A lot of member sites are set up to accept payments via credit card only. While this is convenient for you, the publisher, you could be losing sales if it is inconvenient for your prospective member.
When Mequoda added a check or money order payment option, membership increased. While the numbers are not significant, over time the dollars add up.
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For a variety of reasons, some people simply do not have credit cards.
Can you afford not to accept checks? Consider the math. If your subscription fee is $100 a year, and only one person each week subscribes by check, that adds up to over $5,000 a year—which you’re currently losing—if you don’t accept checks.
There are several reasons why members might choose check payment over credit card payment.
No credit card
For a variety of reasons, some people simply don’t have credit cards. Maybe they’ve had financial difficulties in the past and can’t get a credit card at the moment. Or maybe they are among the minority that don’t believe in charging their purchases.
Don’t trust the Internet’s security
We know it’s generally safe to use a credit card if the e-commerce website is properly secured with an SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate. But some people still don’t want to risk it.
Easier to send a check
The busy corporate executive can say to his or her assistant, “Subscribe me to this site.” The assistant will have a company check cut, and mail it to the publisher.
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Example for your site
On your Join Today page, add a note about payment by check after the Secure Online Order Form link.
Be sure and explain exactly how payment should be handled:
- “If you choose, you can subscribe by check or money order. Here’s how:
Make check or money order in the amount of $100.00 (US) payable to My Company.
Mail to My Company, Address, City, State Zip.
Be sure to include a note detailing your email address (so we can notify you as soon as your subscription is processed), full name, and snail mail address. Also include your desired user name and password.
As soon as we receive your payment, we will activate your membership and alert you by e-mail.”
This simple message can add thousands of dollars to your bottom line each year. The only inconvenience is that you’ll have to manually set up each new check-paying member on your site.
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