Many people now like to use cards to make payments. No wonder, card transactions have become more popular than cash as a form of payment. Customers expect to pay for the products and services using their cards regardless of whether they are dealing with a large business or small and medium business.
This means it’s crucial for businesses to find ways they can offer card payments for their customers. It’s a good idea for businesses to start delivering better user experience for their customers. This page discusses the things you need to know before you buy a card machine.
Types of card machines
Once you have a payment gateway and merchant account in place, you should consider getting at least one card machine or several terminals UK to accept card payments. Remember that you can find a variety of card machines on the market.
One of the card machines worth considering is called a fixed card machine. Most businesses usually have fixed card machines that they place on their counters just next to a front desk or till. A fixed card machine can connect to your merchant account through a telephone line. It also allows your customers either to tap or insert their card to make a payment.
You can also decide to place portable card machines. After all, it can sometimes be inconvenient to have a card machine that is in a fixed place. This is especially true if you own a restaurant, bar, or cafe. Therefore, it makes sense to have a portable card machine that can connect via Bluetooth or WiFi. A portable card machine allows you to take it to any place where it’s convenient and easier to make the payment.
Mobile card machines are great for businesses that desire to take payments when you are out. A mobile card machine can work connecting to phone networks utilizing a SIM card or connecting to smart phones. In most cases, mobile card machines that can connect to smart phones are more affordable than SIM-based card machines, and you are usually not tied to a long contract. These card machines are also liked by business owners who have to travel to customers and they have to do on-the-go-payment.
Card payments are usually a popular payment option for many people, though contactless payments are also a preferred option for some people. It’s a good idea to purchase a card machine that can allow contactless payments to accommodate a wide range of customers.
Key things to look out for before you purchase a card machine
Besides the type of card machine, there are also several other factors you need to consider before you purchase your machine. Battery life of a card machine is important, so make sure the card machine’s battery should last at least a good amount of time without recharging it. You need to ask the card machine supplier how many hours the card machine may last with a single charge. They should also tell you the number of transactions the machine can process.
You should also decide whether you desire to connect a card machine with WiFi, mobile network, Bluetooth, or Ethernet. Ideally, you need to make sure that the card machine can deal with the connection you want to use.
A good card machine also needs to match your current system. It’s worth noting that you can choose all your transactions to be logged directly in the sales system or you can get a new program. Likewise, an ideal card machine, such as epos for your retail store needs to print receipts for the customers or even email them receipts.
The costs of card machines tend to vary depending on the types of card machines you want to purchase. Remember that you can choose to purchase or rent a card machine. Depending on the card machine supplier, the cost for renting it can vary, but portable card machines tend to cost more.
A good option can be a once-off purchase of mobile card machines that work with mobile phones. These card readers are affordable, and you need to check promotional deals. Many card machine suppliers provide new card machines suitable for businesses looking to attract new customers.
Aside from buying or renting card machines, it’s also a good idea to think about the fees that the machine provider can charge on each transaction you process. This fee is sometimes known as a merchant service charge. Your merchant account provider charges this fee and tends to vary significantly depending on various factors. These factors include volume of transactions, type of card machines, payment size, and many more.
In most cases, you may have to pay higher fees when you experience lower sales volumes. A mobile card machine that can connect to a phone usually attracts high fees because you can run them on the go. And, credit cards can also incur high fees. It can be hard to figure out the right fees you should expect, so you need to ask the card machine provider.
There is also an authorization fee which is a charge that is associated with the authorization the payment gateway has to offer for every successful transaction. This fee can be charged at fixed rates for every transaction. Remember that this can also vary depending on the type of transaction, amount, and many more. There are some suppliers of card readers that tend to combine this fee with the merchant fees which you can pay as a percentage of the value of the transaction.
A setup fee is another cost the most providers charge for delivering and setting up your card machine. With mobile card machines, most providers don’t charge this set up fee, though they may have to set it up when you get the card machine.
Some card machine providers also charge what is called a minimum fee. This can occur when the fees you intend to pay on all card transactions within a month are below a certain minimum. The good thing is that you can find newer mobile card machines that don’t attract minimum billings.
