Customer Stories: Ed Robinson, CPA
Collecting Client Fees Easier When CPA Uses QuickBooks® Merchant Service for PCs
As a CPA with over 30 years of experience, Ed Robinson enjoys helping people—especially those seeking assistance with IRS disputes, personal financial planning, or QuickBooks software. With clients coming to him by way of personal referral, phonebook advertising, and his listing on the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor® Referral Database, Ed stays very busy in his Fremont, California office.
 |
 |
 |
||
|
|
|
||
 |
|
 |
QuickBooks Merchant Service for PCs enables me to help my clients, even when they don't have the money pay me right away. I can swipe their credit card through my card reader and Merchant Service for PCs does all the rest. My clients are happy, and I'm happy!
Keeping up with ongoing changes in tax law, accounting reviews and compilations are one of his two biggest business challenges according to Ed; the other is getting some of his procrastinating clients to act on the important financial advice he gives them. His third challenge, while not a major problem but important to his cash flow, is getting paid on time for services rendered.
Ed has been helping clients select the QuickBooks software right for their businesses since it first came out. He also provides ongoing support for those customers who need it. So, he's always billing for his time. Trouble can occur, however, when clients can't pay right away. "My client roster ranges from barbers making $10,000 a year to $140 million multinational corporations and everything in between," Ed says. "I have contractors, consultants—you name it. Some of their businesses are cyclical by nature, which means that while they may need my services right now, they don't always have the money to pay me. I needed a way where I could help my clients and still get paid when the work is done, and my clients could pay as they had funds available. As a ProAdvisor, I knew the solution was already built into my QuickBooks: Premier Accountant Edition software
The only credit card processing solution designed exclusively for QuickBooks, and integrated into Online, Pro, Premier and Enterprise Solutions editions, QuickBooks Merchant Service for PCs enables users to accept and process credit card transactions with just one click.
Using QuickBooks Merchant Service for PCs since January of this year, Ed says it's been a real boon to his business. The installation was extremely easy, and using it is even easier—pespecially with the optional card reader that plugs into his computer. "I just swipe the card through the reader and it's done," he says. "Not only does it eliminate keypunch errors entering the information manually, I also get a lower card—present rate—a bonus on top of getting paid right away!"
Many of his clients also like the convenience of paying by credit card instead of writing a check, plus getting air miles on their credit card rewards programs. As far as Ed is concerned, it's a win-win situation for everyone.
And did he look at other merchant service providers before going with QuickBooks Merchant Service for PCs? "I didn't even consider anyone else," Ed states. "We're a QuickBooks shop, and I figured that this service would integrate smoothly with what we're using, and that Intuit would already have it nailed down. I've had absolutely no trouble so far; I completely sold!"
At a glance
- While Ed Robinson, CPA stays busy helping clients with IRS problems, financial planning and QuickBooks software, the occasional customer with cash flow issues was putting a pinch in Ed's collecting fees for services rendered.
- Ed applied for the QuickBooks Merchant Service for PCs feature built into his own QuickBooks: Premier software, enabling him to secure payment from his customers by accepting credit cards, thus improving his revenue.
- By using QuickBooks Merchant Service in his practice, Ed is still able to serve his clients—even though they may not have the funds at that time—by offering them the option and convenience of paying for his services via credit card.
QuickBooks Merchant Service also makes conducting transactions much simpler for Ed. "Having the optional card reader working in conjunction with QuickBooks Merchant Service certainly makes things easier, enabling us to serve our customers faster," he noted, "and it saves us money. We just swipe the customer's credit card through the reader and click a button. The transaction is run through immediately, and it's done. Then we print out the receipt and the customer is on his or her way
By having all the transactions on the computer, Ed says that he's been able to classify all their sales as credit card, cash, or check payments, so at the end of the day, it's easier to see those categories. "When we were using the manual method and had everything written on paper, we would just have one big deposit for the bank. We didn't mark down what type of payment each one was. By using QuickBooks software and QuickBooks Merchant Service, our reconciliation is much easier. In fact, everything is much easier."
* Subject to application approval. Fees apply.
Note: QuickBooks Merchant Service for PCs requires QuickBooks financial software 2005 (for the PC) or higher, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 5.0, or QuickBooks Online Edition (each sold separately) and a merchant account through QuickBooks Merchant Service. Application approval, an Internet connection on a Windows PC and at least Internet Explorer 5.0 required. Not compatible with QuickBooks Pro for Mac. Transaction fees apply. Additional fees apply to accepting American Express and Diners Club cards. Rates are determined by the financial institution and are subject to change without notice. Transactions are subject to Association guidelines. Terms, conditions, features, pricing, service and support options are subject to change without notice.
Intuit, the Intuit logo and QuickBooks are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc., or one of its subsidiaries, in the United States and other countries. These case studies represent the individual experiences of these customers. Intuit does not guarantee that results will apply to all customers.