5 Best Mobile Credit Card Readers For Businesses
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Key notes
- Because nowadays you can make payments with your mobile phone, you definitely need the best mobile credit card readers for your business.
- We provide you with a tool that works with credit, or debit cards and all other types of cards.
- Another great program comes with a clean, easy-to-use interface on mobile phones and tablets.
- You can also choose a customizable app that allows you to add an unlimited number of users to your account.
Investing in a robust credit card reader for your business is a smart decision since it gives your customers more payment options. We live in such a time where everything is becoming automated and it would frustrate your customers if you are still living in the old cash and carry era. Thanks to technology that we now have a plethora of mobile credit card readers that allow you to collect payment even on the go.
Mobile credit card readers offer payment processing with straightforward fees, point of sale (POS) systems, inventory management tools and so much more. Now your mobile phone can handle all the payment processing, making it easier and convenient for your customers to pay for goods and services.
Most of the service providers discussed below offer free basic card readers and have companion apps that make payment processing even easier. In this guide, we break down for you the 5 best payment processors or mobile credit card readers that are good for your business.
Related: Microsoft introduces new payment options with Windows 10 creators update
5 best mobile credit card readers for your business
Square
Square is one of the big names in the mobile credit card processing. As one of the oldest mobile credit card payment options, Square focuses on a straightforward pricing. It doesn’t require a contract either. Its users benefit from a flat-rate processing cost with no monthly, annual or hidden fees. The processing cost is 2.75% of all swiped cards. Better even, Square does not distinguish between card types, so credit, debit, and all other card types are all charged the same rate.
The company’s respective app, Square Register is compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems. When you sign up for Square, the company ships you a free mobile magnetic stripe credit card reader. The free Square card reader works with the free Square point of sale app to allow you process payments on your smartphone or tablet. What’s more, it allows you to send receipts via email or text message as well as connect a receipt printer to a tablet. Square also has an EMV compliant mobile credit card reader that can accept contactless payments such as Apple pay, that use NFC technology.
QuickBooks GoPayment
Created by Intuit, the company that develops QuickBooks, GoPayment is the QuickBook’s arm that handles all the mobile credit card processing. Though it integrates well with QuickBooks, you don’t need to have QuickBooks to process via QuickBook’s GoPayment. The GoPayment app comes with a clean interface that is easy to use on mobile phones and tablets. Everything you enter into the app goes into your QuickBooks account, whether its sales, receipts or inventory management.
QuickBooks GoPayment offers two different plans: a pay as you go plan and a monthly plan. The pay as you go plan charges a flat rate of 2.4% plus a $0.25 fee for each transaction while the monthly plan has lower rates but includes a monthly fee. Though the QuickBook’s GoPayment charges less than most of the other mobile credit card readers, it does have a PCI-compliance fee that varies depending on the number of transactions you make.
PayAnywhere
This is one of the cheapest options available for mobile credit card processing. PayAnywhere mobile allows you to accept credit cards, MasterCard, Visa, PayPal cards, and Discover all at the same low rate. You get a free credit card reader that lets you transform your Android or Apple smartphone or tablet into a mobile credit card reader. The mobile payment processing app is not only easy to use but robust in every way.
The app is highly customizable, allowing you to add unlimited users to your merchant services and account. Moreover, the detailed in-app and online reporting lets you know what, where, and when your customers are transacting. The processing cost is pegged at 2.69% per swipe and the charge is flat for all cards including American Express. There are no setup, monthly, or hidden fees.
PayPal Here
PayPal Here is the mobile processing arm of PayPal. It makes it possible for you to accept credit card payments on your PayPal business account. PayPal Here accepts all types of credit and debit cards while allowing you to send invoices for later payments. It offers two types of readers; the mobile card reader and the chip card reader. The mobile card reader accepts both debit and credit magnetic stripe cards and is available on Android, iOS, and Windows devices.
Both readers are powered by the PayPal Here app. This processor is easy to use and it plugs into your tablet or smartphone’s audio jack. When you open an account with PayPal Here, you get a free swiper. PayPal Here charges a flat fee of 2.7% on all transactions regardless of the card used. This is a good option for small businesses since it doesn’t have monthly fees or monthly minimum set by the service provider. However, PayPal here takes longer to receive your funds than other mobile credit card processors. It might also take up to 3 days for PayPal to approve your account once setup is complete.
⇒ Get PayPal Here
- READ ALSO: PayPal issues critical patch to prevent hackers from stealing OAuth tokens
EMS+
EMS+ is the mobile processing arm of Electronic Merchant Systems, a global leader in merchants processing and transactions services for over 25 years. The company offers simple, secure, and cost-effective credit card processing services. When you sign up, you get a free mobile magstripe swiper, but you have to purchase any additional swiper for $10. At a flat swipe rate of $2.25 per transactions with no monthly or hidden fees, the EMS+ rates are among the lowest in the market. This rate applies to all card types, whether they are debit or credit cards, basic or rewards credit cards.
Setup up is easy and straightforward. All you have to do is download the free EMS+ app, plug the credit card reader into the headphones jack of your smartphone or tablet and begin accepting credit cards immediately. EMS+ provides real-time processing from anywhere. Once the customer acknowledges an automated receipt, money is automatically deposited into your checking account.
⇒ Get EMS+
Conclusion
If you run a small business, you don’t have to rely on the clunky old cash registers anymore to get money from customers. You can use any of these mobile credit card readers to get money from your customers instantly and at the comfort of your office seat. Most of these mobile credit card readers have to be plugged into the audio jack of your tablet or smartphone. However, advancement in mobile technology has left no leaf unturned and we now have advanced mobile processing apps like Cartwheel Register that don’t require the use of a card reader.
Instead, the Cartwheel Register and the rest of its kind uses your smartphone’s camera to capture data. Since these transactions are treated as online transactions rather than card-present transactions, you don’t have to worry about complying with the EMV regulations and so on. All in all, use of credit card readers is an efficient way to collect payments and increase your business productivity.
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