Credit Card Readers

Fixed terminals These terminals are best if you'll be making sales from a brick-and-mortar location. Consider features like size of display, ease of use and price. You'll also need a printer for sales slips and receipts. Printers can either be attached to the unit or sold separately. Basic terminals cost between $150 and $300, while terminals with printers cost up to $600.

I recommend:  For quotes on fixed terminals and printers, try BarCodesInc and NexTag. EBay offers quotes on used credit card readers.

Accept cards on the road To accept credit cards on the road, you'll need a wireless terminal. These cost more than fixed terminals, but offer the flexibility to accept payment from customers who don't have large amounts of cash on them. Wireless terminals come with built-in printers, and tend to be more expensive — up to $1,000. You can buy one from a merchant account provider.

I recommend:  Visit Yahoo Small Business for a list of some merchant account providers. You also can get quotes on new and secondhand wireless terminals at shopping sites like Froogle.

Software for phone and Internet sales If you just do business online or over the phone, you don't need a terminal. Instead, you can use software that allows you to type in a credit card number and get an authorization. Your merchant account provider can offer software that reads credit cards as part of a package. Or you can purchase software for credit card processing, often as part of a suite of services.

I recommend:  Microsoft offers a package that includes credit card processing.