What Do You Think of Etsy's Card Reader?

by: Map

I do not sell there because my used auto parts do not fit their venue which is so sad because 40% of my customers are Women.

But I say go etsy! because they are breaking free from Paypal.

by: Philip Cohen

It appears to be only a legacy card swiper with a limited life span now, and a high discount fee. Gee, even the clunky "PreyPal" recognises that an EMV reader is the technology now required ...

by: laurengrace

There are some advantages to using paypal. At least you can harvest your customer email addresses from there. Try to get that from Etsy or Amazon payments.This may be the only advantage, but it is the reason i keep it.

by: laurengrace

11 Main also gives you access to your customers email address

by: RCL

You can harvest EVERYTHING you buy or sell online via Pay Pal--the data dump is huge and very useful. They have the best data of anyone as far as I can see.

by: Chadcorporatesellout

Why would anyone work with etsy on this. Etsy has Zero customer service. Zero.  Do they have a phone number? No.  Do they care about artists that actually make things? No.  Stop writing articles like etsy cares about anything but profits.

by: AntiquitiesDen

Etsy cares for none of its sellers. This is just another attempt to distract sellers from thinking about things like zero traffic and zero sales. I can get a card reader (for a smart phone) from any number of merchants and I don't need Etsy. In fact, I agree with Chadcorporatesellout's comments. Why are you writing about Etsy?  

by: Etsy Seller

The problem with a 'reader' is that you have to have a "smartphone" capable of using the gizmo. If I had the kind of money that could buy a smartphone, I might not be (or trying to be - its been freaking SLOW for months no matter how much tweaking SEO I do) a seller on Etsy, but be a regular buyer. My 'smartphone' is too stupid to download a ringtone, much less work an app for a reader (beware of cheap crap phones sold by TracFone). My plans for new computer, equipment and phone have been on hold for over a year because of Etsy futzing around with the site, pushing real artists down in rankings so their items can't be found. ChinEtsy crap is on every page.  

by: The End

CASH IS KING, BABY !

by: felyne

ChinEtsy, LOL. I wonder how ling before they sell etsy having heard this news.  

by: nothingnew

Yea! Etsy is a DEAD site for me. I get twice as many hits on my pinterest page in 1 day, then i do on my etsy page in a month.

by: sundance

I I am in need of a card reader, but not too sure which way to go after reading this article and all of the comments.  I am trying to wean away from PayPal since they announced the 180 day return fiasco.  I get very few views on Etsy, too.  Sigh.  None of the crafty type sites seem to have good views/sales lately.  I hear complaints about all of them.  

by: VintageLady

This card reader has really very little (if anything) to do with Etsy the marketplace and more to do with Etsy extending their reach into financial services and capitalizing on a potential profit market they spotted as a trend through Forums discussions. Many artists use fairs, markets and other public venues to present their art, hence...Etsy is using the opportunity (and the name) to profit without actually addressing the thorny Etsy issues that make the marketplace more and more unusable/unprofitable for Sellers.
The card reader has a minimal cost advantage, and to me, it is symptomatic of Etsy's general MO of making money with minimum of effort. Just my thoughts...

by: The End

ALSO : It is an UNWANTED 3rd party BUTTINSKY.
When will these venues learn their place ?
They should be glad / grateful we use them.
We will ALL flock en mass to the venue with THE lowest take rate and that doesn't try to micro manage our business.
In other words :
The Venue exhibiting the BEST in American Principles will get our business.

by: laurengrace

Sundance, look at Square-My choice as they have nothing to do with the online sites i deal with.

by: Writings on the Wall

Agree with VintageLady and other comments above. Etsy sold out with the addition of resellers, etc. Now wants to make money with the financial management part. Ebay did it too--they buoyed up their sinking stock with Paypal. (That lasted for a while at least). Etsy sellers need to diversify and not have all its eggs in one basket. That includes the reader. Etsy doesn't take transaction fees, but, of course. takes its credit card management fee. Etsy wants to be Ebay and Paypal.... Ebay wants to be Amazon....Etsy needs to fix its search engine first. that would do more to establish the "Brand;" and a little honest communication to the sellers from admin would go a long way to mending the lack of trust issues. The forums are full of conjecture, as sellers are at a loss to try to figure out what went wrong with Etsy.

by: Mr. Me

Seems like etsy is following ebay and amazon down the path of squeezing their percentage out of every transaction on this earth. CASH is king, it is secure, no processing fee, no forced returns!
E-T-S-Y is only 2 letters away from E-B-A-Y , and getting closer evert day...

by: Captain Nemo

I think a lot of Etsy seller will use this.

by: Decieved

What Etsy is really after is getting the craft market customers to start shopping on Etsy.  Every time you swipe, you drive traffic to Etsy.  Did you notice the receipt they send with the ''Explore Etsy'' link ?  And, how many spam emails will Etsy send your customers to leave a review or visit Etsy??  Don't use it.

by: Writings on the Wall

Agree with above. Etsy has already destroyed their site. Etsy sellers should stay away from the card reader. After a sale, it will forever flood buyers with spam and "similar products you may like" from OTHER sellers (not you, of course). You get it: cheap overseas imports, resellers, etc, the broken search engine. Put it together, folks. More Mason jar art? Really? Seriously?