| Even though a lot of people seem to be using credit | | | | accepting a check, depositing it into your account and |
| cards exclusively for incidental purchases these days, | | | | waiting for it to clear. |
| the truth is checks are still a preferred method of | | | | A check reader can take a lot of the guesswork out |
| payment for a lot of people. | | | | of accepting checks and will make you feel more |
| It doesn't make sense not to accept checks, since | | | | secure when accepting checks for high-dollar items. |
| most people will expect to have that option, but there | | | | Posting a sign that you have a check reader will make |
| are certainly some things to worry about when you do | | | | customers aware of the system and prevent people |
| accept checks. There's always the danger that | | | | from writing bad checks in the first place. |
| someone has stolen the checks from their rightful | | | | Check readers are commonly available from the |
| owner or that they just don't have the money to pay | | | | same companies that provide payment processing for |
| for what they're writing the check for. | | | | credit cards and merchant accounts. Some companies |
| There will always be some risk involved in accepting | | | | even provide this equipment for free to people who |
| checks, but these days technology makes your life a | | | | are interested in using it. |
| little easier with an invention known as a check reader. | | | | You'll no longer have to limit yourself to only accepting |
| A check reader is basically a scanner that the check | | | | checks from the local area in case you have to try to |
| is fed into. It reads the check and automatically debits | | | | track someone down who wrote a hot check. The |
| the check writer's account at the time of purchase. | | | | reader will do all the work for you and tell you in a |
| The money is deposited into your account within 24 | | | | matter of seconds if the payment has gone through, |
| hours -- you don't even have to drive to the bank and | | | | regardless of where the customer's bank is located. |
| physically deposit the check. | | | | There's no reason not to get a check reader. You'll get |
| Using a check reader means you'll know before the | | | | paid faster and know immediately if someone is writing |
| customer leaves the store if he or she has written a | | | | a bad check. At the end of the day, you'll know that |
| bad check. You'll also get your payment a lot more | | | | the money you made today is going to be in you |
| quickly than if you used the traditional method of | | | | account tomorrow. What could be better? |