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Choosing Credit Card Terminals |
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Written by Margina Brown
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There are many different makes and models of credit card terminals . Choosing one that will meet your business needs and enable you to improve your customer service is the biggest dilemma many will face when it comes to deciding on a card reader. It is not so much about style with this type of decision as it is with function.
Finding one that works for your company and will work with your current payment system is the most important part of the terminal selection. You will not want to make a huge investment in redoing the entire system over one piece of equipment, so check the compatibility.
The first thing to look at when choosing card swipe machines for your business is whether or not the existing register system you have has the ability to incorporate this device. In some cases you may have invested in registers that have a reader built into them already, if that is the case, then you will not have a need to invest in any new equipment. You may however need to invest in the software that will be required in order for the machine and reader to work properly. It is not as simple as having one and being able to slide the card through. You will need to make sure it is functional and operational before saying that you now take credit cards.
The type of machine that is most likely to attract your attention is a free standing machine that you position next to the register and swipe the card through. It in most cases will have its own printer and will allow the user to enter the number manually if necessary and the strip on the card does not read. This will give all of the control to the cashier and allow for easier signature comparison when it is necessary. In most cases, this component is separate with the total needing to be entered and a separate total from the drawer kept in order to maintain a balance.
Another style of card reader would be the style in which it attaches to the register, but the customer swipes his or her own card and enters a pin if necessary. Here it will usually attach to the register front in view of the customer and allow the customer to see it and use it. This model will have to plug into the actual register and be integrated with it so as to be able to work with it. Here the machine is part of the overall system and there is no separate entity or need to calculate and balance slips at the end of the evening unless there is a problem. |
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