6 Tips for Choosing the Right Payment Processor for Your Spa

By Samantha Ettus Dec 18, 2019 9:00am

Did you launch your spa with the intent to grow? Of course you did! Like most business owners, you might not realize that your payments setup is among the arsenal of tools you can use to grow your business.

Chances are the majority of your clients are paying with credit cards, with an increasing number of them requesting to use Apple or Google Pay. The good news is that there are payment processing companies with pricing structures that will generate major monthly savings along with providing features that will help increase transactions.

Traditionally, the payment processing industry has relied on confusing invoices and poor customer service that doesn’t compare to what consumers were promised. To make sure you don’t get swindled, there are a myriad of things to look out for. So how should you choose a payment provider? Start by considering these six factors:

1. Your Time is Money

You know this, but are you living it? Think about it: If your credit card machine breaks, you’ll need to contact customer service. This could put you on hold for hours, pulling you off of other projects, and forcing your clients to wait while you resolve the problem. You are unable to accept credit cards until the connection is fixed, you are losing valuable employee time trying to fix it, and customers are annoyed that they have to wait.

2. Your Practices Need to Be Modern

You wouldn’t dream of using outdated technology at your spa, and that includes your point of sale. Making sure that your payments equipment is up to date serves two purposes: it demonstrates that you are modern, and you are keeping up with industry changes that your competition is most likely using.

3. You Require Transparent Pricing

It shouldn’t be easier for you to read in a foreign language than it is for you to read your merchant services statement. Your statement should be clear without hidden fees and charges. Expect transparency from your service provider.

4. You Deserve a Trustworthy Rep

This industry has a history of using car salesman-like tactics to rope you into lengthy contracts and poorly priced deals. You want to work with a reliable company and a rep who is not charging you to benefit his own bottom line. If someone offers to match your best offer, they aren’t offering you their best.

5. You Want to Utilize Cutting Edge Card Linking Technology That Drives Profit

There are payment processing companies who offer promotional and marketing tools that are linked back to your payments terminal, making offers simple for you to deploy—no tech savvy needed!

6. Your Customers Want to Spend Money at Socially Conscious Businesses

Consumers today are interested in supporting businesses that are dedicated to a social mission. You can contribute to the larger business environment by selecting a payment partner that is committed to ethical business practices and has a clear goal of diversity and inclusion.

About the Author: Samantha Ettus is the founder & CEO of Park Place Payments, aimed at helping small to medium sized businesses use payments to grow their businesses. Ettus holds a BA and a MBA from Harvard, is a best-selling author and has dedicated her career to championing women in the workforce.