Increase your Vineyard’s Sales with Credit Card Processing

Anecdotally, the US is considered a beer-drinking nation, while the ‘winers’ are assumed to be largely European, especially Italians, Spaniards, and the French. Russians supposedly prefer vodka (did you know it’s made from potatoes?!) and Scots are said to go for whiskey. And yet, the existence of many extremely successful vineyards in the US bely these prejudices. These vineyards are often in coastal regions where the climate is better for grapes, such as Napa Valley, for example. The primary way vineyards make money is by making and selling wine.

Vineyards also bump up their revenue (and reputation) by hosting tours and events like weddings. At its heart though, it’s an agricultural business. Which means paying field workers, buying farm supplies, watering, weeding, harvesting, and so on. At the other end of the business, wholesale customers buy your bottles for their bars, restaurants, or liquor stores.

This kind of customer rarely pays cash, and that can get tricky if you don’t accept credit cards.

Buying in bulk

Considering you may already have to wait several months for customers to pay their invoices, credit cards are much better, because you can – if you choose to – visit your buyer / supplier’s premises and leave with the ‘cash’. Simply swipe their card on your portable card reader, smartphone payment app, or have them enter their card information on your website.

This ends the worry of waiting and hoping for invoices to be paid or checks to clear. It’s also a convenience that is greatly appreciated by your customers. And if you’re not accepting credit cards, then there’s a good chance you are losing customers to a competitor who is.

For more information on increasing your vineyard’s sales with credit card processing, or to sign up for a merchant account, please call (888) 924-2743 or go to Charge.com.