It was a sunny Saturday morning and I was looking forward to spending the day with my family. But then I got a reminder on my phone that my car was due for its MOT and service. I groaned and checked the calendar. It was the last day of the month and I had no choice but to get it done.

I called my usual garage in South London and asked if they had any slots available. The owner, Dave, recognized my voice and said he could squeeze me in at 11 am. I thanked him and got ready to go.

I arrived at the garage just before 11 and parked my car. Dave greeted me with a smile and asked me to wait in the reception area. He said he would check the car and let me know how long it would take.

I sat down on a sofa and picked up a magazine. I flipped through the pages, but nothing caught my interest. I looked around the room and noticed that there was no card payment machine on the desk. I wondered how Dave accepted payments from his customers.

I decided to ask him when he came back. After about 15 minutes, he returned with a clipboard and a pen. He handed me the clipboard and said, “Your car is ready, mate. It passed the MOT and we did the service as well. Here’s the invoice.”

I took the clipboard and looked at the invoice. It was £150, which was reasonable for the work done. I reached for my wallet and asked Dave, “Do you take card payments?”

Dave shook his head and said, “No, sorry. Only cash or bank transfer.”

I was surprised and asked him why. He sighed and said, “Well, you see, I used to have a card payment machine from this vendor called Payzone. They promised me low rates and no contract. But it turned out to be a scam. They charged me hidden fees, locked me into a long-term contract, and then took all my money from my account without my permission. They also reported me to the credit bureau for defaulting on payments that I never agreed to. It was a nightmare.”

I felt sorry for Dave and asked him how he managed to get out of it.

He said, “It took me months of legal battles and complaints to finally get rid of them. But by then, they had ruined my credit score and reputation. I had to close my bank account and open a new one. And now I can’t get any other card payment machine because no one will trust me.”

I nodded sympathetically and said, “That’s awful, Dave. I’m really sorry to hear that.”

He shrugged and said, “It’s OK, mate. It’s not your fault. But it’s been hard for me to run this business without card payments. Most of my customers prefer to pay by card these days. And some of them don’t even have cash or online banking apps on their phones. So they end up going to another garage or not paying at all.”

I could see the frustration in his eyes and I wanted to help him.

I said, “Dave, have you heard of GB Pay?”

He looked at me curiously and said, “No, what’s that?”

I said, “It’s a new card payment solution that I use for my own business. It’s very simple, cheap, and hassle-free. You don’t need any hardware or contract. You just need a smartphone or tablet with internet connection.”

He raised his eyebrows and said, “Really? How does it work?”

I said, “Well, you just sign up online with your email address and bank details. Then you get a QR code that you can print out or display on your screen. When your customers want to pay by card, they just scan the QR code with their phone camera or any QR code reader app. Then they enter the amount they want to pay and confirm with their PIN or fingerprint. The money goes straight into your bank account within seconds.”

He looked impressed and said, “Wow, that sounds easy enough. But how much does it cost?”

I said, “Not much at all. You only pay 2% + 30p per transaction. That’s it. No monthly fees, no setup fees, no hidden fees.”

He did some quick calculations in his head and said, “That’s cheaper than Payzone or any other card payment machine I’ve seen.”

I nodded and said, “Exactly. And the best part is that there is no contract or commitment. You can use it as much or as little as you want. And if you use it more than £10k per month, you can get even lower rates. Up to 1% + 30p per transaction.”

He smiled and said, “That sounds too good to be true. Is there a catch?”

I said, “No, there’s no catch. I’ve been using it for over a year and I’ve never had any problems. It’s secure, reliable, and fast. And the customer service is excellent. They’re always ready to help if you have any questions or issues.”

He said, “Well, you’ve convinced me, mate. Where can I sign up?”

I said, “Just go to their website: [GB Pay]. It only takes a few minutes to register and get your QR code. You can start accepting card payments today.”

He said, “That’s amazing. Thank you so much for telling me about this. You’ve saved me a lot of hassle and money.”

I said, “You’re very welcome, Dave. I’m glad I could help.”

He said, “You know what? You’re such a nice guy, I’m going to give you a discount on your invoice. How about £120 instead of £150?”

I said, “Wow, that’s very generous of you, Dave. Thank you.”

He said, “No, thank you. And here’s another thing. How about I buy you a beer after work? You deserve it.”

I said, “Well, I don’t usually drink on Saturdays, but I’ll make an exception for you. Sure, why not?”

He said, “Great. It’s a date then. I’ll see you at the pub around the corner at 6 pm.”

I said, “Sounds good to me. See you then.”

We shook hands and smiled at each other.

I paid him the £120 by scanning his QR code with my phone and left the garage with my car.

I felt happy and proud that I had helped Dave to improve his business and his life.

And I also looked forward to having a beer with him later.