Is it normal for vendors to not accept credit cards?

Many cc companies charge fees for using credit cards. All of my vendors took credit cards.

LOL I would recommend the exact opposite! Why in the world would you do that, and pay interest on it??? Get CONTRACTS to protect yourself, not credit. Most reputable vendors will NOT take cards.

A lot of them don't because they don't want to be charged the fee, that's pretty much money out of their pocket.

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I have had a few vendors that will not take cc or if they did, they charged me an additional $20 (of course, that would have been $$ out of MY pocket so I decided to pay cash)

@Analy - if you charge it and pay it off immediately, you won't incur interest, but you create a paper trial of the amount and date for the transaction, and can dispute the charge if the vendor goes out of business.

If you have a contract you are protected! Keep records!

If a vendor goes out of business, no one is there to give you your money back if you paid cash. If you used a credit card it is possible to dispute the payment and receive the money back without a lawsuit and added expense. I'm putting everything I can on my credit card, earning points to use towards the honeymoon, and paying it off immediately. I'm also having contracts for everything, but the credit card is an extra layer of security.

Whether a not a business accepts credit cards is dependent on the size of the operation. Dress shop and hotels do a lot of business on a daily bases so they can handle the charges incurred when people swipe their cards. A photographer and musician are probably a much smaller operation and so they are less likely to accept credit cards because of the fees associated.

We are doing exactly what Justine said. We put everything on the cc and send the payment as soon as we get home from the vendor. We haven't incurred any interest at all, but have earned miles on Alaska Airlines to pay for our tickets to Maui for the HM. Although contracts are great, I wouldn't call myself an expert in reading contracts and being able to ensure a contract will hold up in court. I know that the terms of my agreements for both my Chase cc and my Alaska Airlines cc state that they will refund me any money lost on a disputed charge in which I did not receive the full service. As such, I feel more comfortable obtaining a contract and putting all expenses on the cc, therefore I freak out slightly when the vendor says no contracts, but I guess the whole fee they are charged is reasonable.

Oops. I meant when a vendor says no to a cc, not a contract.

I take Credit Cards, but it costs about 4% of the transaction. To me, that's a huge amount. Let's say I have a $6000 collection that a client books.... That's a $240 charge to me. It's doable, and I can write it off, but I would much rather take a check.

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None of my vendors take cards, except the travel stuff for the honeymoon. It's such a bummer, because I would really love the points. But I totalaly get why vendors don't want to take on the fees. Incidentally, I've seen a bunch of people now post warnings not to put stuff on cards because of the interest. Is everyone aware that credit cards only charge you interest if you don't pay your balance on time? As long as you pay, they just give you free stuff for using the card--cash back, points you can shop with, airline frequent flyer miles, etc.

Cash is king...

CC company fees are pretty insane, especially ones that charge percentages, (and most especially AMEX) so a lot of vendors won't take them. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with Paying with CC if you pay them off as you use them, and yes you can dispute charges so it is a good idea. It's what I'm doing, I'm going to try and pay on my CC, will pay off every month, but in the meantime I'll rack-up miles to go somewhere (honeymoon?) or even get gift cards to use after the wedding for household items.

Wow sorry, I started writing the response before you posted that second thing lol... (stupid work getting in the way of my WW posts lol), so we're on the same page... lol

Our caterer takes cc but our venue, musician, photographer, and DJ all took checks. They are small businesses and didn't want to be charged fees. Some may accept paypal if you are really nervous about the whole thing.

Yes it is normal but you want to make sure you pay with a check, cashier check or money order to keep a paper record of all payments.

I'm in the middle and going old school. Checks. Paper trail no charges for either party. Win = win

We do accept CC payments for clients. There is a small fee to make a CC payment, but our clients really like it because they can earn points and miles for the honeymoon etc. They get an automatic receipt when they make a payment online so they can track their expenses.

Cash is fine, but you need to get an updated invoice from your vendor when you make a cash payment that shows your running balance.

The great thing about CC and checks is that they are traceable.

Yep, vendors have to pay a fee for all transactions, which is not preferable.

As far as using a credit card and paying interest...that is only for those who do not pay the balance off in full each month.

I use my two cards each month on small things, but pay them in full every month. In fact, I tend to pay the amount I charge, the day I charge it. I use them only for items I purchase online, and my internet access charge.

It depends on the business. There was a bridal shop in Orlando that just went out of business this week without letting their clients know. Now all of these brides are without their paid dresses and bridesmaids dresses. It seems though now, the only ones that are able to get their money back are those who paid with their credit cards and bank cards. Just something to think about.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2010/july/120843/Bridal-shop-closes-doors-on-customers