Wireless Credit Card Terminals

Mobile Credit card terminals introduction

mobile credit card terminal

Portable Credit card terminals are a common sight in almost every On-site workers (i.e. plumbers and electricians, HVACs, movers, pizza deliveries etc). They let mobile businesses process credit cards efficiently and securely.

While they are a relatively small purchase in terms of dollars, the total impact they can have on your businesses is enormous. Merchant account providers typically charge half a percent more for keyed-in transactions than for swiped charges, so if your old terminal is not reading cards as well as it used to, it could be costing you money. Older terminals may also not be able to support debit card transactions. Or, you may simply need more terminals because your business is growing.

Wireless terminals
Wireless credit card terminals provide a significant advantage for some businesses. For example, taxi drivers, seasonal businesses, plumbers and electricians, HAVC, movers, pizza deliveries, merchants with temporary locations, and large lot businesses can all greatly increase efficiency by accepting credit cards wirelessly. However for most businesses, wireless terminals are a needless expense. Wireless terminals by necessity have printers built-in - your employees will not want to carry around two separate pieces of equipment. Important factors to consider when evaluating wireless terminals include battery life, range, weight, and shock-resistance - any terminal that gets carried around is going to be dropped occasionally.

Pricing and how to buy

Wireless Credit card terminals are not particularly expensive - Terminals are often priced as loss leaders to entice you to choose a particular merchant account provider, so you may see prices online that are "too good to be true" - and usually, they are.

Wireless terminals can be $1300 to $1700.

In most cases, you should buy the terminals outright. A 48-month lease could cost you over $2000 for a terminal that you could have purchased for $1300.

Because credit card terminals are relatively inexpensive considering the important role they play for many businesses, it is worth spending a little extra to make sure you get all the reliability you need. Saving $50 is not going to affect your business much in the long run; a terminal that is slow or balky can have a serious negative effect.

Where to buy
Purchasing credit card terminals from your merchant account provider can simplify the process - they will pre-program the terminals for you. They also know that you will be working with them for years to come, so they are more likely to give you a break on terminal pricing and will not be as interested in selling you models at the highest pricing.

If you are purchasing your terminals separately, the choice of vendor is not terribly important. The transaction is a one-time purchase, not the start of an ongoing relationship. Combined with the overall reliability of terminals and the low total cost, this means that the decision of which vendor you purchase a terminal from is pretty minor.

If you choose to buy your credit card terminals over the Internet, use the same caution you would with any online purchase: if you are not familiar with the company, do some basic research to make sure they are reputable. Also make sure you understand both the return policies (in particular, what restocking fees you may be liable for if you choose to return a terminal) and the warranties and service agreements that come with your purchase.

Buying & maintenance tips

Terminal memory can store transactions for later verification if you are unable to connect to your merchant account provider. 256k memory holds about 1000 transactions - far more than you should process without connecting - which should be enough for most businesses.
Keep your terminals clean - dust, crumbs and especially paper lint can quickly clog printers and gum up stripe readers. A $2 can of compressed air can quickly clean your terminal out and help it last up to five years.
Choosing a local supplier for your terminals means you can get some basic training for your staff. A quick introduction to using the advanced features of your terminal can help you get your money's worth.
Some terminals use flash memory to store the software that runs them, which allows system updates to be easily downloaded and installed. This cans a longer operating life for your terminal.