Card readers, cash floats, and everything in between.
By Conventory · Last updated April 2026
Someone picks up a print, flips it over, checks the price, and reaches for their wallet. "Do you take card?" If your answer is anything other than "yes," you just lost a sale. Knowing how to accept payments at artist alley is one of the most basic things you can get right, and one of the most expensive things to get wrong.
Most convention buyers carry cards, not cash. If you only take cash, you are turning away a huge chunk of your potential revenue. But accepting cards is only part of the picture. You also need a cash float for the buyers who do pay in bills, a plan for sales tax, and a way to track what sold across every payment method.
This guide covers all of it: which card reader to use, how to handle cash, what to do about sales tax, and how to make sure every dollar is accounted for at the end of the day.
The majority of transactions in the US are now cashless. At conventions, the split varies, but most artists report that 50% to 70% of their sales are card payments. If you only accept cash, you are leaving that money on the table.
Beyond lost sales, your payment setup affects the speed of every transaction. A slow checkout means a shorter line, fewer impulse buys, and more people who glance at your table and keep walking because someone else is already standing there fumbling with change.
The goal is simple: make it as easy as possible for someone to give you money. That means accepting cards, having cash ready for change, and keeping the whole process under 30 seconds.
You do not need a full POS system. You need a small card reader that connects to your phone and lets people tap or insert their card. Here are your best options.
Square is the most popular card reader among convention artists, and for good reason. The Square Reader for contactless and chip is free (they send it to you at no cost), and you pay 2.6% + $0.10 per tap or chip transaction. No monthly fees. No contracts.
The reader connects to your phone via Bluetooth. You open the Square app, enter the amount, and the buyer taps or inserts their card. The whole transaction takes about five seconds.
The biggest advantage for convention artists is offline mode. Convention centers are notorious for bad WiFi and dead cell signal. Square stores offline transactions and processes them when you reconnect. You never have to tell a buyer "sorry, my reader is not working."
If you have an iPhone (XS or later) or a supported Android phone, you can accept tap payments directly on your phone with no hardware at all. Square, Apple, and Google all offer tap-to-pay features built into the phone.
This works as a backup, but it is not ideal as your primary method. It drains your battery faster, only works with tap-enabled cards (no chip fallback), and feels a little awkward to hand your phone to a stranger. Keep a physical reader as your main option and use tap-to-pay if your reader dies.
SumUp, PayPal Zettle, and Shopify POS are all viable alternatives. SumUp has slightly lower fees (2.6% + $0.10) and a compact reader. PayPal Zettle integrates with PayPal if you already use it for online sales. Shopify POS makes sense if you run a Shopify store and want unified inventory.
For most convention artists, Square is the simplest choice. It is free to start, widely trusted, and the offline mode is a real lifesaver at crowded venues.
Quick fee comparison
Even with a card reader, you will get cash sales. Some buyers prefer it. Some conventions have ATMs nearby and people grab cash specifically for artist alley. You need to be ready.
Bring $50 to $100 in small bills as your starting float. You are not trying to break $50s and $100s. You want enough to make change for $20 bills, which is what most cash buyers will hand you.
Recommended cash float
10x $1 bills ($10)
6x $5 bills ($30)
1 roll of quarters ($10)
Total: $50 starting float
If your products are priced at round numbers ($5, $10, $15), you will rarely need coins. The quarters are for the occasional odd-priced item or sales tax if you charge it on top.
A cash box under the table works, but you have to reach down every time. A fanny pack or apron with pockets keeps cash on your body and speeds up transactions. Many convention artists prefer a fanny pack because it is always within reach and goes with you on bathroom breaks.
Whatever you use, never leave cash unattended. If you need to step away, take it with you or ask a neighbor to watch your table. At the end of each day, count your cash and move large bills into a secure location (your car, hotel room safe, or a zippered bag in your backpack).
Buyers will occasionally ask if you take Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle. It happens. You should have a way to say yes, but these should be your backup, not your primary payment method.
The advantage is that there is no hardware required. Print a QR code on a small sign or table tent, and buyers can send money directly. Venmo and PayPal personal accounts have no fees for receiving money, but business accounts charge around 1.9% + $0.10 per transaction.
The downsides are real though. Peer-to-peer payments are slower than tapping a card. The buyer has to open the app, scan or search, type the amount, and confirm. It is also harder to track because the transaction lives in a separate app from your card sales. And if the convention center has bad WiFi, the buyer might not be able to send the payment at all.
Keep peer-to-peer as an option for buyers who ask. Do not rely on it for your main payment flow.
Your pricing strategy and your payment setup are connected. Round dollar amounts ($5, $10, $15, $20) reduce change-making and speed up every cash transaction. They also make the mental math easier for buyers building a stack.
Bundle pricing is even better. "3 stickers for $10" is a clean, fast transaction. "3 stickers for $11.25" is a pain for everyone. Design your bundles to hit round totals.
Prices like $7 or $13 are not bad, but they create more change-making. If you can nudge a $7 item to $5 or $10 based on your margins, you will save yourself a lot of fumbling with bills during a rush.
Your card reader handles the money. Conventory handles everything else. Log every sale with a tap, track your inventory in real time, and see your actual profit per convention. Works offline when the WiFi does not.
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This depends on your state and the specific convention. Most states require vendors to collect sales tax on physical goods sold in person. Some conventions handle tax collection on behalf of all vendors (this is common at larger events). Some require you to get a temporary vendor permit.
Before your first convention, check two things: your state's department of revenue website for vendor requirements, and the convention's vendor FAQ or information packet. If you are selling in a state other than your home state, you may need to register for a temporary sales tax permit there as well.
This is not tax advice. If you are unsure, talk to an accountant. The cost of a one-time consultation is worth the peace of mind.
You have two choices: bake sales tax into your listed price, or add it on top at checkout. Most convention artists go with tax-inclusive pricing because it is simpler. A $10 sticker stays $10. No fumbling with calculators, no coins, no confused buyers.
If your state sales tax is 7%, a $10 sticker with tax-inclusive pricing means you collect $10 and owe $0.65 in tax (calculated as $10 / 1.07 * 0.07). Your effective revenue is $9.35 per sticker. Factor this into your convention budget so it does not eat into your margins.
Whichever method you choose, keep a record of your total sales per convention for tax filing. Your card reader report covers card transactions. For cash sales, you need your own tracking system.
At the end of a convention day, you need to know one thing: how much did you actually sell? The problem is that your sales are split across card, cash, and maybe Venmo. If you only look at your Square report, you are missing half the picture.
Card sales. Your card reader gives you a transaction report. This part is automatic. But it only tells you dollar amounts, not which products sold.
Cash sales. No automatic record. If you do not track these as they happen, they disappear into your cash box and you are left guessing.
Peer-to-peer. Venmo and PayPal show transaction history, but it is in a separate app with no product details attached.
The cleanest solution is to track every sale at the product level, regardless of how the buyer paid. When you log "sold 1 Cat Sticker," it does not matter whether that was a card tap or a $5 bill. Your inventory goes down by one, your revenue goes up by the sale price, and at the end of the day you have a complete picture.
This is where a dedicated sales tracker pays for itself. Instead of reconciling three different payment sources after the event, you log sales as they happen and let the numbers sort themselves out.
Run through this list before every convention. Most of it only takes a few minutes, but skipping any step can cost you sales.
☐ Card reader charged and tested with your phone
☐ Square (or reader) app updated to latest version
☐ Offline mode enabled and tested
☐ Cash float prepared ($50 to $100 in small bills)
☐ Venmo/PayPal QR code printed if accepting peer-to-peer
☐ Price signs visible on your table display
☐ Sales tax requirements checked for this state and event
☐ Sales tracking method ready (app, tally sheet, or notebook)
☐ Phone and card reader fully charged
☐ Portable battery pack available
☐ Test a small transaction before doors open
☐ Cash float in your fanny pack, apron, or cash box
☐ QR code sign visible on the table
☐ Count remaining cash and reconcile against sales
☐ Check card reader transaction report
☐ Log any peer-to-peer payments into your sales record
☐ Count remaining inventory
☐ Calculate your profit (revenue minus cost of goods minus expenses)
☐ Note what worked and what to change for next time
Square is the most popular card reader among convention artists. The Square Reader (tap and chip) is free, charges 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction, and works offline when WiFi is unreliable. It is the standard for most convention vendors.
It depends on your state and the convention. Some states require vendors to collect sales tax on all sales. Some conventions collect it on your behalf. Check your state's department of revenue website and ask the convention organizer before the event.
Bring $50 to $100 in small bills as a starting float. A good breakdown is ten $1 bills, six $5 bills, and a roll of quarters. Price your products in round numbers ($5, $10, $15) to reduce the amount of change you need to make.
You can offer Venmo or PayPal as a backup option, but they should not be your primary payment method. They are slower than a card reader, harder to track, and business accounts charge fees. Keep a QR code visible at your table for buyers who ask, but prioritize card and cash.
Yes. Square and most modern card readers support offline mode, which stores transactions and processes them when you reconnect. Cash obviously works without WiFi. Having both options means you are never stuck if the convention center has bad signal.
Log every sale with a single tap, track your inventory in real time, and know your exact profit per convention. Works offline when the convention center WiFi does not.
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