Compare These Top Vendors for Credit Card Machine

Things to Keep in Mind When Purchasing Credit Card Machines

More people are using credit cards when making purchases because of the safety, security, and ease.  The use of credit cards is rapidly growing with e-commerce, business-to-business, and online and mobile shopping.  When you accept credit cards, funds can be transferred into your bank account immediately.  If you are planning on using the internet for your business, consider accepting credit cards as a way to increase your customer base and profits. 

Credit card machines are used in almost every store and restaurant.  They allow business to be able to efficiently and securely process credit, debit, and now smart card transactions.  There is a huge variety of credit card machines and processing equipment to choose from that also provides flexible options to be able to customize them to your business needs.

When looking at different options for credit card machines and your business it is best to purchase them rather than leasing them from your merchant providers.  As with anything, you save more money in the long run by owning your equipment and creating less cost for your business over the long haul.  Look at a credit card machine as an investment into your company as it provides customers multiple ways of purchasing products or services from you instead of your competitors.

You also want a credit card machine with a faster modem and processing speed.  That creates for your business transactions that are safe, secure, and fast.  In addition to speed, you may want to ensure that it can handle the increasingly popular smart cards as well. 

Some other considerations you want to keep in mind are whether your business is mobile or stationary.  Are you in business all year round or seasonal?  Do you make regular outcalls?  These questions determine what type of credit card machine and terminals that you will need for your business. 

The price of a basic terminal ranges widely, between $150 and $300. Terminals with printers can go anywhere from $200 to $600. For wireless terminals, the cost again ranges broadly, from $600 to $1,000. AVS (address verification system) is a standard feature on most credit card terminals, so it is advisable not to buy a terminal without it. When purchasing wireless terminals, important factors to be considered are battery life, weight, range and shock-resistance.

Businesses that both swipe their credit cards and key their credit cards manually, may benefit from having two merchant accounts processing through the same terminal. This may sound more expensive, but is usually a cheaper way to process if the keyed and swiped transaction volumes are about equal. There are several credit card terminals that can handle multiple merchant accounts. 

Another reason that a merchant might want a terminal that can handle multiple merchant accounts is their type of business needs several merchant accounts. This is very common for Massage, Hair Styling and similar type businesses. Each stylist or Masseuse can have their own merchant account for their own customers, which will help avoid complicated paperwork at the end of the month.