r/AutoShopOwners

I opened my new business checking account, and while there I also asked about merchant services. I told the guy I didn't want to see that 3.x% number, and he said thats the standard and best he could do.

Average expected ticket value is going to be range of $6000, it does not make sense for me to just give $210 dollars to the bank for moving the money. The bank is on my way home, 2 miles from the shop. There is no way it would cost me $210 to move cash or checks into the bank, that price is not valuable for the service provided.

If I do 100 jobs a year, that's $21,000 in fees.

How do I find a better payment processing price? I see facebook ads for scammy looking payment services advertising 1% or less. What's the catch on those, long payment delays while they hold your money? Shit like paypal where they can just keep your money hostage forever?

Do I just not take credit cards? Do I just raise the price of everything by 3.5%? Do I charge a surcharge on card payments?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Something I’ve been thinking about after looking at how different repair shops operate:

A shop can have good technicians, steady customers, and plenty of work — but keeping everything moving in the right order can still be difficult.

One vehicle is waiting for approval. Another needs a part. A technician is waiting for an update. A customer is asking about their car. Another job is ready for billing.

None of these situations is unusual. The interesting part is how different shops keep track of everything when several jobs are moving at the same time.

For the shop owners and managers here:

How do you keep your workshop organized when things get busy?

Do you rely mainly on:

• Shop management software
• Spreadsheets
• Paper/job cards
• WhatsApp
• A combination of different tools

Something else?

And more importantly ,what system or process have you found that actually works well for your shop?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have gone from managing a relatively small number of jobs to handling a much higher daily workload.

What changed in the way you managed the shop?