How to Accept Card Payments Without a Physical Store

Many clients prefer to pay by card. If you only accept cash or Zelle, you lose jobs.

The good news: today you can accept cards from your phone, without a store, without an expensive terminal, and without a contract. Here are the best options.

The main options

Square

How it works: Download the free app, connect your bank account, and you can charge. They send you a small card reader for free.

Fee: 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction

Example: If you charge $100, you receive $97.30

Advantages:

• Free to start
• Free reader
• Money arrives in 1-2 days
• Can also send invoices

Disadvantages:

• The fee eats into small jobs

PayPal / Venmo Business

How it works: If the client has PayPal or Venmo, they can pay you directly. You can also accept cards.

Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 (card), 1.9% + $0.10 (from PayPal/Venmo)

Advantages:

• Many clients already have PayPal/Venmo
• Familiar and easy

Disadvantages:

• Fee is a bit higher
• The card reader isn't free

Stripe

How it works: More oriented to online payments, but also works in person.

Fee: 2.9% + $0.30

Advantages:

• Very reliable
• Good if you have a website

Disadvantages:

• More complicated to set up
• Better for online payments than in-person

Zelle (not a card, but it works)

How it works: The client sends money directly from their bank to yours.

Fee: $0 — completely free

Advantages:

• No fee
• Money arrives immediately
• Many banks have it

Disadvantages:

• The client needs to have Zelle
• Doesn't accept credit cards

Cost comparison

For a $200 job:

Which one to choose

If you're starting: Square. It's free to start, they send the reader, and it works well.

If your clients prefer Zelle: Use Zelle for frequent clients and Square for the rest.

If you want to charge through your website: Stripe is better for that.

My recommendation: Have Square AND Zelle. Offer both options.

How to charge on the spot

With Square:

• Finish the job
• Open the Square app
• Enter the amount
• The client swipes the card in the reader (or taps if it's contactless)
• Done — the money appears in your account in 1-2 days

You can also send a payment link by message if the client doesn't have the card on hand.

Should I raise the price to cover the fee?

Depends on how you handle it:

Option 1: Same price for everyone, you absorb the fee. Simpler.

Option 2: Offer a discount for cash/Zelle. "It's $200 with card or $195 cash."

Option 3: Raise all prices 3% to cover fees. Nobody notices 3%.

I prefer option 3. If your price is $200, charge $200 regardless of how they pay. The fee is part of the cost of doing business.

Common mistakes

• Not offering card because "the fee is too high" — You lose more jobs by not accepting cards than what you pay in fees.

• Only accepting cash — Many clients don't carry cash. Don't make them go to the ATM.

• Not confirming the payment — Before you leave, confirm the payment went through. Sometimes it fails.

• Mixing personal and business money — Connect Square to your LLC account, not your personal account.

Next step

With payments figured out, the next thing is for more clients to find you. A Google Business profile and a simple website bring you clients searching for your service — and you can already charge them with card when they come.