Earlier quoted context omitted.
1.75% is a huge discount.
I have a friend who's about to start selling CC processing to local merchants at 1.29%. (His commission is 1/3 of that I think, so in theory the processor can go below 1%)
Amazon Local Register
161–170 of 225 posts
Re: Amazon Local Register
#162It's a trap. You, owner of a shop, don't do this. Amazon will first analyze all your sales data, they will than attach reviews to your shop and finally they will oblige you to play by their rules or die (banned or killed by bad reviews) and either way they will grow thanks to your hard work. I'm not joking, this is exactly what they have done (and keep doing) with "partners". Amazon is all but transparent and it has…
In other words Amazon is no different than the existing credit card companies (Visa, MC, AmEx, ect...), the existing merchant services, and the retailers themselves who all collect that data for purposes of selling to third parties and use for in house marketing. Brick and Mortar retailers are concerned about being able to conveniently accept payment and minimizing service charges for the convenience of accepting non…
Re: Amazon Local Register
#163Earlier quoted context omitted.
Only if you sign up by November, and "1.75% per swipe until January 1, 2016". It's 2.5% after that. I guess you could switch back, but by that time Amazon could have already used your data against you. No such thing as a free lunch!
I'm picturing the conversation like this: You: "The credit card fee is 1.75% until 2016, but Amazon can use your data against you." Coffee shop owner: "I can add .75% to my bottom line for a year?" You: "Yes, but Amazon can use your data against you." Coffee shop owner: "I sign up where now?"
Re: Amazon Local Register
#164Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree with that to a point. But unless these products are profitable it doesn't really matter if they produce revenue. Folk long-argued that it was valuable for Google to have all of these free products because it kept them in the Google ecosystem. They were spending more time on Google, which had real value. The problem is the cost that comes with lack of focus. Exploding headcount. Unclear corporate vision. When…
> I'd love to see Amazon spend real effort on making AWS easier to use [for people who are not deeply steeped in AWS already, it's hard]. That's the beauty of the API. There are already various vendors that do just this on top of it. The funny thing is, if you're a big guy too, say 10K instances, you also need to use 3rd party tools since the AWS UI can't handle that case either. But since everything is an API call y…
Re: Amazon Local Register
#165I am not familiar with the card reader hardware. Why is a microphone needed for processing a credit card swipe?
[1] - http://localregister.amazon.com/help/201549190/swiping-a-car...
Re: Amazon Local Register
#166It's a trap. You, owner of a shop, don't do this. Amazon will first analyze all your sales data, they will than attach reviews to your shop and finally they will oblige you to play by their rules or die (banned or killed by bad reviews) and either way they will grow thanks to your hard work. I'm not joking, this is exactly what they have done (and keep doing) with "partners". Amazon is all but transparent and it has…
In other words Amazon is no different than the existing credit card companies (Visa, MC, AmEx, ect...), the existing merchant services, and the retailers themselves who all collect that data for purposes of selling to third parties and use for in house marketing. Brick and Mortar retailers are concerned about being able to conveniently accept payment and minimizing service charges for the convenience of accepting non…
Re: Amazon Local Register
#167Earlier quoted context omitted.
Obviously Amazon is different, because unlike credit card companies they are in the business of competing with small retailers. Particularly when you consider their "your margin is my opportunity" strategy giving this data to them should be a terrifying proposition for any business owner.
But there are so many places that Amazon does not compete with that there is a market for this. Obviously a small book store might not want to do this but what about restaurants, coffee shops, the plumber that comes to fix your toilet (or any service industry), the local tap room, and so on. Edit: Sorry, the idea of Amazon opening restaurants, coffee shops or tap rooms (which would also mean they start brewing their…
Re: Amazon Local Register
#168Re: Amazon Local Register
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
But there are so many places that Amazon does not compete with that there is a market for this. Obviously a small book store might not want to do this but what about restaurants, coffee shops, the plumber that comes to fix your toilet (or any service industry), the local tap room, and so on. Edit: Sorry, the idea of Amazon opening restaurants, coffee shops or tap rooms (which would also mean they start brewing their…
Amazon might not be competing with them right now , but they could be in 5 years time (as ridiculous as that sounds for your examples), and businesses should take the long term view. When it was just books most businesses ignored Amazon, but they've grown to encompass many, many industries now.
Who knows where amazon will go.
Re: Amazon Local Register
#1701.75% limited of time offer makes me want to vomit. The one thing I like about Square is at least they're not like other CC processors that make the careers HIDING fees from their merchants. Now Amazon is coming out the gate doing this. Many of us are fighting these fees online - even the CC processors like Stripe are at least straightforward with their fees even if they're forced to make them higher than they'd like…
> 1.75% limited of time offer makes me want to vomit. So Amzn should offer a lower rate, free perhaps? Or are they hiding fees somewhere else? Please you explain your aversion more.