merchant account for non-profit group?

Question

My husband and I run a charity event once a year, over the course of a 3 day weekend. This year we would like to accept credit card payments at the door. After looking into the merchant accounts available, we cannot justify paying all the fees for only 3 days of use out of the year. Does any one know of a simple way for a charity group to accept credit cards short term?

Answer 1

hola =D

Answer 2

There are a few ways I can think of that would help you with this situation.

If you are going to have a computer with Internet access at the event, you can accept credit cards through PayPal. I know several charities that accept donations through PayPal, and the best part is that you can accept donations year round - consult www.paypal.com for how to do this.

Another idea is to have a business (that accepts credit cards already) be the sponsor of your event. That way, you are using a merchant account that is already established, and you can work out with the business owner how to handle the fees. Probably, they could just write off the amount of the fees as a charitable donation, but they would have to consult a tax professional for the best way to handle moving the money from their account to your charity.

Good luck with your event, and I hope my ideas have helped you!

Answer 3

Applying for credit card merchant account services is quite easy. Once you shortlist your prospective underwriters to 3-4, compare their fees and features. Few companies who are the market leaders, use their reputation to charge premium for their merchant account services. Others are just beginners, so they can lower, waive or skip some fees, to procure your business. But they may charge you fees after 1 year or a trial period.
http://debts-to-wealth.com/category/Credit-Card-Merchant-Account.html

Answer 4

Hi Jennifer. Talk to your banker. He/she may be willing to work with you on this. The bank might even pick up all of the credit card fees as a lead 'sponsor' of the event!