Accept Credit Cards – Credit Card Processing – Merchant Accounts – FREE Credit Card Machines
Merchant Account and Credit Card Processing
Credit Card Machines Terminals
Credit card terminals have come a long way over the years. It wasn’t too long ago many retailers were still imprinter plates (commonly referred to as “knucklebusters”) to attain a carbon copy credit card receipt for the customer to sign. Fast forward to today, and we can achieve instant authorization from anywhere in the world you can get a cell phone signal or internet connection. And with nearly no barriers to market, any business, no matter how small, can quickly and easily set up low cost credit card acceptance.
Here at Merchant Solutions, we offer a variety of hardware, software and programs to allow any merchant to accept credit cards. Today’s terminals are often not even terminals at all – a computer running a POS system, a gateway or virtual terminal, or even a cell phone can all be considered terminals.
Some considerations when selecting a terminal include:
Connection Type – Most retail merchants will utilize either a dial up (phone line) or high-speed internet connection to link their terminal or POS system to their processor. For other merchants, wireless or mobile options are more applicable.
PCI Compliance – PCI-DSS compliance (which stands for “Payment Card Industry Digital Security Standard”) is a major consideration for any merchant. PCI security standardizes the card storage practices, encryptions, integrations and equipment used for processing credit card information. As standards change over time, what was once PCI compliant may not be currently. We’ve made this simple – we only offer PCI certified equipment at Merchant Solutions. If you have older equipment and aren’t sure if its still compliant, feel free to contact us and we’ll let you know.
Gateways and Virtual terminals – Virtual terminals and gateway services are two often confused terms. A virtual terminal is a secure website a merchant logs in to enter credit card and billing information. A gateway service is used by ecommerce merchants to link an internet shopping cart to a processing account. A virtual terminal or gateway does not actually process or settle your transactions, all it does is provide a useful interface for the merchant, encrypt the information, and read the response from the processor. Typically, when you get a gateway service, a virtual terminal is automatically included.
Mobile phones and processing – one of the fastest growing methods of acceptance is via cellular phones and wireless devices. This is a great option for “on the go” merchants that would in the past need to either write down and key in credit card numbers, or would have needed a wireless terminal to accept transactions in the field. Your phone can be used to manually key in transactions, or can be connected to a magnetic stripe reader to even take swiped transactions. No need to purchase a wireless terminal if you already have a smart phone!
Laptop wireless processing – essentially, any credit card terminal is just a small computer with a magnetic stripe reader built in. Therefore, its not that big a jump to set up credit card processing on your laptop. When joined with a USB card reader and either a software program (such as PC Charge) or gateway service (such as E-Processing Networks), your laptop can now function as a fully PCI compliant credit card terminal. And if you have wireless internet access, you can process from anywhere, any time! I great solution for merchants who sell at fairs or trade shows and need to ability to accept transactions in a variety of environments.
POS Systems – For more advanced merchants, particularly retailers or restaurants, POS systems provide the ultimate in check out efficiency, credit card processing and sales tracking all in one. A POS (Point of Sale) system stores your inventory. A clerk or waiter would enter the items ordered into the system, via a keyboard, touch screen or scanner. The POS system calls up the product, deducts it from inventory, and adds it to the total invoice. When the customer pays, the card is ran, the POS system settles the transaction, records the sale, and deducts the inventory. We work with a number of vendors of various POS systems to meet your specific needs. The variety is key – we aren’t pushing any one solution, we can offer a number of solutions and go over the benefits and drawbacks of each to find the right set of features and options to fit your needs.
Manufacturer – We offer equipment, software and gateways from a number of manufacturers and vendors. Dealing in the industry, we have experience with many different types of equipment, software and services, and can make suggestions and help you objectively compare equipment to determine what will best suit your needs. And with our direct buying power, you’ll get the equipment for less than you will find it elsewhere. We’ll beat anyone’s advertised price for the same equipment!
Store and forward device – A recent innovation are store and forward devices. Much more cost effective than wireless terminals, they are the perfect choice to get a swiped transaction rate for in the field sales reps. The devices capture the swipe, and you can then download and bill the card later. The advantage is you get the low qualified rate instead of a mid or non qualified rate. Savings is typically 1%. And if you have a high average ticket, that can add up!
Integrated bar code reader / magnetic strip reader – For your iPhone or iPod touch. These deveices turn your iPhone or iPad into a hand held POS system, complete with inventory control, pricing, and payment acceptance, right in the palm of your hand! No need for your sales staff or clerks to even come back to the register, sales happen right on the spot. No set up costs, no software to buy, and a service charge under $20 a month!
