Accepting Payment Over the Phone — Yea or Nay?

Manually keying in credit card numbers into a payment processing system is probably not your favorite part of the day, but being able to accept credit card payments over the phone is more important than ever.

With fewer and fewer clients paying with cash and check, and trying to limit contact with surfaces and people, accepting credit card payments by phone is an easy way to ensure you can and will get paid for your services, even if someone isn’t physically there to pay you.

But… You might be wondering why you should accept card payments by phone — if you already accept a plethora of other forms of payment.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help:

• Can you accept credit card payments by phone?
• What are the benefits of accepting payment by phone?
• Is it safe to accept credit card payments by phone?
• What are the best ways to accept credit card payments by phone?
• How much does it cost to accept credit card payments by phone?
• How do you accept credit card payments by phone?
• Is it worth it to accept credit card payments by phone?

Can You Accept Credit Card Payments by Phone?

Yes! And in some scenarios, it can be quite beneficial for both you and your clients.

There are more than a few ways to do so, which we’ll get into a little later, but let’s start with why you might want to consider taking credit card payments over the phone.

Benefits of Accepting Payment Over the Phone

Limiting Contact

This is a big one these days, when we’re trying to limit contact with people outside of our household. Contactless payment helps us do that, and a few ways of taking credit card payments over the phone allows you to avoid touching different surfaces.

Delivery Services

Consider using apps for delivery efficiency, such as Circuit, which decreases time spent on the road. This allows you to take even more deliveries on the phone.

More Streamlined

Of course, cash and check are acceptable forms of payment, but by taking credit card payments with your phone, you don’t have to worry about going to a bank to deposit cash or making sure a check doesn’t bounce.

More Practical

And while cash and check are acceptable, how many of your clients really carry around cash or check? Mostly likely not very many — so make it easy for your clients to pay you by taking credit card payments over the phone!

Is it Safe to Accept Credit Card Payments by Phone?

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: yes, with the right payment processing systems. PCI Compliance standards are in place to protect clients’ information, and when those are followed, you can ensure the safety of the information. 

Schedulicity is one of the companies that promises to stay up to date with the PCI Compliance standards, so with our payment processors, you can feel confident that all information is safely processed. 

What are the Best Ways to Accept Credit Card Payments by Phone?

When you think of taking a credit card payment over the phone, you probably think of a client reading the whole credit card number to you through the phone while you punch it in on your end to process the payment. While that’s a way to take a payment over the phone, that’s not the only way. A few other ways include:

• Card-not-present transactions using a processor like Schedulicity’s built-in payment processor.
• Payment processors with a card reader that hooks up to your phone.
• Mobile wallets like Apple Pay (sometimes referred to as “mobile payments”).
• Payment and ordering apps like PayPal, Venmo, and even DoorDash, Postmates, or Caviar, where all transactions occur within the app.

How Much Does it Cost to Take Credit Card Payments by Phone?

This answer differs based on the payment processor that you’re using. You can check out our handy credit card processor comparison chart, but card-not-present charges are typically a little more expensive: 

Square: 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction

Paypal: 2.9%, plus a fixed fee based on currency (for the U.S., it’s + $0.30)

Vagaro: For small merchants — 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction. For large merchants: 3.0% + 19¢ per transaction. 

Mindbody: Differs based on region, but for U.S merchants, rates are 3.5% + 15¢ USD per transaction. For Canadian merchants, rates are 2.89% + 25¢ CAD per transaction.

Schedulicity: 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction (available for US businesses only). 

How to Accept Credit Card Payments By Phone

While card-not-present transactions are not as easy as swiping a card, they aren’t too tricky:

• Go through the normal checkout process
• When you get to the actual charging step, there will be an option to “key in manually”
• Collect the information from the client or customer on the phone
• Make sure the charge finishes processing before hanging up!

Is it Worth it to Accept Credit Card Payments by Phone?

Absolutely! There are quite a few benefits to accepting credit card payments over the phone, one of which is ensuring your clients always have at least one way they can pay you, which is good for business. It can also be easier for you, with processing systems like Schedulicity’s built-in payment processor.

While card-not-present transactions can sometimes be more expensive, it’s better to get paid and have to pay a higher processing fee than to not get paid at all.

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