do you accept payment by mail?

I have a little one page thing I sell and every so often I get a money order in the mail. I think some people are afraid to use credit cards online, either that or they just don't have one. I prefer checks in the mail anyway, it saves on fees and it is better than getting bills.

Companies like to pay by check so I like to offer this option.

For small sales I don't take payments by mail, sort of defeats the purpose of an automated website. Plus you run into problems of traveling. What if you want to take a three week vacation? You can't because someone might mail in a $37 check then raise a fuss when a week later he doesn't get a download link.

Back in the days of BBS systems (late 80s early 90s), I had a software package that I sold online. The biggest problem was cashing the checks. Every day I would get 10, 20 and sometimes 30 checks in the mail all for $39. Then I would sit in my car and stamp each check, fill out the deposit slip and make a runs to various banks.

It was a real pain. It was only worse if I didn't visit my PO box for a few days, they would really pile up.

I would have to use different banks, because branch managers could not grasp the concept of what I would doing. Large deposits of checks from all over the country was a red flag for some reason. It was not un-common to have my funds "frozen" pending a bank investigation, even though my business was incorporated and I had a current city business license. Now a days you mention that you have an internet company and the banks will bend over backwards for your account.

I much prefer the way I can automate sales with a merchant account, automated delivery for downloads and outsourced physical delivery.

I don't care if I never see another check in the mail again.

Oh, I hear that. I don't do it myself but my payment processor actually does. So someone goes to the website, fills out the details, selects pay by mail option and then the order sits there until the check comes in. They charge an extra $3 to the client to do this - no skin off my nose.

It is still all automated to me. Just found it interesting.

ur country ????????

I used to offer this facility when I had my Photoshop site some years ago. Hardly anybody paid by cheque (check) or money order, so I haven't offered it since. Plus, with a digital download, you have to either wait for the funds to clear before you release the product - in which case you get customers "chomping on the bit" wanting to know when they can get their product - or you send it to them anyway and hope the cheque doesn't bounce. Neither situation is ideal.

Here in the UK they're trying to phase cheques out, and most of my banking is done online now anyway.

It depends on the business model, the niche, etc. Generally, I don't publicize it on my websites, however, if someone wants to send me money I'm not going to turn it down. They just have to understand if it's a digital product they are not going to get the download link (or the product emailed to them or access to the membership site) until the funds clear.

Ten years ago I used to get a lot more sales via mail and via fax then I do now, which makes sense to me since that's the sign of the times. I do get reminded, though, that there are still plenty of people who don't trust inputting their credit card or debit card information onto a website and prefer to send in money or speak to a human being.

RoD

I can see this working for larger ticket items, but don't see it happening (at least for me) on my smaller products. I can imagine some of this 'may' be from those afraid to disclose their credit card online. If that's the case, and if they are in IM - hmm.

Often, as the number of options rises, the number of responses declines. It's typical for sales to be highest with a single, great payment option.

Although, it may be worth testing if now is the appropriate time for that in your overall business strategy.

There are some online platform, why you do not used these? Of course it is easy. If you country support these Online payment system, you can use these easily to receive, Take & withdraw money from anywhere of the globe.