Credit Card Processing for Freelancer

February 19, 2009 12:04 PM

Freelancer needs to process large credit card transactions.

One of my freelance clients (U.S. Fortune 50 company) wants to pay me via credit card for invoices under 10K.

I have a PayPal business account and a ProPay Premium account, but neither one is working for me. (PayPal throws an error when I try to enter a transaction on the corporate AmEx card, and ProPay wants me to leave $2000 in a reserve account for six months in order to increase my transaction limits.)

How can I get set up to accept transactions of this size as easily and cheaply as possible?

posted by ottereroticist to Work & Money (9 answers total)

What sort of error are you getting from PayPal? If it's to do with the card, the client will need to speak to PayPal about it.

I'm sorry if this is not helpful - the way I see it, you ARE able to accept credit card transactions via PayPal, so if it's a cardholder issue they [the clients] will need to resolve it at their end.

Getting merchant accounts from credit card companies would be cheaper in the long run, but ABSOLUTELY not worth it in terms of paperwork and getting set up. It's not for one-off transactions.
posted by different at 12:21 PM on February 19, 2009

Best answer: I've had good luck with Google Checkout.
posted by mynameisluka at 12:26 PM on February 19, 2009

corporate amex cards often don't work for certain charges ... and i bet paypal is one of them. talk to amex.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 12:31 PM on February 19, 2009

They're Fortune 50 and they can't cut a check in response to a Purchase Order and save you the card's 2.5% processing fee? I'm not sure I see how taking a credit card benefits you.
posted by orthogonality at 12:42 PM on February 19, 2009

Response by poster: "American Express has decided to decline PayPal credit card transactions that are funded with an American Express Corporate Card. As a result, any attempts to register or use an American Express Corporate Card will be denied."

Crap. Other ideas?

And orthogonality, this requirement is obviously not for my benefit....
posted by ottereroticist at 1:01 PM on February 19, 2009

Response by poster: mynameisluka, it looks like you need a website to use Google Checkout. I need to be able to do this by phone/email.
posted by ottereroticist at 1:06 PM on February 19, 2009

How do you mean? You just need to set up a Google account; it generates invoices that are sent to the client by email. They then click through to the Google-generated site and pay. No personal website necessary.

Is that what you were talking about?
posted by mynameisluka at 1:18 PM on February 19, 2009

Response by poster: OK, I see now. I hadn't seen the Email Invoice option.

I'm signed up for Google Checkout -- we'll see if that works. Thanks!
posted by ottereroticist at 1:36 PM on February 19, 2009

If Google doesn't work, Costco sells a service with fairly low (but not near-zero) costs. I looked into it a few years ago and at the time it was cheaper than other alternatives.
posted by genug at 10:14 PM on February 19, 2009