Accept Credit Cards Anywhere
New Technology Transforms Mobile Devices Into Payment Channels
Portable Credit Card Scanners can already let you accept credit cards from anyone who has a card and owes you money. If you have a side business selling junk at the swap meet, or vegetables at the farmer's market, or even just want to make money at a yard sale, small credit card scanner attachments and accessories can plug right into your smartphone and you can be ready to accept payments. If you are a larger business, these payment collection systems are also great for salespeople on the road who can literally scan a credit card as soon as a deal is made. Portable card scanners and merchant payment systems are expected to revolutionize the world of money. Someone who owes you cash may just give you a card and let you scan it. People in all walks of life, from your gardener to the local charity, will be able to scan cards using accessories no larger than a postage stamp.
With credit card scanners, credit card terminals, and readers, you become the point of sale! From chip sensors to Square Brand Mobile Credit Card Systems, your USB and earphone jack become accessory ports. A startup known as Bling Nation has created a phone accessory that reads chips in credit cards that touch the phone.
Who has the best credit card scanners? You can if you make the right choice. Many credit card scanning peripherals work with existing terminals so customers may be able to swipe, tap, or insert cards for quick scanning of credit or debit card information. The ability to swipe a credit card quickly and get approval right away is prompting supermarkets to promise faster checkout times, and raising the bar for the entire retail industry. RFID and PCI-DSS regulations also mean that older credit card scanners and terminals are going to be phased out, while newer card acceptance capabilities are brought into play. Heightened PCI-DSS compliance fines are encouraging merchants to buy new credit card scanning peripherals and terminals, and the upside is that more secure equipment means lower fees! If you add PIN pads and accept debit cards instead of using the “credit” option for bank account cards, you can save a significant amount on each transaction compared to the cost of a credit card style swipe.
Credit card scanners are flooding the market, so now just about anyone with a smart phone can take payments via plastic. Many consumers are looking for reviews on scanners in order to find out which ones provide the best user experience. Some of the criticisms related to the Square credit card reader involve the size of the device and difficulty reading some credit cards, especially ones that have been used and may not be thick enough to be read easily. The Intuit GoPayment reader gets more positive reviews due to its bigger size and more stability, but it costs slightly more for processing. Another advantage of GoPayment is that it integrates with other Intuit products like QuickBooks. One criticism of the GoPayment system is that the one tested was not compatible with all smartphones, whereas Square worked with multiple phone platforms. (Note that credit card scanner apps are constantly evolving, so this information could be outdated, even if it was accurate last week.)
Notes and Special Information
Special note: Are there fees for using credit card scanners? You Bet! Shop around for the best possible deal, because even a few tenths of a percent equals money out of your pocket.