Yay, gotta love the differing opinions.  And no TrentonDog we are in the same business.  I don’t sell BBQ, I sell hot dogs and I work off of a hot dog cart just like you.  Not a high priced concession trailer (yet) An average sale is anywhere from $6-$10.  For me taking cards is an investment.  We sell great products, but we try to provide more than the other guy.  We also try to make it as easy as we can for people to buy our dogs.  Credit card sales account for about 25% of what we do.  Would these people pay cash if I didn’t take cards?  Probably, no one else around here selling reindeer dogs.  But if we make it easier to buy, am I going to sell more?  I’ve gotta say yes.  And thanks Billy, hope to see you soon, but remember we do “bone” those snakes before we sell em.

I think you’re stretching it a little. We are not in the same business. I don’t sell reindeer dogs, elk dogs, rattlesnake dogs, etc. (my local HD would have a stroke) I don’t have a cream cheese gun, but I do have a cheese pump, does that count? 😀
 
I sell Sabrett’s in a parking lot, you sell designer sausages on a city street with a lot of foot traffic. Maybe accepting plastic will get you a few impulse buys on the street, but IMHO, you are just paying for your customers convenience. If your cc machine craps out, I doubt you’d lose any sales. I have never had anyone ask if I accepted plastic. It’s just a given that a street cart is going to be a cash transaction, at least it should be. 🙂
 
Credit cards work for some, but not for others – that’s something we can all agree on!

I think your both in the same business, hes just more creative and successful, thats what gives him the idea of offering more services and great customer service……………….That may sound stupid to some people, it looks like it works for him, go figure……………………..

I’ll bet sea turtle tastes just like chicken too. lol

you can either send them via email, sms text, or you can buy a blue tooth wireless printer that runs off batts that will print them out.typcially runs about $200 for the printer.
 
Its the best thing Ive ever come across…

65% of my biz is done with CC’s

I deal with a company that employees 900 people, I take CASH only. There is a ATM machine 10 feet away, I sell food, not credit or the cost of taking credit. Its important for all small business, to watch any, and every, extra charge in their business. it all adds up to whos staying in business in the end………………………Bill

MIke
I run a full service restaurant and I put off accepting cc as long as I could (27 years)but finally relented and added cc about 18 months ago.  It really did not increase my sales but greatly reduced my profit because of the cc costs.  You will have the butthole who gets a cup of coffee and puts it on a cc.  U have to sign an agreement to not limit the amount that can be put on a cc so u are screwed.  The costs to me for the cc is unbelievable.

I recently added a concession trailer to out little business and I do not accept cc and will not add them because of the cost.  I suggest that u take a real close look at the first bill u get from the cc provider and I think u may rethink accepting cc for a $2 hotdog

Herman

I totally agree. The transaction fees and “discount” rate would be over 10% of the purchase price for transactions less than 5 bucks (based on a 50 cent transaction fee). And if you take credit cards, people will be more likely to use them even if they have the cash in their pocket.
 
A B&M restaurant pretty much is forced to accept credit cards, but a vending trailer or cart should avoid them like the plague IMO.
 
I’m glad it’s working out for you Mike, but it definitely wouldn’t work for me.

I was asked by one of my blog readers just about this. So I ran a poll. So far, it seems as though over 60% of those polled are taking cash only. It appears as though most cc users are charged a 2-3% for cc usage as well as a .15c fee on top of that for each transaction. Since mobile food vendors usually have smaller bills, these rates hurt them a lot.

Please note these fees do not include any additional cost if you rent or purchase a machine to process these bills.

-MC

 
Are the participants in the poll mainly hot doggers or are they mobile kitchens on wheels selling “high dollar” lunches. (cheesesteaks, bbq, etc.)

Now you’re all getting personal.  Ain’t we just here to talk about what works, or at least what we think works?  Trent you’re probably right, I have no idea how your HD would deal with wild game sausages.  Although everything I sell is manufactured in a USDA approved plant, and are all pre-cooked.  I am out west.  In the hippest cow town this side of  Rio Grande.  The HD inspectors (which for some reason are some really hot chicks around here) frequently eat at my cart.  There is also a good chance Trent makes more at his gig than I do at mine.  Although I might be one of the most expensive hot dog guy on the street around here, my food costs are pretty high.  And my menu wasn’t always what it is.  It evolved.  There was plenty of other hot dog guys right next to me and I decided to try something different.  So far so good.  As for this being frou frou food?  Well if you say so.  I don’t think buffalo or elk or wild boar or reindeer is all that frou frou myself.  Just tasty.

Hey Jim,
 
You weren’t getting personal and I wasn’t getting personal until Billy got personal. As you know, any small business owner ain’t gonna take any chit, especially in an online forum. So I apologize if anyone was offended at my response.
 
If those wild game sausages are pre-cooked, then my HD would not have in issue with them. It’s just that my customers are looking for a good old fashioned hot dog with traditional toppings. (Chili, Cheese, kraut, etc.) While the “wild game” theme is working for you, it wouldn’t work for me. The demographics of our customers are worlds apart. However, the exotic sausages may be an option for a private gig – where a “well to do” person hires me to serve at their party as a novelty. If you don’t mind me asking, where do you obtain your product?
And getting back to the credit card subject, If there was a high percentage of customers asking about accepting cc’s – I would probably look into it. It’s just that most people around here assume that a street cart is not going to have the ability to run credit/debit cards. And if I did, I think that people would use them for their own convenience (even if they had the cash) and it would end up shrinking my bottom line.
 
My li’l cart is just open for lunch on weekdays. The income from it has exceeded the expectations I set when I got into the biz. In that respect, it is a smashing success. So it really doesn’t matter which operator here is making more money, because that alone does not define success or failure. I know some folks that make a boatload of money but are miserable doing it. I consider myself more successful. Thinking of scoping out another spot and buying another cart next year. Who knows, maybe that full blown trailer isn’t that far off. One thing for sure is that I will not finance the purchase of equipment. My motto is 100% down, no monthly payments!
 
TD
 
 

I’d bet that snake tastes just like chicken.

The only rattlesnake (wild caught) I’ve ever had tasted more like game hens than regular chicken.  Slightly gamey. but that may have been because it was wild caught (my brother in law is a nut).  I wasn’t impressed enough with it to go out of my way to get more.  Now sea turtle is a different story… I would kill for a good piece of sea turtle meat (yum!). Haven’t had any since the 1970’s when it was outlawed.

On the other hand your 4.3% would cost me 8600 this year.
My sales would have to increase by 25800 to cover it.
Yes I miss a few customer but not 8000. That’s how many more customers I would need to make up the difference. Plus the labour to serve them and I don’t want to work any harder if there’s nothing in it for me.
I could just raise my prices .15 cents a customer I guess, but I will do that anyway, each year I have to raise my prices for product increases and I like to keep some of  that money for me..
I had debit when I started, I charged .50 under 5.00 and I still couldn’t justify the equipment and charges.
When this was last debated here I was excited and priced it again, same result, to expensive. I have trained my customers to bring cash, If not where they can obtain cash.

I’ve been taking credit cards for almost 2 years now.  And yeah, I’ll get the occasional numbskull that will use his card to buy a coke.  That being said it ends up costing me $265 for about $6,000 worth of charges.   So that cost me about 4.3% for a customer service that I think is very valuable.  I do own my equipment and don’t rent them.   I am in the food business, but I’m really in the customer service business.  Would I tell someone he can’t use his card for a coke?  Nope.  Why?  Cause he may be back with his family or office next week and buy $25 dollars worth of stuff.  Would he come back if I told him he can’t do business with me?   I do believe it is illegal to put minimums on credit card orders.  I think if you shop around you can find some Merchant Processors that are fairly inexpensive.  Do be aware that some companies will try and get you to sign a contract.  Avoid that if at all possible.  You don’t want to be stuck for the next two years if you decide to get into another line of work.  That’s my $.20 (which is about what it costs me for a $5 charge)

Set a service fee for accepting CC on orders for less than $10.   Or, all orders on the cart.  how many order does one get that are $30 or $40?  It could be waved for large orders.    …… Processing fee plus a percentage, say 75 cents or $1.   Then it is the customer’s choice. 

… If most of your sells are $8 to $15, you may be slightly behind on your CC cost, but the difference should reasonable & acceptable.  If your sells are small then you should be a little ahead on CC cost.

Remember not long ago, many business had two prices cash & CC.

Every merchant agreement that I’ve seen states that you cannot charge a service fee or “minimum” purchase. The people that do this are in violation of their merchant agreement. If someone calls to complain, their merchant account will probably be pulled. I know someone that this happened to. They had a $15 minimum charge. In my prior business, I offered a discount for cash instead of a service fee for credit. (probably still could’ve lost the merchant account)
 
But if you lose a merchant account, you can easily find another bank or processing service.

That’s not in mine.  but I only have a 15 or 20 cent process fee plus 3% of ticket. I’ve had a merchant account for the past 15 years.

Guys… I use this company. It’s called Square. It’s AS SIMPLE AS I TYPE THIS. Keyed rates are 3.5% +.15 & swiped rate is 2.5%+.15 cents. NOT ONE OTHER CHARGE. The equipment is FREE. If you lose it, You get another one FREE. The ONLY catch is if you want to use a swiper, you have to plug it into your phone. My money is in bank in 2 days. I pay them NOTHING but the % + .15

Its Ideal for me and mid volume. Takes about 5 seconds to process and on to the next customer.

( main site )

( FAQ page )

I’ve been using this for months now. I’ve never been less stressed over money.

 
How do you handle receipts with that system? Do they provide a printer?
 
-MC

Set a service fee for accepting CC on orders for less than $10.   Or, all orders on the cart.  how many order does one get that are $30 or $40?  It could be waved for large orders.    …… Processing fee plus a percentage, say 75 cents or $1.   Then it is the customer’s choice. 

… If most of your sells are $8 to $15, you may be slightly behind on your CC cost, but the difference should reasonable & acceptable.  If your sells are small then you should be a little ahead on CC cost.

Remember not long ago, many business had two prices cash & CC.

Every merchant agreement that I’ve seen states that you cannot charge a service fee or “minimum” purchase. The people that do this are in violation of their merchant agreement. If someone calls to complain, their merchant account will probably be pulled. I know someone that this happened to. They had a $15 minimum charge. In my prior business, I offered a discount for cash instead of a service fee for credit. (probably still could’ve lost the merchant account)
 
But if you lose a merchant account, you can easily find another bank or processing service.