Do You Accept Alternative Forms Of Payment? Here’s What Other Jewelers Say

Yes: 36%

• Apple Pay is connected to my Clover terminal. Very convenient, and the customer just taps their phone. My two boys who help run my business accept Venmo from clients/friends and just reimburse me at NO fee up to a particular amount. Mainly transactions under $1,000. Both forms have been convenient. Venmo has worked best with customers out of the state because you end up receiving the money instantaneously. — Howard Jacobs, Toodies Fine Jewelry, Quincy, MA
• We use Square during conventions and expos. We also accept Apple Pay in store. — Erica Lorenz, Michael & Sons, Reno, NV
• Our credit card terminal came with Apple Pay. We’ve only had one person use it. We also do Shopify Swipe when we are outside of the store. It’s similar to Square and Stripe, which are mobile payment processors. It tied in with our online inventory, so it’s convenient and allows us to be flexible with our customers. — Chris Wattsson, Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers, Marquette, MI
• Square offers e-invoices. The fees are higher than I get for taking cards in the store, but the convenience for the customer is worth it. — Dale Robertson, Dale Robertson Jewelry, Loveland, OH
• PayPal and Venmo (which is a PayPal company) work the best, and if you have a PayPal debit card for expenses, you still get cash back on it. — Deric Metzger, DeMer Jewelry, Oceanside, CA
• Venmo has no fees. All of the rest charge us a fee, so we encourage Venmo or Zelle. — Jonathan McCoy, McCoy Jewelers, Dubuque, IA
• Apple Pay is fun and easy. — Steven Wardle, Forest Beach Design, Chatham, MA
• I haven’t explored any of those besides PayPal, but I do find it convenient, and the fees are not exorbitant. — Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL
• We use the Square for its convenience. Rates are higher than the bank by a bit, but it beats having to buy additional equipment. — Teri Vogan, Vogan Gold & Silver Works, Colorado Springs, CO
• PayPal is great for our online and Facebook customers. Square is great when I’m away from my physical store doing a sale (charity event, private appointment, etc.). — Travis Piper, Piper Diamond Co., Vincennes, IN
• I just use PayPal. Don’t know if it is good or bad, but it’s what is attached to my website. — Annette Evans, RD Allen Freeport Jewelers, Freeport, ME
• We only use the Square in case of a power failure, as we have also learned that it only guarantees funds up to a certain amount. Also we used PayPal with the Square, and then because of the amount we ran, PayPal held most of the funds for a period of time before it went into our bank. — Alisha Moore, Toner Jewelers, Overland Park, KS
• My new credit card terminal accepts Apple Pay. Works like a credit card. — Laura Pool, Laura’s Jewelry Designs, St. Robert, MO
• We switched from using a traditional merchant service provider to using the Square. It’s proven to be cost-effective and user-friendly. We are no longer paying unnecessary fees. That is a big savings! I wished we had made the change sooner. — LaTisha Holland, Arlene’s Fine Jewelry, Vidalia, GA
• We have the capability to accept PayPal and Apple Pay, but have almost never had someone want to use either one. — James Sickinger, Sickinger’s Jewelry, Lowell, IN
• PayPal, and soon, Bitcoin. — Joseph Villarreal, Villarreal Fine Jewelers, Austin, TX
• You left out wire transfer to our bank. Apple Pay is the only other that we take from the list. We find wire transfer is the best, safest and costs us nothing in fees! — Ronnie Ware, Ware Jewelers, Auburn, AL
• Currently using PayPal. I like the ability to email customers an invoice. Comes in handy for deposits/payments on custom jobs as well as people who need things shipped to them. — Cliff Yankovich, Chimera Design, Lowell, MI

No: 64%

• We live in a small city in Vermont. If I asked one of our farmers for Bitcoin, he’d look at me like I had three heads! — Mary Jo Chanski, Hannoush Jewelers, Rutland, VT
• Honestly, my store is in a very upscale community and I have not had any requests other than the traditional payment options. — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
• Never got requests to use any of the above from clients. Plus, the above vendors’ rates to process are much higher than we get, so we are at this point not tempted to use. — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA
• There are plenty of credit card options for people to use. Keeping it simple is better. — John Hayes, Goodman’s Jewelers, Madison, WI
• No, too technical for me. — Laurie Cusher, Hyde Park Jeweler, Hyde Park, NY
• I just haven’t taken the time to learn about them. — Donnie Blanton, Brittany’s Fine Jewelry, Gainesville, FL
• I prefer traditional payment forms. There are too many security questions for me about the others. — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
• Don’t have interest at the customer level. Never lost a sale by only offering Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex and our own private label financing. — Tom Duma, Thom Duma Fine Jewelers, Warren, OH