Credit Card Processing for Your Shoe Repair Shop

When you have the skills, expertise, training and experience in footwear refurbishing, setting up a shoe repair business means monetizing something you enjoy doing.

This is the perfect business for an individual or group of people to convert their craftsmanship into a professional enterprise, preserve and recycle natural resources and work at one of the most ancient trades in the world.

Why Repair Footwear?

As a shoe repair artisan knows, people who invest in premium-quality, hand-made, exclusive footwear and those who purchase off-the-shelf make these decisions based on personal needs, preferences, taste, fashion and budget. People also get attached to footwear and it’s a fact that our shoes do take on the shape of our feet, and adapt to our style of walking, standing and running. Breaking in a new shoe can be a long and tedious, often painful, process. Older footwear may also be made of high quality leather that’s hard to find today. These are just some of the reasons that people don’t like to throw away old shoes when they get damaged. Styles and trends may change, but there’s nothing as comforting as slipping on a pair of soft, well-worn shoes. Some people prefer to invest in repairing and giving the footwear a new lease of life rather than replacing them with new ones.

Apart from footwear, a typical shoe repair business may handle handbags, luggage, rubber and plastic footwear, sports shoes and apparel, equipment-covers, and certain kinds of upholstery.

Accepting Credit Card Payments

Customers prefer a business that offers a choice of payment options. This can include cash and check payments, but these are slowly being replaced by credit card payments. Bank transfer and mobile wallets are other options.

Credit cards enjoy unprecedented popularity with more than 71% of American households using at least one credit card. The US Census Bureau reports that there are 1.27 billion credit cards in circulation. Keeping these figures in mind, it’s wise to offer this payment solution to your customers in order to legitimize your business, meet customer expectations, and ensure that your business stays relevant and competitive.

The equipment you need for set up is based on the size and location of your store and type of payment options offered:

• Traditional card terminal for stationary POS (Point of Service) : these are used for face-to-face interaction with a customer who comes to your store, and they can also be used to manually enter card information received over the phone, online, or by mail. This typically consists of a card terminal machine with a magnetic stripe reader, keypad, display screen, PIN pad, and receipt printer
• Wireless processing technology: If you undertake home pick-up or delivery of repaired items or you would like to offer multiple points of payment in your store, wireless credit card processing can be a great option. The equipment includes basic features similar to a stationary POS like a magnetic stripe reader, keypads and printing facilities. The difference is that wireless machines don’t need a direct connection to a phone or wireless network. This is an ideal on-the-go payment acceptance method.
• Virtual credit card terminals: If your business combines a brick-n-mortar facility with an e-commerce website, virtual credit card terminals are usually the right choice.
• Other options:  include an online-only payment gateway, payment acceptance via smartphone app, and more.

A reliable, well-established credit card processing service provider can give you the right advice and assistance.  For more information on the type of credit card processing equipment needed for a small shoe repair shop, or to sign up for a merchant account, please call (888) 924-2743 or go to Charge.com.