Credit Card Processing for Portland Businesses

Portland, Oregon is an interesting place to do business. As its name suggests, it was initially a port town. It specialized in shipping for agriculture, manufacturing, and lumber. Today, it’s heavily into tech, with Intel being one of the area’s largest employers. The arts scene is vibrant as well.

This artistic ambience may be one reason why many people have bumper stickers that read, ‘Keep Portland Weird!’ Like other shipping towns and artsy towns, Portland attracts a lot of transitory visitors. Ship crews ‘partying at port’ or tourists attending festival and expos.

This kind of customer might be a big spender, but they’re unlike to carry a lot of cash on them. That said, they’re generally eager to sample local delicacies, so they’re a boon to your business.

Easy payment for better business

So how can you ‘cash in’ when your buyers have no cash? Well, there are two things every modern citizen has, at least within the US: a smartphone and a credit card. These days, they are about as ubiquitous as a driver’s’ license. Maybe moreso, especially for foreign visitors.

Under these circumstances, the best thing you can do for your business is to start accepting credit cards. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Many reliable payment processors will open your account for free, and it’ll take less than a day. A payment processor is a company that offers the framework for accepting credit cards.

Quick encrypted transactions

Once you open your merchant account, customers can pay you in seconds by swiping their card or typing their card details into your online store. The customer’s identity is verified instantly, and you don’t have to worry about bounced checks or counterfeit notes. Credit card verification serves two purposes:

• It confirms the person swiping (or typing) is the legal owner of the card.
• It ensures they have enough money in the bank (or in their card) to complete the payment. Otherwise, the transaction will be rejected.

After the client completes their payment, you can immediately see the transaction in your business account, and it can take 24 to 72 hours before you can access the cash. You can track it every step of the way.

For more information on credit card processing for Portland businesses, or to sign up for a merchant account, please call (888) 924-2743 or go to Charge.com.