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Old 07-25-2002, 12:43 PM   #1 (permalink)
 
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We still run our cards the old fashioned way... through a phone line with a little blue data machine that dials up and gives an authorization number. THen at the end of the day we run the batch and everything is processed and cleared out to start fresh the next day.

Problem is... we are required to write our approval code on the top of each slip. Recently some of the batches have been bad and we've had to manually force the transactions punching in each transaction by hand and using the approval code. One such shift an employee didn't write any of her approval codes on the slips and I had to call to get new approval codes. Problem is... this puts an authorization on the clients' cards twice... and it takes 28 days to clear. Somehow it seems unfair.

Anyone have a better way of dealing with this than I was advised by the company who supplies our credit card machine?
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Old 07-25-2002, 01:27 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Ours prints out with the approval code already on the copy they sign. We don't have to write anything.

28 days? Wow. On my personal cards an authorization usually hangs there 3-5 days for the sale to come through. After that, they clear. Maybe it just depends on wich system was used to process the charge? But i have never 'noticed' anything hanging out there for that long! I'll have to monitoring my cards for that.
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Old 07-25-2002, 01:38 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
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The reason for the 28 days is for the approval code that wasn't send with the batch to cycle out of the system. So the ones that are sent through hit our account right away... See, it's the ones that I had to get a second approval for... the first code is stuck in limbo and has 28 days to clear before it's void and the charge is reversed back to the user's account. Weird, huh?

I just wish there was a way to find out the original approval number without having to pull a second one and potentially tie up someone's card.
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Old 07-25-2002, 06:56 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Bronze , I am not to savy on the credit card system, but you better notify the clients that you did this or they will think the salon is trying to double charge them. I did have this happen one time and I swear I only swiped the card once. I went through all my batches and everything matched up, so I told the client that it must be a mistake from their bank (it was a check card). Well low and behold several weeks or maybe even a couple of months my bank statement showed a reverse charge for that same client. I got screwed in the end. Plus they must have thought I wasn't being honest cause they did not tan with me this year.
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Old 07-26-2002, 12:41 PM   #5 (permalink)
 
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I switched last fall to having my credit cards processed through Sam's Club. I assume they are located everywhere. The authorization number prints out on the receipt at the time of the transaction. We do have to sent in the "settlement" each night but so far it's always been accurate. The best part is I am saving about half of what I used to pay in fees through my bank. Call your loca Sam's Club for the 800 number of the merchant credit card program. Since my business was already established, they did everything over the phone and fax. Good luck, Tammy
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Old 07-26-2002, 04:20 PM   #6 (permalink)
 
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oh God this was one of the worst things....

Christmas season, insane soccer moms shopping for 5 million presents for their spoiled kids, every credit and phone line was busy busy busy.

I had one transaction where the register "timed out" the credit authorization because it took longer than 45 seconds. This happened 3 times in a row. Finally, it went through. The wacko then called American Express and thought she was charged 4 times for the purchase. She came back into the store, I had to get off of one of the registers, and then I had to try to explain to her, politely, 18 times that she wasn't charged 4 times, that it just took 4 times to get through to the company.

She was a nut and finally I lost all sense of manners and I stopped trying to be nice. I said "Look, I am trying in the nicest way to explain to you that you were only charged once. You don't get it. I give up. Come back and see me at the end of the month if your bill was, in fact, charged 4 times. Otherwise I'm busy and I don't have time for this." She never came back and I hope she felt like a fool because a 20 year old understood what she did not.
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Old 07-31-2002, 06:15 PM   #7 (permalink)
 
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ON this topic, we are opening in Dec. and have never had a retail store before. My bank, Sam's Club and a few places on line all have made offers to set us up to receive Credit Cards, Debits, etc. But how do you decide who is the most reliable/least expensive/most responsive.

I have been contacted by a company called Landmark Merchant Solutions has anyone heard of them? Had any dealings with them? Their rates are low, but this isn't something I want to cut corners on.

Thanks for any response

Rich
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Old 08-17-2002, 08:37 PM   #8 (permalink)
 
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Actually there should be a way to find out the approval code from your machine (without having to call and get another one)! (as long as you can match up the cc # and amount if there is more than one w/o approval codes.)

Although, I can't think of how to do it off hand and the type of machine such as a verifone brand or some other brand. If I were you I would call your merchant services # and have them walk you through it. If they can't let me know and I will play with mine and see if I can figure it out for you.

Stacy[ This Message was edited by: chooselove on 2002-08-17 20:39 ]
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Old 08-19-2002, 08:53 PM   #9 (permalink)
 
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Bronze -

It's time to invest in a new machine. We just got a Hypercom at the second salon. I absolutely love it. We are set up to automatically batch out at the end of the night. If something happens and it is unable to batch itself, we are able to manually batch the next morning.

Each receipt prints an authorization number on it. In fact, our batch report seperates all the credit cards for us (ex. Visa/MC, Disc and AMex). The report lists how many of each type of card and the total for each type.

You might want to research getting a new company.
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