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Ask HN: Accepting credit cards as freelancer?
I'm considering starting a freelancing business on the side sometime in the next year, and Stripe has me interested in the possibility of accepting credit card payments. I briefly worked as a subcontractor, and the company head took issue with a client who wanted to pay with a credit card, presumably because of the risk of a chargeback. Is it best to stick to a "checks only" policy, or is the additional risk worth the convenience to clients?
- _pius 14y agoDuring my contracting days, I typically required certified funds (wire transfer, Paypal, money order, cashier's check) unless the client was, say, in the Fortune 500, in which case a business check would suffice. The one time I broke my rule and accepted a personal check, I got burnt. I'd advise you to only accept certified funds.
- lbcadden3 14y agoIf you would not take a card then I would not take Paypal, the do chargebacks. https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/security/chargeback-guide https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/security/chargeback-gu... comment for the OP not you _pius
- _pius 14y agoI didn't realize that, good information to know.
- stevencorona 14y agoMaybe this is bad advice, but I live on the edge and I'd take the credit card. Maybe use something like Square, though, since it seems less jankey than typing their credit card number in the stripe console.
- saluki 14y agoI typically send invoices via paypal and clients pay via credit/debit or their paypal account. You can obtain a paypal debit card and have instant access to the funds as soon as they pay. Occasionally paypal will hold the funds for 24 hours. Some companies insist on paying by check and that typically works out as long as it's a company check I wouldn't worry too much. I would avoid personal checks or if you get a funny feeling about a client. Stripe would be another option, you could even create custom invoice pages on your website for clients with the stripe payment form embedded on the same page as their invoice. (You'll need an SSL certificate (HTTPS://) for your website stripe requires it. You can sign up for Hostgator's Business plan for $15 and they include an SSL cert free upon request.) I also recommend getting a 25% payment up front and breaking the project into multiple milestones where you receive payments and they review the work incrementally to make sure everyone is on the same page and you won't get left holding the bag waiting for a large payment at the end of the project. Good luck with Freelancing.
- Ian_Kung 14y agoIt would depend on how often you are charging a customer. If you have several customers everyday, you might want to consider that since it might be a pain point for your customer. But since most "freelance" work takes a little time and you are limited by the number of personal hours in a day, I don't think it would matter too much if you only accepted checks. On the other hand, Square is extremely convenient and free to use (other than a per transaction percentage charge).
- jamesjguthrie 14y agoI only accept PayPal. I send invoices to registered PayPal addresses and have them paid that way. Seems more professional than drawing up my own invoice and posting it to the client.