Why do dealers keep credit card information off their website?

I have yet to find someone who takes credit cards that don't take Visa and Master card.  This has never stopped me from ordering.

Not having what credit cards they take is a "no issue" to me.

I would assume they would all take visa & mastercard.. Amex , Paypal and Discover the maybe. .

That has always bugged me, as well!  Seems to me that contact info, store hours, and credit cards accepted should be right there in prominent display on the home page of any dealer...trains or otherwise.  I prefer to use my Amex card for many train purchases, when possible, but many dealers don't accept Amex.  No problem, but please tell me right up front what cards you DO accept.  I also have MC and Discover available, but want to know what is accepted before I initiate an order.  Just common sense.

I had a similar experience around Christmas with that very large dealer in MA.

I was setting up a small order on-line and when I got to the checkout I couldn't find any way to select the type of credit card to use.  (pretty sure it was defaulting to Amex, which I don't have/use).

Wasn't the end of the world, as it was a normal business day/time, so I just called them and they took my order immediately with no issue, but I found my experience on the site really strange.

-Dave

Because they care for you and are worried about the fight you might get into with your wife, and are giving you another chance to back out?

If you're talking about the Red Comet Set and haven't already pulled the trigger, I got mine at:

http://www.jrjunction.com/

Give Phil a call. He had about half dozen in stock. He posts here often in the Tinplate forum.

Hmm...provides another good topic for one of my columns in the magazine.  A lot of good ideas come from discussions on this forum.  It will be easy enough to just go online and visit the sites of about 25-50 of the top (and/or most often mentioned) dealers and see just what information is or is not provided on their home pages.

Thanks, guys!

Scott, I hear you. I'm sure it's frustrating.

I guess I never really thought about it as I know what payment methods my go-to online dealers accept (I use a Visa for train purchases and that's pretty much everybody). Still, wouldn't hurt to put the logos right there on the home page.

As far as the Red Comet, sleep on it.   Great little set.

Wow, I can't even read that last post! 

You're paying them to do a job; make sure they do it so it conforms to your customer's needs.  Otherwise it's rather pointless even having a retail website.

Not only are many web designers not business minded, a good many aren't even good designers when it comes to knowing and following the basics of design for communications.  There are plenty of gawdawful website out there, including hobby-related businesses.

Yes....the basic info should be up front. But I think most dealers that use the net assume folks would know they take CC.....not good biz but there are a lot of amateur web designers out there today (my wife's one of them...she does all her own work and shes a nurse) so many sites are 'incomplete'. Today as long as a biz accepts CC it will be Visa, MC and Discover as they are pretty much on the same system now. AMEX is stand alone system so many don't take it. 

But yes....info up front a good thing.

Maybe burying their credit card information makes sites less attractive to the folks trolling the internet looking for web sites to hack for credit card information.

How many sites put a list of accepted credit cards on their home page?

I checked a few retail sites, and did not find any that did. Some of the sites I checked were:

Amazon

Best Buy

B&H Photo

Lowes

Home Depot

Repairclinic.com (appliance parts)

i always thought the first four numbers of a standard 16 digit credit card number identified the type of card.  a few sites i go to do not ask what card i'm using, but instead tell me what type of card i've entered.

Yes, this is a good point.

After mulling this over, seems that the more common practice is that many (most?) on-line retailers DON'T put this information out there on the home page or in another "prominent" location.

AMEX all the time for me.  Top notch Customer Service, rewards and and theft protection, etc.  (Unlike a Mastercard card that I used to have!!)  All my purchases are made on my AMEX and then paid off in full each month.  All adds up to free Hilton family hotel stays.  Stores that don't take AMEX don't get my business.  Stores that do, I'm loyal to. 

I can't remember when....but as I said in my post above the 3 big cards have gone in and all their data is basically run through the same data 'pipeline'.

If you're older you may remember the days when a store only accepted Visa(Bank Americard) and no others. It was usually because the bank the merchant used only had Visa processing so to accept other cards the merchant would have to have two accounts and thus two 'costs'. Now the big 3 all run through the same data lines and what 'brand' card is not important. More than you ever wanted to know but I was a Sr System Analyst for a top 5 bank before retiring! 

Interesting post.  To be honest I had to go look at our site to see where it is listed.

Once you enter our web store, the payment methods accepted are at the bottom of every page with icons showing the logos of each card, and Paypal.  This seems to be a standard feature of the shopping cart we use.

Yeah, but Scott uses that "Cat-In-The-Hat" card and not many people take it.

With some exceptions, that's how I buy, as well, especially online.  Amex customer service and protection is second to none, and I am one of those folks who wants/needs the discipline of paying in full for my purchases each month.

I do have a MasterCared and Discover Card, and do use them for purchases with my LHS, but just about anything else has to be with an Amex dealer.  Fortunately, there are enough of them around, particularly among the big dealers with the most in-depth stock.

As a retailer, I can say that any other retailer who does NOT accept all of the major Cards is loosing $$$$ and customers every second. If you as a retailer are being charged ANYTHING over 5% you are being ROBBED by your card processor!!

If you as a retailer are weary of card fraud, go crawl back under your rock!!  As retailer, if the sale is run correctly you are protected.

I take all the majors, Visa, Master, Discover and AmEx, along with many of the minors: Paypal, Farm Plan, GOOD check or GOOD money-order and (can you believe it??!!)..CASH!!!

Once you're in the business, its easy to tell what plastic is which by the first number.

Visa=4, Master=5, Discover=6, Amex =9. 

I'm sure the rewards program with Scott's "Cat-in-the-hat" card is having unlimited green eggs and ham at York.....

quote:

If you as a retailer are weary of card fraud, go crawl back under your rock!!  As retailer, if the sale is run correctly you are protected.

Do you have a web site with a list of accepted credit cards on your home page?

Whenever possible, I use PayPal that is connected to my checking account because  I don't have to take the time to enter in my personal shipping information, card number, etc.

If they don't take PayPal, I use my Debit Card as credit. I have two checking accounts. One for our family use and one for my personal toy purchases. I only keep a minimal balance in the toy account and usually only use that one for online purchases.

I don't even look for the payment method until I get to the checkout page.

Really interesting topic as to the how's and why's.

As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid using a 'debit' card whether it is tied to Visa or not. It is still a direct line to the ol' checking account. And as we all know, the money comes out of the account in an instant - but can it can be days on end for it to be refunded.

In a parallel direction, I don't like putting my CC numbers into any web form as the data must be stored in some form to complete the transaction.  As a consumer, I have an adage that the more places the data is stored, the more likely somebody who shouldn't have it can get it. On the other hand, it seems it would be a security burden (and expense) for retailers. Adding the secure "shopping cart" technology to a site isn't free.

My biggest 'gripe' is the overall amount of money that the card issuers skim from every transaction. I mean, nobody likes paying the danged sales tax - yet most don't even think about the transaction fees. Consider if a new federal tax of 5% was put against every point of income and no way to ever get it back!

That said, the various logos do help by affirming the retailer is set up to handle 'virtual' transactions.

You really believe that, do you?  

Frankly, I just take it for granted that, if a dealer has an online presence, then the dealer also takes at least Visa and MC.

What bothers me is when a web site doesn't list the address, phone number, and most importantly, the hours of operation of the dealers who have a physical store.  Sometimes this information is buried on the site and has to really be ferreted out.  Sort of makes me wonder if some of these sites were designed by the middle school nephews of the dealers.

Andy

Most of them probably are.

Sort of makes me wonder if some of these sites were designed by the middle school nephews of the dealers.

"why do dealers........."- do you really need to ask? other than upping the post count,i dont see why this is on a forum for trains.-jim

i always thought the first four numbers of a standard 16 digit credit card number identified the type of card.

I believe the first six digits identify both the card system and the issuing bank. 

AMEX all the time for me.  Top notch Customer Service, rewards and and theft protection, etc

Does AMEX provide any protections that the VISA system doesn't?

you need to explain to those customers what is involved in an https link.  you really cannot get any closer to physically handing that card to the retailer than via a secure link.  what bothers me the most is what that retailer does with my information once the transaction is complete

Yup .... there's more risk handing your card to the girl behind the register at you local haberdashery. (Though with the protections afforded by VISA, etc ... is there any risk at all?)

If they don't take PayPal, I use my Debit Card as credit. I have two checking accounts. One for our family use and one for my personal toy purchases. I only keep a minimal balance in the toy account and usually only use that one for online purchases.

Yea ... keep your family's checking account safe. Though the transaction may be processed through VISA, I believe that using a *debit* card subjects you to your bank's policies if there is a problem (not VISA's).

I have PayPal use my credit card on file, not my checking account, as my primary payment source.

Jim

I take a slightly different approach to paying for my trains.  Most of my purchases are either from my LHS or, if my LHS does not have it, from a few well known smaller stores with internet sites (one I call).  For these stores (and the two local sports shops my wife and I use) we pay with a check from a separate hobby/sports account to help the shop's profitability and survival.  Mailing a check takes longer to get the item, but unlike many people I do not need my new (or repaired) train immediately.  I try to support these stores as much as possible because 1) they are friends and 2) I want them to stay around at least as long as me.

For large hobby shops and all other stores I use a no annual fee credit card that gives 1 percent back on all purchases, which usually amounts to a new scale steamer at the end of the year.  This is a VISA card that all stores accept so I've never bothered to look for any credit card info on the store's web site.  I've had this card for two decades and I've never had anyone not take it (unless they did not take cards at all).  For those that want to use AMEX and do not want to waste time contacting a store that does not take it, I can see the problem.  Because it is unique, I would think a store that took AMEX would want to advertise that.

Ron

The only card I buy trains with is my American Express.

I have purchased hundreds of items on-line and have never given a thought about which credit cards a retailer accepts. When I get to the checkout page, I'll find out  which card I can use.

I even started to checkout from the checkout page---still nothing telling me if they take or don't take AMEX. It said enter your credit card numbers. That's all I need is  my wife to get a call telling her my train purchase was rejected since they don't take American Express. I gotten those calls before, it's better not to purchase the item than to risk the wrath of the Cat-in-Hat's-Wife.

Scott Smith

Not really unique, at least for the larger national dealers with names pretty much recognized throughout the hobby.  It's more of a crap shoot with smaller/local dealers, with some accepting all major cards and some only accepting MC or Visa, and perhaps Discover.

I really don't much care what cards a dealer chooses to accept, but I do think he owes it to prospective customers to make that information known right up front on the home page or the "order online" page.  A customer most definitely should not have to wait until he reaches the checkout page to learn that information.

I confess.  I agree with you.

quote:

I really don't much care what cards a dealer chooses to accept, but I do think he owes it to prospective customers to make that information known right up front on the home page or the "order online" page.  A customer most definitely should not have to wait until he reaches the checkout page to learn that information.

Can someone provide a few links for businesses that display a list of the credit cards they accept on their home page.

As I posted earlier, I checked a few sites, and did not run across any that did.

Charles Ro show the cards that they accept on their home page. (Right at the bottom of the page, an animated display of the card logos.) 

Much ado about nothing. Typically, if you can order online then you can use a credit card. When you get to your checkout, it asks you for your credit card info. Usually, the first selection comes from a drop down menu that asks you to select the credit card ie. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMX. If it's not listed there, then it's not accepted. Almost without exception everyone accepts Visa and Mastercard.  

If you're thinking as a business person and putting the customer first, that customer should not have to go that far into the selection and ordering process to find out if he/she has a suitable card available.

In a competitive environment, it just makes sense to provide a potential customer, right up front, with the following info:

Retail operation's name

Full address (ideally with a map locator feature)

Days/Hours of operation

Methods of payment accepted

Contact info:  e-mail (at least) and phone number

Gee, Allan, perhaps you should take your own advice. Where are the types of credit cards accepted listed on the OGR store front site?