Ebook Review: The Fool-Proof Guide to Accepting Credit Card & Check Payments Online and Offline by
William Hamilton
The process of learning how to accept payments on and off the Internet is similar to learning how to drive a car.
What at first seems puzzling and intimidating may be viewed as straight forward and easily understandable if one has the
right guide or manual.
The author, William Hamilton, provides a primer for those who wish to figure out how to receive payments in a variety of settings. According to Hamilton, his e-book, The Fool-Proof Guide to Accepting Credit Card & Check Payments Online and Offline, evolved
as a direct response to the collective mystery of business owners who were uncertain how to accept credit cards, both online and off. Moreover, the information is provided to combat the vast misinformation promulgated from a variety of sources, most notably from companies that stand to gain from merchants’ inexperience in or unawareness of the payment processing field. (Something PayPal clearly benefits from.)
Hamilton assumes that the reader has no familiarity with the modus operandi of obtaining payments. Obviously a good starting place. For any payment processing novice, he/she can be taken by the hand, and provided rudimentary instruction on how
payments may be received, and all the costs associated with this process. For an individual who has already acquired knowledge in setting up a method to take payments, he/she may better determine and evaluate or re-evaluate all options, and may even beable to save money by becoming more fluent in all the relevant expenses.
It is the discussion on associated costs where the e-book excels. Business owners need to understand the jargon of the payment processing field, and take into consideration all possible fees. Knowledge is power. If a business owner is not privy to the entire spectrum of costs, how can he/she possibly compare offers with any semblance of accuracy? By using the actual names of these charges, describing what they mean, and providing examples of how to calculate some fees, Hamilton helps the reader to better weigh offers and engage in a truer cost caparison.
The e-book is all encompassing, and considers the scenarios of accepting payment on the Internet, on the phone, offline
(e.g., at a retail establishment), etc. Each situation has its own unique set of steps and associated costs. Through the judicious use of a question and answer format, Hamilton performs an exemplary service and provides much-needed insight on how to receive payments (and how much it costs) no matter where these payments are accepted.
Hamilton also delves into the subject of the types of payments that may be received. He not only writes about accepting
credit cards, but he covers the overlooked topic of receiving check payments. He asserts that business owners may accelerate
cash flow by accepting customers’ checks to expand their client base and allocate less of the profit to payment processing
providers. (Receiving check payments generally costs less than receiving credit card payments. A good thing!)
Again, the reader learns HOW to facilitate the transfer of funds from customer to owner with an emphasis on the elationship between cash flow and savings.
This easy-to-understand, clear and concise e-book is a must read for those who want, or need, to accept their customers’ credit card and/or check payments whether those payments are "on" or "off" line. The manual is free of charge and the only expense a reader will pay will be for ignoring the important concepts addressed. Obviously anyone wanting to give PayPal the boot will want to study this ebook!
