Being a small business owner myself, I appreciate and completely relate to the daily grind of decision making. I have a moment of overthinking the smallest of options every week as the fog of fear ‘is this the right thing to do’ interferes with sometimes the most straightforward choices, and I know all too well the feeling of looking for someone else to take the responsibility away from you.
But would I change a thing? Nope, because I relish making a successful judgement call and the feeling of control I have over my business and life. This is a significant reason as to why I set up East Anglian Business Solutions, and that’s because I like to empower people through knowledge and choice to make informed decisions for their business merchant services and card payment solutions.
So, this month I’ve decided to give you some hints and tips on one of the biggest (and financially impacting) decisions for you, “which card payment machine is suitable for my business”.
Card payment machines can make life simpler for businesses, however, with lots of products on the market, there’s a never-ending choice of card payment terminals and providers, so it’s essential to spend quality time assessing what would be the best machine for you.
There are three types of card payment machines options to choose from:
Countertop Card Reader
A countertop card machine is right up your street if you need to take payments from behind a till, counter or reception point. It plugs directly into your broadband or phone line and comes with all the latest technology so that you can take secure card payments. It must stay always plugged in and is traditionally very reliable.
This is the most common type of machine and the one you have probably had the most interaction with as a consumer. It will be a fixed location typically and is ideal for retail, grocery stores, coffee shops, cafes etc.
Portable Card Reader
Portable card machines enable the customer to settle the bill right at the table. They don’t need to get up off their chair until they decide to leave, which given the limitations sometimes in place with COVID, is an ideal machine. Portable card readers also enable staff to work efficiently, accepting payments ‘on the go’ as they multitask and serve other tables as an example.
Utilising wireless technology and with a long battery life, these machines are popular with restaurants, bars, and agile environments. Typically, they have a 100-metre range, so they can accept payments in and around a base to avoid long queues or anyone looking for till point. They’re simple and improve the customer experience.
Mobile Card Machine
Mobile credit card machines provide a secure way to accept payments for businesses on the road with connectivity through 3G and Wi-Fi. Great for companies on the go, such as tradespeople, market traders and mobile salespeople, the terminal can be connected through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and accepts contactless payments including Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and credit and debit cards.
They work using a GPRS signal, which connects to the area’s strongest mobile network and has built-in encryption to ensure payment data is secure.
Mobile card machines make any on the road card transaction quick and hassle-free
So, choosing which card terminal is right for your business will largely depend on the type of business you have and how you expect to use your new card reader day-to-day.
If deciding which card terminal is right for your business still feels a bit daunting and you’d like to sense check your thoughts or you’d like to discuss merchant services, send me an email with your questions and I would be delighted to help: Carl@eabsolutions.co.uk
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