Disclaimer: The payment processing options, fees, features, and other information in this article are provided for general informational purposes. Inclusion of a company, product, or service does not constitute an endorsement, sponsorship, or guarantee. Fees, terms, features, policies, and requirements may change at any time and may vary based on factors such as account type, transaction method, and location. Authors should conduct their own research and review each provider’s current pricing, terms, and policies before selecting a payment processing service. This information is not intended to constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial, or business advice.

Question: I’m preparing for my first in-person event where I’ll be selling my books. What payment methods should I accept, and are there recommended payment processing platforms for authors?

Answer:

Displaying and selling your books at in-person events such as festivals, fairs, school visits, farmers markets, and book signings can be a very effective way to create awareness for your work, form deeper connections with readers, and earn some income. Readers love meeting authors and when given the chance to hear about you and your writing face-to-face, it’s difficult for them to walk away empty-handed. The key to success is making it easy for readers to purchase books and any other merchandise. Many attendees carry little or no cash, so by accepting a variety of payment methods authors can improve the experience, present themselves as professionals, and increase sales. Commonly asked questions that are associated with selling at in-person events include:

How should I price my books?
What kind of payments should I accept and what are my options?
What are my legal obligations?
How many books should I bring, and are there other materials or things I should consider?

Below are best practices for pricing your books, ensuring you are adhering to any state and local requirements, and accepting various payment options. In addition, we include a printable checklist of other materials and things to consider.  

Pricing Your Books for Success

When pricing your books at in-person events, there are three primary strategies to consider: ease of purchase, incentivization, and profit margins.   

Ease of Purchase:

In-person events can get crowded and there are a lot of booths and merchandise competing for attendees’ attention. To keep the interactions quick and friction-free, authors can eliminate the need to handle coins or small bills by pricing books at round, flat dollar increments such as $10.00 or $20.00. This is especially important when working a booth by yourself. Offering multiple payment options will also help eliminate any purchase roadblocks. In addition to accepting cash, it’s important to accept contactless payments such as PayPal or Apply Pay to further decrease transaction times and avoid touching cash and credit cards. Since the pandemic, contactless payments have become more common and are often expected because they are fast and secure.

Incentivization:

Once ease of purchase is addressed, authors can further incentivize attendees to make a purchase by offering book bundle discounts or bonus items to maximize the average purchase amount. In-person shoppers are highly receptive to perceived value. For example, if individual books are priced at $10.00 each and you offer a trilogy for $25.00 rather than $30.00, this can encourage the higher purchase amount. Authors can also bundle books with free merchandise items such as bookmarks or stickers when attendees spend a certain amount. Author-signed copies and special edition books are two additional ways authors can differentiate their event offerings. These strategies encourage browsers to take advantage of your in-person deals rather than waiting until later to purchase from you online.

Profit Margins:

Authors should calculate their baseline expenses ahead of an event to ensure they are not losing money with each purchase. Costs to consider include book printing/shipping costs, travel costs, sales tax, venue booth fees, marketing materials, payment processing fees, and any free merchandise or giveaways. A visually stunning booth and high sales volume may not meet overall expectations if your net profit fails to cover your investments. However, if you are participating in an event with the primary goal of creating awareness for your work or building your email newsletter list, you may be more flexible with your finances. The true profit margin of that first interaction may be realized down the road through the long-term value of a dedicated follower, not the immediate income.

Understand All State and County Sales Tax Requirement

To stay on the right side of the law, you may need to collect sales tax on the books and merchandise you sell at in-person events. Tax rates and rules vary by state, county, or even city, with some states featuring uniform statewide rates with no local additions, and others having significant local variations. There are five states—Oregon, New Hampshire, Montana, Delaware, and Alaska—that do not have a statewide sales tax. However, Alaska allows local municipalities to levy their own local sales taxes.

In addition, you may need to complete a business tax registration with the state's Department of Revenue to obtain a retail sales certificate, also called a seller's permit, sales tax permit, or resale certificate. You cannot legally collect sales tax until this registration is approved and a certificate is issued. Many jurisdictions legally require sellers to prominently display their state sales tax certificate at the cash register or main point of sale. Cities or counties in "sales tax-free" states may still require a temporary local business license or "itinerant vendor" permit to physically set up a table and sell goods within city limits.

Any sales tax that you do collect from customers must be paid to the state in which the event takes place. This is done by filing a sales tax return. When you complete the business tax registration, the state’s Department of Revenue will assign a mandatory filing schedule based on your estimated monthly sales volume. For smaller businesses, the filing schedule is often annual. It is a serious offense to keep any sales tax you collect to cover business expenses, and can lead to heavy fines, the revocation of your business license, or criminal charges for tax evasion.

When pricing your books, it’s important to account for sales tax if your jurisdiction requires you collect it on each sale. The majority of U.S. states do not allow sellers to advertise their prices without detailing what amount is being collected as sales tax. It is illegal to advertise “No sales tax” or “We’ll pay the sales tax for you” in these states. The amount of sales tax being collected must be clearly stated in any signage and on any invoices and receipts. For example, if you want the final price of a book to equal a flat amount of $20.00 and your state sales tax is 7%, you should note the price as “$18.69 + $1.31 sales tax = $20.00.”

Sign-up With a Payment Processing/Point-of-Sale Platform

Fortunately for authors, modern payment processing and point-of-sale platforms make it easy and affordable for individuals and small businesses to accept and record credit card, debit card, and digital wallet payments with minimal equipment and setup. While there are many platforms available for use, there are three that are typically better suited for authorpreneurs:  these include Square, PayPal Point of Sale, and Stripe Terminal.

Square:

Square is an all-in-one payment and retail platform designed for small businesses. Sellers create a free account, download the free Square Point-of-Sale application onto a smartphone or tablet, and connect a compatible card reader. For casual sellers, Square offers a free magnetic stripe card reader that plugs into an audio jack or iPhone Lightning port, while wireless Bluetooth card readers are available for chip cards and contactless mobile payments at a premium price. In addition, the platform has a free point of sale app that can be downloaded to your device. This software includes built-in inventory tracking, sales item variations, sales tax set-up, and “Tap to Pay” turning your iPhone or Android phone into a contactless payment terminal and eliminating the need for the separate card reader. This feature does require an iPhone XS model or later and the latest iOS (operating system), or an Android model with Near Field Communication (NFC).  

Square operates on a simple, flat-rate pricing model, charging a fixed percentage plus a cent fee per in-person swipe, dip, or tap, with no monthly recurring software fees (2.6% + $0.15). The application will accept credit card, debit card, Apply Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay payments. It also allows the seller to track and log cash and check payments. Square has the advantage of fully functioning in an offline mode, allowing sellers to securely process payments without internet access. This may be important if WiFi is unavailable at an event.

PayPal Point of Sale:

Like Square, PayPal Point of Sale (formerly PayPal Zettle) is a streamlined mobile payment solution tailored for small businesses and may be a good option for someone already familiar with using PayPal for personal transactions. Operating with no monthly subscription fees, it requires sellers to download the PayPal POS application, set up or upgrade to a business account, and pair a mobile device with the PayPal hardware card reader via Bluetooth. The reader accepts standard chip insertions and tap-to-pay methods. A major differentiator from other payment processing platforms is its native integration with the PayPal ecosystem. The hardware screen can also generate dynamic, on-screen QR codes, allowing customers to pay instantly using their personal PayPal app without handing over a physical card. Transactions are processed at a flat rate (2.29% + $0.09), and the resulting funds deposit directly into the seller’s business PayPal account. In addition to PayPal, credit card and debit card payments, the application accepts Venmo, Apply Pay, and Google Pay, and can support the “Tap to Pay” feature if the phone meets the specifications noted above. Like Square, PayPal POS has an offline mode when WiFi isn’t available at an event. One disadvantage of PayPal POS when compared to Square is that PayPal POS will charge a $20 chargeback fee for any disputed transactions, whereas Square waives this fee.

Shopify Point of Sale:

Shopify is a complete commerce platform that allows sellers to create an online store, manage inventory, accept payments, and sell products on their websites, through social media, and in person. Its point-of-sale system functions as an extension of an active, paid Shopify ecommerce subscription, so if you are already using it to sell online, it may be a good option for you. The application can be downloaded to an Apple or Android device, sync to your Shopify online account, and pair with a Shopify card reader via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Sellers can also enable "Tap to Pay" on their phone if their phone meets the specifications noted above. The application will accept credit card, debit card, Apply Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay payments. The primary benefit of Shopify POS is real-time inventory and customer synchronization. When an item sells in person at an event, the digital stock level on the connected website updates instantly, preventing accidental online overselling. Shopify does charge monthly fees starting at $39 per month, and transaction fees start at 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction.

Stripe Terminal:

Stripe is a technology platform that allows businesses of all sizes to accept online and in-person payments and manage their finances online. Stripe also offers point-of-sale hardware for sellers, but it is a more robust, customizable option for advanced sellers or higher volume sales, or for small businesses that are already using an ecommerce platform online that is compatible with Stripe such as WooCommerce, Shopify, and Wix. For in-person sales, Stripe provides hardware called Stripe Terminal, a physical card reader that connects to point-of-sale software via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or directly onto a compatible smartphone screen. Stripe does not have its own point-of-sale application, so the seller chooses one of the point-of-sale applications noted above or other application of their choosing. The free Stripe Dashboard application can accept “Tap to Pay” transactions. Transaction fees start at 2.7% + $0.05 per transaction, and there are no monthly fees with the standard plan.

Set Up Apple Pay and/or a Digital Wallet App

In addition to a payment processing platform and point-of-sale application, authors should also offer digital payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, Venmo, and PayPal.

Apple Pay

It is estimated that around 58% of smartphone users in the United States own an iPhone. Newer Apple iPhones (iPhone 6 or newer) have access to an application called “Apply Pay”, and users can activate it if their bank and country partner with and support the application. The “Tap to Pay on iPhone” feature mentioned previously is what authorpreneurs should be utilizing when accepting Apply Pay payments at in-person events. Simply use one of the above point-of-sale applications with the companion card reader or enable Tap to Pay on your iPhone. Enter the purchase price in your connected payment application and have the customer hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near your device or reader to complete the contactless transaction.

Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet

Just like Apple Pay for iPhone users, Android users may have access to Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet, depending on their phone model. Both offer the tap-to-pay feature and use Near Field Communications to securely transmit data. These digital wallets function similarly to Apply Pay, allowing customers to use their compatible phone or watch for contactless transactions.

Venmo and PayPal

Venmo and PayPal are also considered digital wallets and peer-to-peer payment services. They act as online intermediaries that securely link your bank account, debit card, or credit card to let you send money digitally, shop online or in-person, or accept payments without sharing your raw financial details. Venmo allows users to link personal and business accounts and is popular among younger users. PayPal is more commonly known and requires users to create a new business account and download the PayPal POS application if they wish to accept PayPal payments for business sales. Both plaftorms can generate a QR code that points directly to your business profile for contactless payments. This allows customers to use their phone cameras to scan the QR code and pay directly from their phones. Direct transaction fees start at 1.9% + $0.10 for Venmo and 2.29% + $0.09 for PayPal.

How Many Books Should I Bring to an Event?

You will want to order books early and estimate book sales based on attendance numbers. If you are using an offset printer to print your books in bulk, you will need to factor in more time for production than if you are using a print-on-demand platform. For offset printing, you’ll want to factor in at least six weeks, and for print-on-demand, you’ll want to factor in at least three weeks.

When determining how many books you will need, try to get an estimated number of attendees from the event planners if you can. On the low end, multiply the number of attendees by 1%. On the high-end, multiply the number of attendees by 5%. These calculations provide a basic, estimated range of potential book sales. Book specific events will result in higher sales than general interest festivals, and local interest books at a local event may also result in higher sales as well. If you are selling a book series, it’s recommended to bring more copies of the first book than the subsequent books, unless you are offering a bundle discount for the trilogy. Ultimately, the best way to determine the number of books needed is to speak to authors that have participated in the event previously.

Pricing Additional Best Practices for In-Person Events

In addition to the pricing, sales tax, and payment option best practices noted above, here are 12 things to consider to ensure you have a worry-free, successful event:

1. Order hardware early and set up POS applications and digital wallets ahead of time: If you plan to use your payment processor’s card reader hardware, you’ll want to order it at least two weeks before your event to ensure you receive it and have time to test the equipment and application. You will also want to pre-load your sales items, sales tax, and bundle variations into your point-of-sale application, ensure any digital wallets are set up, and enable “tap to pay” if you plan to utilize these methods.
   
   
2. Fully charge all devices you plan to use for payments: Because outdoor festivals are long and you may not have access to electricity, it’s important to fully charge any smartphones, tablets, and card readers you plan to use to take digital and contactless payments. You should also have a high-capacity portable power bank as a backup since payment processing applications can drain batteries quickly.
   
   
3. Have cash on hand for change: Even with contactless and digital wallet payment options, there will be customers who wish to pay using cash. This is where having flat pricing will be really advantageous so that you can more easily provide change in bills, no coins. It’s also a good idea to have cash on hand in case you experience any technical issues with your other payment options. Be sure to bring a lockbox to store and secure any cash.
   
   
4. Find out if WiFi is available: Most outdoor events will not have WiFi readily available, so you want to ensure you have a reliable cellular data connection or a solid mobile hotspot for any digital and contactless payments that require internet authorization to work.
   
   
5. Understand insurance liability requirements: When participating at in-person events, event organizers may require you to secure Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance to protect you/the event organizer from financial losses if an accident occurs at your table, display area, or booth. If you don’t already have an annual business policy, you can easily purchase short-term, single-event insurance or specialized vendor policies that issue an instant Certificate of Insurance (COI) to show the festival organizers. Single-event plans start at $49.
   
   
6. Keep a record of sales: If you will need to file a sales tax return per your state’s requirements, keep track of all sales for reporting purposes. One of the benefits of using a point-of-sale application is they often include recordkeeping components for all types of payments as well as sales made by cash and check. These applications can also provide digital receipts in most cases, but have a carbon-copy sales receipt booklet on hand for readers that use cash to purchase.
   
   
7. Brand your booth space: Having a visually appealing booth space with clear branding is important for drawing attendees to your table. Consider having a fabric table cover with branding, or a branded table runner or pop-up banner. These materials should reflect your brand colors and mood.
   
   
8. Display clear signage with pricing, sales tax, and accepted payment types: Make your book, bundle, and any merchandise pricing clear, and if your state requires sales tax be included on any signage, add that in. You will also want signage that lists your accepted payment methods and includes any QR codes for digital wallets.
   
9. Have a way to sign up for your email newsletter: An event is the perfect place to promote your author newsletter and build your email list. You can either have a clipboard on hand where readers can manually sign up, or, have a digital way for them to sign up such as a QR code that links to your website or landing page.
   
   
10. Have something free to giveaway as an incentive and thank you for visiting your booth: A free giveaway or incentive for visiting your booth is a great way to break the ice and get attendees to your table. It can be a low-cost item such as a bookmark, sticker, coloring page, worksheet, or postcard. Be sure to include your branding, website, and any contact information you wish to share. This takeaway will give them something to remember you by and will hopefully encourage future purchases from you.
    
    
11. Calculator and other supplies: It can be stressful to count change or make other math calculations at a busy event, so have a calculator on hand. We also recommend bringing the following supplies in case needed: tape, pens, scissors, hand sanitizer, snacks, waters, gum or mints, plastic shopping bags, clips and sandbags (to secure table covers and canopy tent in windy conditions), camping chair (to rest your feet when needed), and first aid kit.
    
    
12. Have a friend or family member help: In-person events can have long hours and run more than one day, so it’s important to have a reliable friend or family member to help with set-up and sales. You will need to take breaks to use the restroom, grab food, or rest your feet or back.

Many attendees at in-person events base part of their buying decisions on convenience and incentive. If someone wants your book but is unable to meet your payment requirements, you may lose the sale. Offering several payment methods removes any barriers while helping you maximize revenue. The goal is simple—never let payment be the reason someone walks away without your book. You can also turn browsers into buyers by offering bundle discounts or free merchandise with purchase.

Selling your book at in-person events can be a smooth experience when you research and prepare in advance. Be sure to review all exhibitor and state/county tax information so that you know any rules or restrictions on book sales. When you come to an event well-prepared, you can maximize your book’s sales potential!

PRO TIP! Your event expenses may be tax deductible. We recommend speaking with a tax advisor to learn more.

Photo credit: Wicki from Getty Images; Photo credit: JordiRamisa from Getty Images; Photo credit: designer from Getty Images;  Photo credit: whitebalance.space from Getty Images; Photo credit: SeventyFour from Getty Images; Photo credit: Frazao Studio Latino from Getty Images

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