Are you looking for a free credit card reader app to give your business some flexibility that will allow you to process credit cards on the go? Learn the difference beteen a standard mobile card swiper, an EMV mobile card reader and how accepting mobile credit card payments and NFC payments like google pay and apple pay can help attact more customers.
A good mobile card swiper should be user-friendly, easily secure payment information for your customers and attract low-priced processing charges.
Surprisingly, there are some great mobile apps that come with free credit card readers that offer these services to help accept mobile credit card payments.
Here are 5 of them.
Square’s free credit card reader is one of the best choices for businesses looking to accept card payments on the curb or on the go.
The Square Magstripe reader has been around for many years without too many modifications.
It is a portable reader small enough to slide into your pocket and does not require any charging.
However, this free credit card reader is not EMV compatible.
You should try and avoid using this old school card swiper to process higher ticket sales, EMV transactions or contactless payments as it offers little to no protection against fraud.
PayPal’s Chip and Swipe Reader suits people comfortable using Bluetooth wireless credit card technology for transactions.
It is also a free card reader to consider if your customers have no reservations using the PayPal brand to accept payments.
Merchants can process both Magstripe and EMV chip cards with this free credit card reader to accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
A major drawback for PayPal’s free Chip and Swipe Reader is that it does not have a charging dock.
This means you have to charge it via a micro USB port which takes a long time if your battery is totally out.
QuickBooks GoPayment is perfect for businesses already using Quickbooks.
A free Bluetooth card reader which usually retails for around $19 comes with a QuickBooks merchant account.
Unlike PayPal and Square, there is no cash drawer support or receipt printer with this free credit card reader.
A merchant looking to accept credit cards with these additional features needs to purchase a QuickBooks POS solution that connects to QuickBooks payments.
This card processor has been in business for decades.
The Electronic Merchant Services Plus, free credit card reader, is offered to merchants as soon as they sign up.
But the free card reader with does not accept EMV payments can pose serious security concerns as it has hardly been updated over the years. The free card reader also does not accept NFC payment types like google pay and apple pay.
Payanywhere also offers a Bluetooth magstripe and EMV mobile reader when a user signs up.
And just like the EMS+, some features are also not periodically updated and there can be an undisclosed pricing scheme to worry about.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing a mobile card reader.
These card readers for phones are some of the best ones around.
Do your research and read the reviews of people who have used them before shaping your final decision.
Pick up the phone and make a call. The company you choose should be familiar with the United States market and be able to answer any questions you have regarding any of the above mentioned items. Free, state of the art credit card terminals usually come at some cost. Make sure you know exactly what you are getting into when applying for a credit card processing terminal or point-of-sale solution.
SecureGlobalPay representatives are eager to help answer any questions you may have regarding your mobile payment processing needs. Give us a call, you’ll be happy you did.