Most investments are completed on mobile phones today. More than half of the checks we process come in this way, even in Reg D offerings. Credit cards, debit cards, wire transfers, and checks remain the standard payment methods. Larger sums naturally go by wire since that is usually the least expensive method. But it matters to keep card payments available, because many investors want the convenience of tapping “pay” on a debit card while they are on the move, and often they do it all from a smartphone.
Nine years ago, when we launched Manhattan Street Capital, investors would typically look at an offering on their phone and then return later to a computer or tablet to complete the process. Today, we see the full investment flow—start, sign, and fund—completed on the phone. That is a dramatic shift in behavior, and it shows how convenience has changed expectations.
Keeping costs low is just as important. Many companies land on what I call displacement competitors. They stumble across these platforms without comparing options, and then find themselves paying steep fees. Some of these platforms charge four percent on a wire or a check deposit, before the card companies even add their own high fees. That makes raising money unnecessarily expensive.
At Manhattan Street Capital we take a different approach. We do not mark up payment processing. What the processor charges is what you pay, with no extras added. Our back end is, in my view, the most cost-effective you will find. Transparency in costs is fundamental, and it is one of the principles we stand by.
For anyone who has only raised capital through meetings, calls, or emails, it may seem startling that accredited investors will often wire $25,000 or even $50,000 without a personal meeting. But this is normal now. Investors who put money online are by definition optimists. Pessimists do not invest this way, and they are unlikely to fly across the country for a plant tour. The way you build trust is by making your offering credible online—through a clear offering page, update emails, short videos, and webinars. These are the digital tools that replace the handshake.
Conversion improves when there is a human follow-up. If someone starts a $50,000 subscription but does not finish, a short, compliant message—“Is there anything we can clarify for you?”—can make all the difference. With trained contractors or employees who know what they can and cannot say, and how they can be compensated, these nudges add fifteen to thirty percent more closings. Even in a digital process, the personal element matters.
The formula is simple: keep the investment path short, make the fees transparent, and present the story in a way that is easy to absorb on a mobile phone. Do these things well, and you will see wire confirmations arrive in your inbox before the investor has even finished their coffee.
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How Online Investment Payments and Sales Work for Your Reg A+, and Reg D
