Better-than-expected merchant reaction to Intuit Inc.’s offer of free card readers and no monthly service fees to small merchants using its GoPayment mobile-payments service has prompted the company to extend the offer indefinitely, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company announced Feb. 16.
Intuit’s original offer began in January and was available to merchants who signed up by mid-February (
The offer first was put in place to see if it was beneficial to personal businesses and small merchants such as dog walkers, nannies and jewelry makers, an Intuit spokesperson tells PaymentsSource. “We really wanted to see how it would go and make sure it met the needs of Intuit’s merchant customers,” she adds.
The company has signed up more than three times the amount of merchants per day than it did before launching the offer, which is why the company added the extension, the spokesperson notes.
“The trend in mobile acceptance is clearly moving toward a low cost, low barrier [offering],” says Todd Ablowitz, president of Centennial, Colo.-based Double Diamond Group LLC.
The extension of Intuit’s low-cost offer is “definitely in response to the market opportunity and customer preference. There are millions of new merchants out there who can now be served with a low or no-cost sign up and low or no monthly fees,” he adds.
Other companies also are reaching out to small merchants. North American Bancard offers its mobile-based payment service, Pay Anywhere, on a pay-as-you-go basis and touts low transaction fees (
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