Payment methods
Card present vs card not present
The distinction sounds technical. Commercially, it is one of the most consequential variables in a gallery's payment costs.
Card present
The card and cardholder are physically at the point of sale, and the transaction is authenticated by the card itself. Risk is generally lower, and pricing usually reflects that.
Card not present
The buyer pays remotely, by payment link, over the phone or through an online checkout. The transaction carries different risk characteristics, different authentication requirements and typically a different cost.
Why the mix matters more than the rate
Two galleries on identical headline pricing can pay very different effective costs if one takes most sales in person and the other takes most remotely. Understanding your channel split is the first step in understanding your cost.
Common questions
Answers
- Which is cheaper?
- Card-present transactions are commonly priced more favourably, but this depends on the provider, the pricing model and the card mix. It should be verified against the actual statement rather than assumed.