Personal Credit Card Warning: PC Visa Discontinued for Show Payments

[pctharper]

When the discussion came up back in December about the PC visa being discountinued, there were several that said they used their peronal cards to pay for shows and entered it in under the host. I had to call about a declined card today and she told me that we can't do this and that its now in my file about it! Kinda bummed. I live in a very rual area and with two small children, I can't always get to the bank right away to use my PC debit. This is going to make it challanging for me when it comes to closing shows now

Just throwing out a warning to anyone else who did/does this!

 

[pampered1224]

That is way weird. Again, I think we have a bunch of different answers from HO reps for the same question. I use my SOs card. I put his name in like an order, I even have it saved in contacts with first name and middle initial as it appears on the card then last name. I never put items under it even just the payment of the amount not covered by guest Credit Cards. I do it all the time and never got any flack for that so why would you have issues with it? HOWEVER, if the host paid with a CC no, you can't because the verification, billing zip, would not match your card but theirs.

 

[babywings76]

I wonder if the issue they have with it is it's going under the host's order. When I've used a credit card to cover the check amounts, I put myself down as the guest with no products being ordered, just a payment is there. I'd think if there was something wrong, they would've notified me or something, right? Hmm, I don't want to be breaking rules, I thought this method was okay. Is there something in the policy guide against this?

 

[PamperedK]

I even had my own credit card decline (during that whole AMEX fiasco) and I called HO and told them I knew it should go through because it was my own card and they didn't even question it.

 

[ShellBeach]

...several that said they used their peronal cards to pay for shows and entered it in under the host....

This might be the issue - entering it under the host.
I've entered my personal credit card under my own name as a guest, with zero orders on the show. Just the payment.

 

[vanscootin]

When the discussion came up back in December about the PC visa being discountinued, there were several that said they used their peronal cards to pay for shows and entered it in under the host. I had to call about a declined card today and she told me that we can't do this and that its now in my file about it! Kinda bummed. I live in a very rual area and with two small children, I can't always get to the bank right away to use my PC debit. This is going to make it challanging for me when it comes to closing shows now

Just throwing out a warning to anyone else who did/does this!

I've had this come up as well with several team members... it is a definite no no apparently... my guess is because PC doesn't make any money from a consultant using their personal cc instead of the PC debit card. I'm sure PC gets kick backs from the bank they use the debit card card with.

 

[pampered1224]

Actually I highly doubt that as ever transaction on any card, credit or debit, costs them money. A friend owns a restaurant, he pays 32 cents for each transaction on Visa or Master Card, 44 cents on every American Express, he can't take Discover those are almost 65 cents per and I think he simply will not do debits unless they have a Visa or Master Card logo on them because then the CC company not the bank they are attached to charges him. with as greedy as the CC companies are, could there really be kick backs? Although, who knows?

 

[lt1jane]

Actually I highly doubt that as ever transaction on any card, credit or debit, costs them money. A friend owns a restaurant, he pays 32 cents for each transaction on Visa or Master Card, 44 cents on every American Express, he can't take Discover those are almost 65 cents per and I think he simply will not do debits unless they have a Visa or Master Card logo on them because then the CC company not the bank they are attached to charges him. with as greedy as the CC companies are, could there really be kick backs? Although, who knows?

I think you're on the right track here. My husband ran his own business and he did pay a fee for every card we processed.

I don't think PC pays any company at all for the PC debit card. I think it's more like a direct deposit type thing for them. The difference being that they can use it to deposit money in our accounts AND take money from our accounts when we pay for a show. If they do pay, it's a lower fee than the fee charged for any CC. I've heard that the lowest fees to businesses are debit card transactions.

I think they'd rather we consultants not use CCs for payment because they have to pay a fee to get paid where they pay nothing (my guess, I don't know this for a fact) using the debit card. If 100,000 consultants use a CC instead of the debit card, it costs PC $32.000 in processing fees.

 

[wadesgirl]

If you don't always have time to get to the bank what about having your guests write checks to the host instead. Then you just get big payment from the host. Or just tell people you prefer CC or cash instead of checks.

 

[pampered1224]

Jane I bet you are right. Those fees are one of the things that were effected when the banks, US Bank, Chase, Etc. were told to keep interest rates down so I bet the bank that the PC credit cards were attached too went too high and that is when PC decided it was going to stop using them. Especially if the fees effected not only the corporate portion of PC but then late fees and such effected consultants. I know some card companies had the gall to charge for non-usage of their cards and almost double the late fees they charged to users. And the grace periods on some cards disappeared so you had a greater chance of getting charged fees! Sneaky buggers! That is why when I have a cash amount that needs to be paid, I simply use Pat's debit card with Visa Logo and this keep the processing charges down for PC and because I know I can not send in the show without the money in the account, I don't mess up and get late fees or such either. I never thought though that PC would poo poo the use of a personal card when they dropped the PC Credit Card. Since I do not have an account of my own, I had no choice but to use Pat's account. So my name never appears on the shows I submit so I have not run into that. Funny though, they have never said anything about a huge payment on a credit card with no items ordered. I have not looked but is there anything at all in the Policy manual about using your own personal card. If not, there is your argument.

 

[pampered1224]

On page 3 of the Policy Guide it says
"• Consultants should not pay for a customer order with their personal credit card." Not exactly saying no but...
Further down under Individual Orders - "The customer can pay by debit or credit card or money order. Or, they may pay you and you may submit a payment to the Home Office by check, money order or Pampered Chef® Debit Card." Again no personal Credit Card mentioned.
Then under page 4 under Processing Orders - "You can submit orders one of four ways: 1. Electronically via PamperedPartner® Plus software. To submit orders electronically, you must use a Pampered Chef® Proprietary Debit Card. See the Payment for Orders section for application information." So with the exception of the "should not" in the first quote, there is an implied you can not use a personal credit card.

 

[jenniepc]

My solution to the whole no PC Card anymore is to have guests write their checks to the host and she puts the whole show amount on her card. In a former party plan, that's how payments were made and it worked well, and kept me out of the check cashing business. I've had no questions from hosts doing this and it seems their friends are more comfortable since they know the host, and not me.

 

[babywings76]

Oh dang it... Guess I'll have to be better about getting checks deposited right away. Even then though I worry. What if my banks takes too long to clear the checks and have the funds available for withdrawal when I submit the show.

 

[pampered1224]

What makes it a difficult situation is that a lot of people no longer have or use their credit cards. Which is good to a degree but it makes us have to hold up submitting shows until all the checks clear. I think that would be contradictory to what PC says about booking the entire month. With the end of the month deadlines on a lot of Consultant promotions, you need a few days for customer checks to clear so doing a party on the last day of the month to get a promo, is impossible unless you, the consultant can absorb the outstanding payments and can afford to take a chance on all the checks clearing. Meaning, you would have to have a good sized buffer of money in your account in case something does happen with a customer check.

 

[chefjeanine]

My solution to the whole no PC Card anymore is to have guests write their checks to the host and she puts the whole show amount on her card. In a former party plan, that's how payments were made and it worked well, and kept me out of the check cashing business. I've had no questions from hosts doing this and it seems their friends are more comfortable since they know the host, and not me.

I've been doing this for 10 years. It works!

 

[babywings76]

I just get nervous doing that due to hearing horror stories of host's taking the money and then dragging their feet and not closing the shows. Or what if their card is declined? Or they don't want to deal with the hassle of cashing checks and having to pay off a balance on their card...or they don't have a credit card, etc. I guess those would be the rare occurrence, but I still worry about how to handle that.

 

[wadesgirl]

Here's my thoughts on this. I have always used the PC debit card and do not wait for the checks to clear before I close the show. In 5 years in business I have had 4 checks bounce. Two called me right away before I even knew they bounced and gave me the money plus the bounced check fee my bank charges ($7). I will continue to do this. With the amount of shows that I have had this is a very small percentage that have become an issue.The choice is up to you how you want to handle it.

 

[flemings99]

Well that stinks! I have done it a few times since they took away our pc cc. I don't always have time to get to the bank before submitting a show + the bank told me it can take up to 2 WKS to know if a check is bad. If a large ck bounces, it could make my account bounce and fees out the slkfjeoif. That's not something I want to deal with or have the expense of. I also love that my clients get their orders fast, I can't imagine waiting to submit a show for 2 wks! I have to say I REALLY miss the pc cc. It was nice to deposit cks and not worry about them clearing. They'd be clear long before I got my statement, which I could pay off in full b/c the money was always there to do so. Stating you prefer debit/cc helps but doesn't eliminate checks all together. I don't mind the small ones, it's the $100+ ones that make me nervous.Guess I'll have to figure out a new system with the debit card. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[esavvymom]

That's interesting then...because I was just looking at the "Resolve Declined Credit Card" screen. It has a list of "tips". Here are a couple that jumped out at me from CC's own website:

• If you choose to put the order on your own credit card, make sure you let your customer know she or he will need to submit payment to you in order to receive the order.
• If you decide to cover the purchase with your own payment, make sure your host/customer is aware you need payment before the order is delivered to the guest. You may consider shipping the entire order to your home to ensure any balance due is collected before delivery.

So if you can't pay for a show with your own credit card, then why can you do it for declined?? Makes no sense. It would make me think that rep maybe didn't know what they are talking about, or that there are specific guidelines pertaining to when/how you can use your own CC.

Did anyone look at the Policy Guidelines to make sure?? Depending on what that said, I would be inclined to read those, and then take that info, combined with the info on their own page above, and call to speak with someone who KNOWS what's going on. Someone in Finance department probably.....not a regular rep. Then be sure I knew the answer (post here if you find out!).

For the original OP with it "on her file", it would motivate me to make sure, so that it can be removed from your record!

I have always used my Debit card, and not had any problems to date. But why don't you who prefer a CC, start emailing them! Complain about it to THEM. Sometimes these shows can be very high in cost, so having the protection of a credit card only makes sense! If they can't provide a CC through them as before, then they need to let folks have the option of using their own CC to cover payments on the shows.

I was in a retail store today and the lady was talking about how they are charged higher rates for CC, vs Debit cards. I don't know if that meant they don't take them, but they had changed things. I'm sure it has to do with all of the rate changes lately. PC could at least inform everyone and come up with a compromise (ie- split the rate? I'd pay 1% fee, if it meant I could use a credit card. If you had $300 in charges, that's only $3. Cheaper than a bounced check fee!!)

 

[pampered1224]

Bobbi check one of my earlier posts - the Policy guide really does say to not use your personal card. So it is really an implied no rather than an out and out NO. I would say that clearing up a problem and using your personal credit is a "last resort" thing but they could at least really clarify it especially now with no PC credit card. The two are sort of contradictory ideals.

 

[PamperedK]

I wonder if they would be cautious about saying that you can use your personal credit card so there's never a question of someone being "forced" to incur interest because they "had" to use their personal credit card? I know when it comes to employees (obv we're not employees but still.....) you aren't (in Canada) allowed to ask them to use their personal credit cards for anything. I wonder if it's just that they can't say that we CAN, which is why they haven't said NO or YES. . . personally....until I get a call from Home Office saying "we notice you've been using your personal credit card and that's against the rules" I'm going to continue using it and not worry about it.