Thinking of starting a car detailing business? There are a few things to consider to be as successful as possible. Receiving payments is high on that list. Credit card processing for car detailing businesses is perhaps the easiest way to be paid for your services. Let us look at how that works.

So, You’re Opening a Car Detailing Business 

There are several reasons that an entrepreneur might consider opening a car detailing service. Of course, as with any business, income is at the top of that list. An automobile is often an extension of the person who drives it, and car owners can be quite serious about their upkeep. 

These facts make car detailing an excellent business to start, with practically guaranteed success. Of course, you will need the proper tools and equipment to clean, vacuum, polish, and seal the vehicle from damaging weather effects.  

With a little elbow grease and hard work, you can quickly gain a reputation among auto enthusiasts as well as everyday car owners. This gives you a wide range of customers from all walks of life.

What Will You Need? 

Aside from having the necessary tools, there are several considerations to be taken when opening an auto detailing business. First, what will you name your business? Second, what will you charge? Also, how will you receive payments? Perhaps the easiest and most efficient method is credit card processing for car detailing businesses.  

Using a credit card to pay for auto detailing services is convenient for both the customer and the business. It is much faster and more accurate than counting cash and requires very little waiting time. As Forbes points out, it takes mere seconds to complete a transaction with a credit card.  

For this, you will need a merchant account. This is a type of account that will allow your business to collect payments via credit card. You can apply for such an account at your local bank. Once that is done, you can choose a credit card processor, or card processing company. 

What Happens When You Swipe the Card

Before we look at credit card processing companies, let’s take a peep at what happens when your customer swipes their card. First, the cardholder swipes the card, taps, or inserts it into a chip reader. The information from that card is then sent to a merchant bank or acquiring bank. This bank electronically sends that info to the card network, such as Discover, VISA, Mastercard, etc. 

That digital information then goes from the card network to the issuing bank of the cardholder. That is the bank that gave the card to the cardholder in the beginning. The issuing bank then checks information such as the name of the cardholder, the expiration date, and the CVV number. 

If the cardholder has enough funds or credit to cover the payment, this bank will authorize the transaction and then release the funds to the acquiring bank. That bank then charges those funds to the cardholder’s account, and the card reader will show that the card was accepted. The cardholder can then input their pin or sign to complete the transaction.

If the cardholder does not have enough funds, or if any of the information on the card is wrong, the process will be denied, and another method of payment will be required. All of this takes place within seconds. 

Best Credit Card Processing Companies for Car Detailing Businesses

There are quite a few credit card processing companies out there for car detailing and auto detailing businesses. While some charge a fee for each transaction, others will charge you a flat rate.

If you plan to mostly process payments by credit card, the fee-per-transaction method is probably better for you, while the flat rate is likely best for companies that will have a lot of cash or check payments. Here are a few of the top companies for processing credit card payments in 2022.

• Square – Practically anyone can accept credit or debit card payments right on their tablet or smartphone by using Square’s free credit card reader. This makes it an excellent choice for new business owners who do not have a ton of money to spend on payment processing equipment. There is no long-term contract and no commitment with Square, and simple, clear pricing. For American Express, Visa, and Mastercard, a rate of 2.6% plus ten cents per swipe is all you pay, and you can look for your money as soon as the next business day. All you must do is sign up online, and they will drop your FREE Square card reader in the mail to you.
  

• CardX – With CardX, you pay a flat fee of $29 a month, and then you keep all of your credit card payments, and only pay 1% of debit card payments. This is a great choice if you expect to have more credit card payments at your car detailing location. Of course, you will need their equipment, which includes a custom terminal that has EMV Quick Chip and CardX app preinstalled. All you will need to do is plug it in and go. It does come with a user guide to help you through the process, as well as receipt paper, ethernet cord, and power cord.
  

• Payment Depot – This option offers several ways to process credit and debit card payments. For a car detailing service, you might choose mobile payments on a smartphone that are similar to Square, a terminal with countertop and wireless options, or a point-of-sale screen. There are no hidden fees, cancellation fees, or surprises with this card processing company.
  

• ProMerchant – ProMerchant also offers free equipment and software. They feature both Zero Cost Processing and Interchange options, and have Month-to-Month contracts, as well as no fees for setup or cancellation. Their low rate guarantee includes a $500 AMEX Gift Card if they cannot match or beat the pricing of your current processor. You have to fill out their form for a pricing quote, however.

Conclusion

If you wish to look at more options for your credit card processing methods, Forbes has a great article detailing more companies that are available for small businesses. If we had to choose a favorite it would be Square, with no upfront costs, free equipment, and simplicity of use. We hope this article helps in your quest for credit card processing for auto detailing businesses.