How to Choose the Right Credit Card Debit Machine

When you sign up for a new merchant account, one of the decisions you will need to make is the type of credit card debit machine that will best serve you and your business. There are many types of credit card debit machine models on the market. Also called terminals, these machines can be bought specifically for store use and attached to an established POS system or be totally portable and wireless. Some are just an inch by inch in size.  Know the options and know what to look for before making any final decision. You may be pleasantly surprised by some of the options.

The first question you should ask yourself when choosing a credit card debit machine is if you really need a terminal or not. For instance, if you do a lot of face to face business, such as in a retail store or restaurant, you should probably have a terminal. The actual terminal will be used to swipe the card and complete the transaction. Usually they will also print out a receipt for the customer to sign which will complete the sale. If you have a business that is done primarily through phone or internet, you will probably not need one of these fancy credit card debit machine      terminals, you will just need some kind of gateway for processing. However, if you have your heart set on a terminal, you can certainly have one for use in either situation. You can type in the information to the credit card debit machine so you won’t even need the card to be there.

If you have decided that you need a credit card debit machine for your business, there are several options you have. POS terminals, as mentioned above, are best for retail stores or restaurants. Most of these terminals use a dedicated phone line to send and receive information, but new models are able to use DSL lines. There are also small wireless terminals that are portable. This type of credit card debit machine uses wireless technology and can be taken and used anywhere that cell phone coverage is available.

If you are in an area where there is no phone or internet connection of any kind, you can still do credit card transactions when you have a terminal that can do store and forward transactions. Basically this is where you can scan or swipe cards and the information will be stored on a device. They will not technically be sent through until you can connect the terminal to a phone or internet connection. Though this can be quite convenient, you do run the risk of having a customer’s card be rejected after you have already given them the goods.

If you are looking for the ultimate in convenience, you can choose a cell phone credit card reader. Some of these are only an inch in size. When combined with an app on your phone, it can turn your own smart phone into a credit card terminal. For the best option for you, speak with a trusted payment processor.

Merchants are often confused by the different debit machine options that are in the marketplace. Quantum representatives can help take the confusion out of selecting the appropriate debit machine for your business.