Credit Card Reader App for Small Sized Businesses
A card reader is a device that decodes the information inside a magstripe (magnetic stripe) or microchip of a debit or credit card. Help increase sales by accepting card payments using a tablet or smartphone via an iProcess credit card reader app for your Android phone or iOS device.
Magnetic stripe cards store data in tiny iron-based magnetic atoms in a band of magnetic material located on the card.
Magstripe cards are easy fodder for criminals through a process known as “skimming”. This fraudulent practice entails using a device known as a card skimmer to easily read static data off the back of a magstripe card.
Chip cards or EMV cards, which is an acronym for Europay, MasterCard® and Visa® offers better security with regards to card payment transactions.
The small metallic squares on these cards are computer chips that encrypt the payment information of cardholders.
The Near-Field Communication (NFC) reader accepts contactless card payments like Google Pay and Apple Pay.
NFC also allows devices within a few centimeters of each other to exchange data wirelessly.
The credit card reader app runs on NFC-supported devices and is capable of reading card information stored on a different device as long as the device is close enough for a transaction to take place.
Card reader apps offer a fast and affordable way for businesses to accept mobile payments out in the field.
Here are 2 credit card mobile readers that are connected to POS systems and software apps that you can use for your business, starting today.
#1 Square
The Square reader and mobile app for both iOs and Android devices is offered by one of the most popular mobile credit card processors around.
And this is for a very good reason.
Square offers a free swipe reader for card processing as well as a free right of entry to their mobile point-of-sale app (mPOS).
The fees are not exactly cheap— but they are simple and straightforward.
Users generally pay only a fixed 2.75% for all swiped card transactions. There are no monthly fees for subscriptions or pay-per-transaction charges to worry about.
Square accepts most credit cards, including American Express, on both iOS and Android mobile devices.
Even if the service goes offline, business owners can still take advantage of Square’s offline store and forward mode while sticking to the same processing fee that swipers pay.
Square usually deposits money in a merchant’s account in 1-2 business days.
#2 Shopify with Card Reader App
With an online store, virtual terminal, mobile app and mobile card reader available for remote payments, it’s not surprising that over one million businesses use Shopify.
Shopify’s POS service is a point-of-sale app that allows vendors to accept credit card payments and sell their products in person.
The POS app syncs with a vendor’s online store and allows the seller to send invoices, track orders and communicate with other sales channels while on the move.
The Basic Plan costs $29 monthly and covers retail reports, white label shipping and a free swipe reader for 2 users.
For in-person transactions on the Basic Plan, sellers pay 2.7% per transaction. Online sales start from 2.9% + 30c per transaction.
These prices might be on the high side, but the credit card reader app makes it a worthwhile investment.
Shopify readers and apps accept visa, mastercard and other popular card types and work on most mobile devices and tablets.