6 Reasons Customers Continue To Use Credit Cards

Canadian business owners rejoice! Canadian shoppers love their credit cards! We all know that, right? So why is it that some merchants still don’t feel the need to accept them in their stores? Well, perhaps it’s because they aren’t fully aware about just how much Canadian shoppers prefer paying for their purchases with their credit cards. Not accepting plastic is as good as turning away business!

On MSN.com, Liz Weston details the many reasons why shoppers should continue to use their credit cards. As a business owner, it’s important to take note of such reasons as your business depends heavily on how well it is able to please its client base. If you’re not yet accepting credit cards at your place of business, it may do you some good to look into the many reasons why customers continue to use them.

1. Credit cards help your credit scores. Weston reminds us that when customers use their credit cards to buy things from you, they’re not just buying things from you. They’re building their credit. She goes on to note that credit cards are great ways for customers to “rehabilitate troubled credit scores and keep good scores high.” This, of course, helps when large purchases such as houses and cars need to be made.

2. Credit cards offer consumer protections. When your customers buy from you, they want to know that they are protected. Sometimes, paying with cash may not allow them to do that. Purchase protection plans offered by credit cards help customers out in the event that their purchases are lost, stolen or damaged. Weston notes that many credit card issuers double manufacturers’ warranties as well.

3. Credit cards offer safer automatic bill payment. In some cases, customers have to make monthly payments to the merchants they do business with. Most find it much easier to allow such merchants to automatically debit their accounts each month. This, Weston says, is preferable to giving businesses permission to dip into chequing accounts. If any problems arise, customers can contact the credit card company for help.

4. Credit cards offer protection against identity theft. “If an identity thief uses your credit card, it\’s typically no big deal,” writes Weston, “As long as you report the bogus charges within 60 days of your account statement, the transactions are typically erased, and you\’re issued a new account number.” On the other hand, an identity thief finding a debit card number can potentially drain a bank account!

5. Credit cards can help in an emergency. Let’s face it. We don’t always have the luxury of being able to plan out our expenses. Every now and again, something pops up unexpectedly that requires us to spend more than we’d like to. In such cases, it’s great to have a credit card. You just may be that merchant who sells what a customer needs during such an emergency. Be sure to accept a credit card to make the purchase easier.

6. Credit cards reward savvy users. By now, we should all be very aware about rewards programs offered by credit card issuers. Remember again, that when your customers buy from you, they’re actually getting more than what they paid for. That is, of course, is they are given the option to pay for their purchases with their credit cards. As Weston writes, “rewards programs…tempt many users to spend more on the cards.”

To begin accepting credit cards today, call Canadian POS Corporation at 1-877-748-2884!