax/email, if they choose to pay by card, I will need to drive out to them to process the payment! This will in effect double the amount of driving(and my time) I will have to do since I'll be seeing the customer twice - once to pick up the item, and to take payment. Can anyone please suggest a more convenient way for me to process debit/credit card transactions with my current circumstances? I can take payment by cheque/check, but I would like to offer my customers as many payment options as possible, and as convenient for me as possible. I think I should have gotten a fixed terminal, instead of a mobile, because the cost to hire a fixed one is about 75% less than a mobile one.

A: -You could try to work with a friend/business that qualifies until you qualify, you may need to pay a small middle man fee but it will get you going. -Unfortunately, my business has it's own merchant number with the bank that provides the terminal, as well as unique merchant numbers for all the credit card providers, such as visa and mastercard etc. In total, I have about 4 merchant numbers for my business. If I was to use a third party merchant facility(let's call them Abe), Abe's own merchant number would appear on the customer's receipt and bank statement, as well as on the Abe's own records. This is extremely complex and convoluted - the customer's will be confused, Abe will be confused and Abe will be doing my account keeping for my business, on top of his own. Not to mention tax implacations, and what were to happen if Abe's own merchant facilities provider were to find out, of if my customer's disputed some charges. Abe would be too involved with my business.

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