Get Farmers’ Market Ready With Mobile Payments

May 16, 2018         By: Steven Anderson

With the weather finally warming up and the world turning green again, farmers of all sizes are putting seeds in the ground again in the hopes that, one day soon, a harvest will burst forth and offer us all a taste of what the countryside can offer. Farmers’ markets are an increasingly available way to get in on that, and already, some are recommending that those planning to show off their wares therein be ready to take mobile payments to get the most out of the event.

Farmers’ markets pulled in over a billion dollars in sales as of 2014, the reports note, and that’s likely got gardeners everywhere wondering how they can get a slice of that pie—figuratively speaking, though it may be literal pie that’s involved—for themselves. Several suggestions were made in a recent Nav article, including keeping your signage appropriate for the affair, making your displays look their best—complete with samples, but keeping those limited—and managing “analysis paralysis.”

However, the one that means the most to us is the issue of mobile payments. Mobile payments at farmers’ markets aren’t exactly new; the suggestion to take such payments goes as far back as 2010, when Growing for Market suggested farmers’ market vendors start using their iPhones as a means to accept credit cards. Not so long after that, Farmers’ Market Coalition suggested vendors start looking into ways to not only accept mobile payments, but also better connect with SNAP and WIC programs to take full advantage of potential customers.

It’s not just being able to take credit cards—though that’s certainly an important option any more—but it’s also about being able to accept at least some of the major mobile payments systems. Sure, not everyone can take everything; trying to take at least Apple Pay and Samsung Pay should cover most of the waterfront, and being able to say “We take cash, credit or debit card, and Apple Pay and Samsung Pay” should defuse all but the most irascible of customers.

The more payment methods that are accepted, the more likely the customer is to buy. So if you’re planning to take some produce, handicrafts, or the like to the farmers’ market this year, don’t forget your mobile device, and the ability to take mobile payments.