Skybox Creative Blog

A few friends and I were sitting around a coffee table having a typical argument over who’s phone is better, iPhone vs. Android. We’ve had this discussion many times before, as a designer and avid Apple product-lover, I’m not easily swayed, although I was pretty impressed with the swype type feature! Then he pulls out this little white Square which he plugs into the headphone socket on his phone that allows you to swipe credit cards and receive payments. Thankfully, it works with both Apple and Android products, whew!

I had actually seen this product before but never really paid much attention since I assumed there had to be hefty fees that come with something so convenient. Well it turns out the app is free, the square itself is free, there are no activation fees, gateway fees or monthly fees and the processing fees are as follows: 2.75% for swiped transactions

, or 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction for manual entries… I assumed there must be a catch, this is cheaper than using Authorize.net or PayPal. Through my research I did find a snag: Square will deposit up to $1000 per week from your transactions directly into your bank account, the remainder of the funds will be deposited up to 30 days later. For small businesses this might not be an issue, but for slightly larger companies it’s definitely a deterrent. There is a way to increase your weekly allotted deposit amount but you have to contact support to get the details, I assume there are some associated fees with the upgrade.

Learn more about square here.

Having difficulty keeping up with all the technological advances of the day? Need help figuring out the best solutions for your business? Contact us today to find out how we can help: info@skyboxcreative.com. Skybox Creative is a brand consultancy with an emphasis on web development and technology solutions. Learn more about us here!

Spread the Word About PayPal and Earn Extra Cash!

As a PayPal user, you can collect up to $1,000.00 USD for each new merchant you refer. The Merchant Referral Bonus program rewards you for bringing new businesses to PayPal.

Here’s how it works:

• Log in to your PayPal account
• Get your personalized referral link to send out in emails, add as a banner to your website, or incorporate into your e-commerce application.
• Each time a new merchant signs up for a PayPal Business or Premier account via your link or banner, you’ll immediately start receiving 0.5% of their payment volume – up to $1,000.00 USD.

Here is an example of the PayPal banner you can incorporate on your website:

For more info, click here. If you don’t already have a PayPal account, make sure to click on our banner and sign up, then get your own link and share with your friends and business associates!

We’ve once again been inspired here at Skybox Creative by the power of WordPress. Sure, it’s a great blog tool and publishing platform, but can also be converted in a fully functional eCommerce website. We have just launched one very user-friendly eCommerce website for SKIN1 by Dr. Gram.

Launched today, SKIN1′s eStore offers customers the ability to select products and shipping options, checkout, and then securely complete the transaction using PayPal. This eases the workload and financial burden for the client by eliminating the need for a merchant account, payment gateway and SSL certificate. Simply sign up for a PayPal business account and start accepting payments the same day. The payment processing page is customized with your business name so customers feel safe and secure through the entire process.

Check it out! http://www.drgram.com/estore

On the front end of the site, you can add and remove items from the shopping cart with all the functionality of a custom-built eCommerce. On the back end of the site, the client has the ability to track inventory and sales, as well as the potential to upload new products and descriptions.

This new way of creating eCommerce for sales driven sites benefits both the retailer and the customer, making it all a little easier for us (in this case, to achieve healthier skin).