Hi
I'm new to this forum and would appreciate any input/advice from members as to both the issues the escorts have in offering a credit card option to customers and also problems that cardholders themselves would have in using their cards to pay for escort services.
My company have developed a secure Chip and Pin solution that links to a Smartphone app through to European banks that are comfortable in dealing with the escort industry. Our solution is secure, discreet and payments can be made to either a bank account or onto a prepaid card. In addition it is impossible for the cardholder to "chargeback" the transaction and all card fees can be recharged to the cardholder if required.
We obviously want to offer this as a payment option to UK escorts but are more concerned at the present in getting comments and feedback prior to our launching the service.
This post is certainly not meant as a spam to forum members and we hope it isn't taken as such but we really are interested in your views on this.
Thanks for your time
Vince
I would happily trial credit card payments for my regulars so long as the cost to me was not too high, the system was secure and the trading name shown on any statement discreet.
I say trial because I am not convinced that the uptake would be sufficient to justify locking in to any kind of contract. The big concern over uptake would be because discretion is an issue for many, but there are plenty of regulars of mine I can think of for whom this would not be an issue.
As a general note, I'm not sure that I would be happy to accept a credit card payment for a first appointment but repeat visits would be okay.
would it only be available via smartphones or would you have a website/online option? I know someone I do business with (non adult) he has a payment page you just fill in the details yourself which is quite good. For those of us staying in the phone dark ages, like moi, an option to take card payments would be good.
I don't get asked alot about taking card payments but I would put than down it being seen as a cash based industry. I can see many advantages in taking card payments apart from the obvious not having to carry cash around; short notice booking can often be restricted to all they can withdraw from a cash machine IF they have access to one at all.
(21-03-2012, 21:29)iluvjem Wrote: [ -> ]I don't get asked alot about taking card payments but I would put than down it being seen as a cash based industry. I can see many advantages in taking card payments apart from the obvious not having to carry cash around; short notice booking can often be restricted to all they can withdraw from a cash machine IF they have access to one at all.
It's true most participants in this business recognise it as cash based. However, with the sums of money often involved, a card payment option would, I'm sure, be welcome to most punters even if we bore the charges. I had a very enjoyable time last summer when I saw a lovely woman three days in a row made possible mainly by the fact that she accepted card payment. The billing entry on my statement, by the way, made absolutely no reference whatsoever to the nature of the business. So, yes, from the punter's perspective, I for one would welcome such a move.
(21-03-2012, 19:42)Trinity-Belle Wrote: [ -> ]I would happily trial credit card payments for my regulars so long as the cost to me was not too high, the system was secure and the trading name shown on any statement discreet.
The cost to the "merchant" would be in the region of 9% but this can be offset by having the option to add a pre-determined % on to the client's "bill" to cover for example "card processing admin fees".
The system is totally secure using EMV (Eurocard, Mastercard & Visa) authenticated hardware and a fully PCI DSS compliant payment gateway to ensure full end to end encryption of data. We have had 10 years experience in providing credit card processing to online merchants - this is an extension to that service.
The trading name is not shown on the cardholders statement - it would be something like ABCBill plus a customer support number.
One major advantage of this system is that at no stage does the cardholder pass you his card or card details. You enter the payment amount on the smartphone app plus their email address/mobile number (to enable a receipt to be sent to them). The app connects via bluetooth to a handheld Chip and Pin terminal which is given to the cardholder to insert his card and put in his PIN. Think of paying a bill in a restaurant - it is virtually identical.
Hope this helps
Vince
(21-03-2012, 21:29)iluvjem Wrote: [ -> ]would it only be available via smartphones or would you have a website/online option?
Our mobile solution works on any smartphone and across any telphone or wifi network. As mentioned above, the smartphone is used only to input the amount and any contact details and the payment is made on a portable Chip and Pin POS terminal which is about the size of an iPhone3.
We are very experienced in providing website/online solutions and can certainly provide this option however there is a major difference between the mobile and online solutions in that the mobile is classed as a CardHolderPresent transaction which eliminates the possibility of the cardholder "charging back" the amount and also no reserves are withheld by the banks, whilst the Online is CardHolderNotPresent which will attract a rolling reserve from the banks and also leave you vulnerable to potential chargebacks.
We can provide both solutions
Thanks for your comments
Vince
(21-03-2012, 21:29)iluvjem Wrote: [ -> ]I can see many advantages in taking card payments apart from the obvious not having to carry cash around; short notice booking can often be restricted to all they can withdraw from a cash machine IF they have access to one at all.
Security is a huge issue and our solution, whilst not meant to replace cash transactions, is certainly an option to reduce the amount of cash carried around on your person.
Thanks
Vince
(21-03-2012, 22:28)hornynomad Wrote: [ -> ]It's true most participants in this business recognise it as cash based. However, with the sums of money often involved, a card payment option would, I'm sure, be welcome to most punters even if we bore the charges.
In the UK market we are all comfortable with using Chip and Pin terminals and recognise it as the standard for security. Getting that level of consumer confidence is vital to us. I personally would not give my card details to a London cabbie to enter into his mobile phone as there are too many questions over security and who is holding the information. With our solution, the card does not go anywhere near the escort and the escort has no access to card information.
Thanks
Vince
That 9% figure sounds a bit steep considering I can get a mobile terminal for £26 per month with a transaction fee of 1.7%
(22-03-2012, 11:44)Trinity-Belle Wrote: [ -> ]That 9% figure sounds a bit steep considering I can get a mobile terminal for £26 per month with a transaction fee of 1.7%
It depends very much on how your business operates. A "bricks and mortar" operation with a merchant account for CardHolder Present "vanilla" e-commerce transactions may well be able to get these rates but there is no way that the Banks would offer an account to a UK escort business.
As with most adult business, any escort wishing to accept credit card transactions can not disclose her true source of income to a high street bank as it would be impossible to get a mobile terminal or an account to process through.
We are primarily aiming our service at those independent escorts who may want to offer credit card acceptance as part of their payment options but who are unable to disclose their source of earnings to a local bank and want a discreet and secure solution with the option to receive payments into their bank account or on to a prepaid card with the benefit of Chip and Pin.
I hope this helps
Vince