If accepting payments is currently the most difficult part of doing business, then it is important that you know there is an easier way. Whether you have to turn away customers because you can only accept cash and check, or whether you are unable to offer your products and services online because you don’t know where to start, the answer lies in payment processing services.

Online, debit, and credit card processing providers are third party businesses that can help your business accept debit, credit, check, and online payments, so that you never have to turn money away again. Getting to that goal may seem a little overwhelming, but there is no reason that you can’t start small.

Start with being able to accept debit and credit cards in your store or restaurant.

Did you know that about 52% of all payments worldwide come from Visa card accounts? The average Visa cardholder spends about $1,725 in one year. In most of the developed world, credit and debit cards are a preferred payment method for consumers. To start accepting debit and credit cards, you will need to partner with a payment processor. They will get you set up with a payment terminal, which you will either own, lease, or rent. They will also help you navigate compliance issues, and how to protect your business while also protecting the security of your customers.

Begin accepting credit card payments online.

Before 2013 is concluded, Forrester research shows that people shopping online will spend approximately $262 billion. There is no doubting that the online market is a growing sector, and that more and more people are becoming comfortable with using their debit and credit cards to pay for products and services online. If your business could benefit by joining that market, then this is the next step for you to take. Online merchant account services will help connect you to the services that they provide, and the technology that you need, so that you can begin to accept debit and credit cards online.

Consider making use of mobile payment terminals.

If you are in the hospitality business, you might already have witnessed a situation where being able to accept debit and credit cards away from a register would have been very convenient. For a busy restaurant, or a food truck, accepting mobile payments can mean that customers are served faster, or tables are turned more quickly, and more profit can be made. Customer service also increases when your customers experience faster service that caters to their needs, and not your deficiencies.

Accepting debit and credit, either at your brick and mortar store, online, or where you serve your customers, may not be the magic bullet that drives your profits out the roof, but it can be the bridge that connects you to more customers. When you make it easier for customers to pay you, they are more likely to be satisfied, share their positive experience, and come back to you. Making it easier for your customers to pay means accepting the forms of payment that they find most convenient. Start small, and you may find that making those changes for the benefit of your customers, and your business, is not so complicated after all.