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November 2008
Credit Cards
by Cherie Sohnen-Moe Offering your clients the option of paying with a credit card or debit card presents advantages and disadvantages. For many years, the typical massage therapist didn’t accept payment by credit card, but that is changing with the ease and low cost currently associated with a merchant account. In many instances, you don’t even need special equipment—you can process the transaction by phone or the Web. A lot can be said for making it easy for your clients to pay you. I recommend accepting payment by credit card or debit card, particularly if you sell products or offer classes. In fact, marketing research shows that people are often are willing to spend more if they can pay with a credit card, and then there’s the impulse-buy factor. Advantages that come with accepting this form of payment are added convenience for your regular clients, increased appeal for your gift certificate program, more high-dollar product purchases and an increased likelihood of clients purchasing a package deal for a series of sessions. Credit Cards Services Contact several banks and ask them about their policies and rates for merchant credit accounts. You may find companies that issue merchant numbers and credit card plates in the phone book or on the Internet; look under “Credit Cards” or “Merchant Accounts.” See Issue 5’s Online Resources at www.futureLMT.com for a list of major merchant credit card services. Cherie Sohnen-Moe is an author, 'business coach and international workshop leader. She has been in business since 1978. She was in private practice for many years as a massage and holistic health practitioner before shifting her focus to education and coaching. In her coaching/consulting practice, she has worked with individual therapists to small wellness centers to day spas that have multiple locations. She has served as a faculty member at the Desert Institute of Healing Arts and the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and is an adjunct professor at Clayton College of Natural Health. She has written more than 100 articles that have been published in more than 15 national and international magazines. She is the author of the book, Business Mastery, which is in its fourth edition, has sold more than 325,000 copies to date with 650-plus schools requiring it as a text. She is also the author of Present Yourself Powerfully and The Art of Teaching. She is co-author of The Ethics of Touch, with more than 300 schools requiring it as a text. She is also a contributing author of Teaching Massage: Fundamental Principles in Adult Education for Massage Program Instructors, and was interviewed for a chapter of SAND TO SKY: Conversations with Teachers of Asian Medicine. Sohnen-Moe is a firm believer in education and as such serves on the exam committee of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and is a founding member of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE). She can be contacted through her website, www.sohnen-moe.com.
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