This post is all about taking online payments from customers.

This is an area which can cause a lot of confusion, so I hope to simply things a bit.

There are two different starting points:

1. You currently can process credit card transactions - you have a “merchant account” and a PDQ machine.
2. You havent got a “merchant account” (and cant, or dont want to endure the delay of getting one)

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Many companies just don’t think about this and use MS Office and Sage, because one is on the PC and the other is recommended by their accountant. Stop and think!

In an ideal world you would pick one bit of software that did everything from accounts to emailing. But being tied to one software supplier and one system has many problems. It will be expensive, and there will be bits you dont like. I wouldnt do it.

If you have several systems, on the other hand you end up trying to export and information between them, or duplicate effort. For example you use a CRM System like Goldmine, an email  system like Outlook and an accounts system like Quickbooks. All 3 have contact information for the same people in them. Nightmare!

 Well here are a few things that I that have found work well (together) for me. Continue Reading »