Get one free call to our Employee Relations Helpline. Find out more.

Our Business Services

Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA

With over 130 years of experience representing WA businesses, we’re ready to help with the resources and advice you need to succeed.

Employee Relations Helpline

Employee Relations Helpline

Get timely, reliable and practical employee relations advice on employment laws, the awards system and other human resource matters. CCIWA Members get unlimited access.

Legal Services

Legal Services

Our team of experienced, client-focused business lawyers offer a full range of Commercial Law & Employment Law services for all your essential legal needs.

Accounting & Taxation Services

Optima Partners and CCIWA

Innovative and personalised accounting, taxation and business advisory services that focus on delivering the best results to help your business grow.

Workplace Health & Safety Services

Workplace Health & Safety Services

Unlock the potential of your business with our suite of staff training and development programs, crafted by workplace relations experts and tailored to your business needs.

Construction & Mining IR Services

Construction & Mining IR Services

We offer extensive, independent and practical industrial and labour relations support to the engineering, construction and mining industries.

Workplace Training & Development

Workplace Training & Development

Unlock the potential of your business with our suite of staff training and development programs, crafted by workplace relations experts and tailored to your business needs.

Apprenticeship Support Australia WA

Apprenticeship Support Australia WA

Our dedicated team specialises in assisting employers maximise the benefits of investing in apprenticeships and traineeships to build local skills for the diverse WA workforce. Our team of experts will provide all the advice, support and services you need — free of charge.

Work Integrated Learning – Internships

Work Integrated Learning - Internships

Tap into WA’s future workforce with our Work Integrated Learning – Internships program. This free service facilitates university student work experience placements for your business.

Industry Capability Network WA

Industry Capability Network WA

Connecting your business with mining, construction, infrastructure, defence and other major projects using the ICN Gateway.

International Trade Services

International Trade Services

Take your business global using our comprehensive suite of international trade services to streamline importing and exporting, reduce risks and identify international partners.

You have one free articles for this month. Sign up for a CCIWA Membership for unlimited access.

Accepting credit cards – pros and cons

By Beatrice Thomas

A store without credit cards is like a pub with no beer. These magic plastics are now more common than cash.  

Sonja Kanban, a business adviser at the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), stresses that small business owners not accepting credit cards could put them at a competitive disadvantage.  

However, they need to be aware of the fees involved and to check first that this option is right for their business,” she says. 

The customer convenience of credit cards can also be a cost to business, depending on the financial institution and the products in use.  

Benefits of credit cards 

Increase the customer base: People are using cash less and less and expect to be able to use credit cards. Credit cards are convenient for most consumers, wherever they are in the world.    

Flexibility: Payments with credit card can be made 24/7 particularly through online shops. You don’t physically have to have your shop doors open and be there to take the money.  

Increased buying from your business: Credit cards can result in more impulse buys. When someone has only a $50 note in their wallet, they’re less likely to spend it. They’re more likely to spend past that $50 with a credit card.  

Cons of credit cards  

Fees: Make sure you know exactly what these are. You can recover fees from the customer, but you need to make sure that at the point of sale there is a sign saying what the extra charge is if the customer uses Visa or Mastercard for example.  

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission offers guidance for small business owners to ensure they avoid passing on excessive payment surcharges to customers. 

Support: Customer support needs to be there for your credit card equipment, no matter what payment gateway you use. If your credit card machine isn’t working, you need to be confident your bank or supplier can help you fix it quickly. 

Security: There are issues around people stealing credit cards or other forged activities. In addition, there is evidence that some businesses have handed over the EFTPOS machine to the customer and they have entered stolen credit card information or inflated the sale price and later claimed a refund. It is important to secure your point of sale terminals as you may be liable for any losses incurred if you don’t.  

There are also circumstances where a customer has used a credit card to buy an expensive product from a small business and then gone to their bank and said they never received that particular product 

So, the bank has then taken the money out of the small business’s account and given it to the client or customer.  

It is therefore worth considering a limit on how much payment you accept on a credit card from one person.  

If someone comes in and wants to spend $20k in your electronics store, do you accept that? It’s a case of thinking about what the risk might be and then structuring your business process accordingly. 

Sometimes the pros outweigh the cons, so it’s good to be aware that there are some risks attached, but ultimately, for most businesses, they recognise the benefits far outweigh those risks. 

A store without credit cards is like a pub with no beer. These magic plastics are now more common than cash.