H.5. Checks and Credit Cards
It’s up to you if you want to take personal checks. I do and I’ve never had a problem, but I am aware it’s probably only a matter of time. If you choose to take checks, then make sure you deposit them on Monday morning after the con, in case they’ve written a few more checks than they have funds at the con, or in case the bank gets over-eager and clamps down on the account after a bunch of checks written to weird people in a new location hit it. (That hasn’t happened to me at a convention, but I once had a check for wedding photography I did bounce because of that.)
They’re not used much in this new day of debit cards and you may never see one, but traveler’s checks work pretty much like cash. The person will have signed the checks at the top, and will sign again at the bottom before giving them to you. Make sure the signatures match. If the buyer gives you $40 in traveler’s checks for a $35 purchase, give them change in cash.
Can I Take Credit Cards?
Most artist alley artists aren’t doing enough business to make it worth taking credit cards, and by the time you are, you’ll probably be in the Dealers’ Room instead of the artist alley. However, if you’re doing well enough to take them, and are willing to go through the hassle and expense, why not?
This is obviously not an option for the Hobby Artist. You’ll have to talk with your bank and may need to open a business account, and they will probably charge you a small fee for each transaction. You can then rent or buy a credit-card machine. There are fancy ones that you can hook to your cell phone (if you get signal in the artist alley) or a nearby phone line (confirm with the hotel before the con) and use them to call in each transaction as it happens. This allows you to check that the credit card is good before you sell the merchandise.
Some banks allow you get one of those machines lovingly nicknamed knuckle-busters, which produce an impression of the credit card on the receipt, and you then call in each transaction at the end of the day. If someone gives you a bum card, you may not have any option open to you to get the cost of the merchandise back.
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