Wireless Credit Card Terminal

Credit Card Terminals Buying Guide



Credit card terminals, a common sight in retail stores and restaurants, let businesses process credit cards efficiently and securely. While they're a relatively small purchase in terms of dollars, the total impact a credit card terminal can have on your business is enormous. Businesses already using credit card terminals may want to purchase additional equipment to support a growing business or upgrade older equipment to support additional services, such as debit card transactions. Merchant account providers typically charge half a percent more for keyed-in transactions than for swiped charges; if your old credit card terminal doesn't read cards as well as it used to, it could be costing you money. Whether you need a new credit card terminal or want to upgrade your old equipment, you can find a credit card terminal that fits your needs on eBay.

* Determine What Type of Credit Card Terminal You Need
* Choose Special Credit Card Terminal Features
* Select Credit Card Terminal Receipt Printers
* Find Credit Card Terminals on eBay
* Buy Credit Card Terminals With Confidence

Determine What Type of Credit Card Terminal You Need

Credit card equipment is not particularly expensive and, in most cases, you should buy a credit card terminal outright. A 48-month lease could cost you over $1,000 for a credit card terminal that you could have purchased for much less. You can typically find traditional credit card terminals (with or without printers), wireless credit card terminals, and virtual or software-based credit card terminals.

* Traditional credit card terminals: Basic credit card terminals include a magnetic stripe reader, a keypad to enter prices and other information, and a small display. The required printer can be built-in or a separate unit. Remember that while it may be slightly easier to deal with one piece of equipment than two, the impact on your business either way will be minimal. Traditional credit card terminals have different types of displays: obviously, larger displays let you see more information at once. Displays are usually measured in lines and columns: an 8 x 20 display has 8 lines of text, 20 columns wide. Getting a backlit display, standard on most new terminals, lets you use the terminal even in low light. Keypads vary in size and number of keys. Keypads with more keys typically give you the option to assign commonly-used functions to their own key; larger keypads can improve ease of use.

* Wireless credit card terminals: Wireless credit card terminals provide a significant advantage for some businesses, especially those that require credit card terminals to change location. For example, taxi drivers, seasonal businesses with temporary locations, and large lot businesses can all greatly increase efficiency by accepting credit cards wirelessly. Wireless credit card terminals also have built-in printers. Important factors to consider when evaluating wireless terminals include battery life, range, weight, and shock-resistance - there's a chance you may drop it occasionally.

* Virtual credit card terminal: If you do business exclusively over the phone or Internet, you may not need a physical credit card terminal. Your merchant account provider should be able to provide POS software that handles the transaction: you simply type in the credit card number and the software handles the authorization. Some software-based credit card terminals use flash memory to store the software that runs them, which allows system updates to easily download and install, potentially extending the operating life of your credit card terminal.

Credit card terminals can only be used in conjunction with a merchant account, which processes credit card transactions. Any credit card terminal can be used with any merchant account -- the terminal just has to be programmed to connect to the right provider. Purchasing credit card equipment from your merchant account provider can simplify the process - it will pre-program the terminals for you. The merchant account provider also knows that you will be working with them for years to come, so it's more likely to give you a break on terminal pricing and may not be as interested in selling you models at the highest prices. If you plan to purchase your terminals separately, the choice of vendor isn't terribly important because the transaction is a one-time purchase, not the start of an ongoing relationship.


Choose Special Credit Card Terminal Features

Millions of credit card terminals ship every year and most of them have the same basic features and functions. If you want special features, look for credit card terminals that:

* Accept debit cards. In addition to major credit cards, you will probably want a credit card terminal that accepts debit cards. Most do, but to complete a debit transaction, you also need a way for customers to enter their personal identification number (PIN). This can be done directly on the terminal or through a separate PIN pad. Separate PIN pads let you keep the terminal safely behind the counter and give customers convenient access to type in their code.

* Handle gift cards. Certain credit card terminals can issue and accept gift cards. Many credit card terminals also support additional forms of payment, such as phone cards and electronic bank transfers (EBT). The volume you see in these alternative payment methods should dictate whether you look for a credit card terminal that supports them.

* Help verify addresses. The address verification system (AVS) provides additional security for your transactions. By comparing the address on a customer's ID with the billing address of the credit card, AVS greatly cuts down on fraud. AVS is a standard feature on most credit card terminals - do not buy a terminal without it.

Remember to keep your credit card terminals clean. Dust, crumbs, and paper lint can quickly clog printers and gum up stripe readers. An inexpensive can of compressed air can quickly clean your terminal and help it last up to five years.


Select Credit Card Terminal Receipt Printers

With your credit card terminal, you'll need a receipt printer to issue receipts and slips for customer signatures. Whether your receipt printer is built in to the terminal or a stand-alone unit, you'll need to choose between the two main types of receipt printers: dot matrix receipt printers and thermal receipt printers. Consider price, speed, and reliability.

* Dot matrix receipt printers: Dot matrix receipt printers, also known as impact printers, use pins and an ink ribbon to print on regular paper. Fairly inexpensive, dot matrix receipt printers tend to have slower print speeds, typically printing one to four lines per second.

* Thermal receipt printers: Thermal receipt printers use heat and special heat-sensitive paper to generate receipts. Thermal receipt printers cost slightly more than dot matrix receipt printers, but offer faster performance (with speeds of 10 to 15 lines per second), less noise, and are generally more reliable because they have fewer moving parts. Over several years of use, the higher cost of thermal paper about equals the cost of buying both paper and ribbons for dot matrix printers.

* Inkjet receipt printers: Fairly rare inkjet receipt printers give you the ability to print in multiple colors. However, they have neither the speed of thermal printers nor the low costs of dot matrix printers.

Changing paper can be a hassle when you have customers waiting; many receipt printers now have drop-in paper loading, which can simplify and speed up the process.

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Find Credit Card Terminals on eBay

Once you know what type of credit card terminal you want:

1. Go to the Business & Industrial category portal and click Food Service & Retail.
2. Click the Point of Sale, POS Equipment link, found in the Categories list on the left side of the page.
3. Click the Credit Card Terminals, Readers link, found in the Categories list on the left side of the page.
4. Use the Categories list on the left side of the page to narrow down listings by brand. You'll find links for Hypercom, Linkpoint, Nurit, Verifone, and Other Terminals & Readers.

You can also search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a wireless credit card terminal, type "wireless terminal" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Commands page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.


Buy Credit Card Terminals With Confidence

Hundreds of credit card terminals listed on eBay in the Business & Industrial category will likely interest you. When trying to select the right credit card terminal, get to know exactly what you're buying, research the seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.
Know your purchase

Many sellers put a lot of time into creating their listings, making an effort to ensure they include all the information buyers need. Carefully read the details in listings for the credit card terminal you consider buying and carefully review available photos. Before placing a bid or buying an item, be sure to:

* Have all your questions answered: If you still have questions after reading the listing and reviewing the photos, contact the seller using the Ask seller a question link in the “Seller information” box in the top right corner of every credit card terminal listing. Also request additional photos if you want to see the credit card terminal from a particular angle that isn’t shown in the photos included in the listing. If you have more questions than you can address in email, get the seller’s phone number and give him/her a call. Some sellers even include their phone number so you can call them directly. Just remember that you need to actually bid and buy on eBay in order to be covered by eBay and PayPal protection programs (see "Buyer protection" below for more details).

* Get delivery details: Calculate and include delivery costs into your final price. This may simply be the cost of shipping or the cost of driving across the city or state if the item is close-by.

* Complete your transaction on eBay: Always complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay and PayPal protection programs (see "Buyer protection" below for more details).

* Know your payment options: Never pay for an item on eBay using instant cash wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know. Instead, pay with PayPal for amounts less than $2,000 (including deposits), a money order, or direct bank-to-bank fund transfer.

* Track items with eBay Toolbar: Use the free eBay Toolbar to track items you bid on and watch. It includes Account Guard, a feature that indicates when you're visiting a verified eBay or PayPal website and warns you when you enter your eBay password into an unverified site, even if it looks like eBay or PayPal.

Know your seller

Just as important as researching your credit card terminal purchase is getting to know the seller. Take time to research the seller so that you can feel positive and secure about every transaction. Key things to look for when evaluating a seller are:

* Positive Feedback: What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? What do buyers and sellers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

* Sales history: Take the time to look at the Feedback details. Find out how long the seller has been a registered eBay user and look at the types of items a seller typically offers.

* Terms and conditions: What are the terms and conditions of the sale? Are the terms agreeable to you? Sellers typically set terms and conditions, but you should make sure you agree with them. If not, find another seller/credit card terminal or contact the seller to find out if he/she is open to your suggestions.

* Good communication: Once you’ve initiated communications with the seller, how is he/she communicating with you? Is the seller courteous and professional? Is the seller responsive? Once you bid, communicate with the seller through My Messages in My eBay. All legitimate Second Chance Offer messages will come through My Messages and not to your email address alone. Always contact the seller before accepting a Second Chance Offer, and never respond to any request to send money via Western Union or other instant cash transfer service.

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event a problem arises during your transaction, you can typically work it out with the seller. However, if you can’t, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

* Use PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay up to $2,000 without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. Also, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts.
* eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Introduction, "Determine What Type of Credit Card Terminal You Need," "Choose Special Credit Card Terminal Features," and "Select Credit Card Terminal Receipt Printers" were provided by BuyerZone.com . © 2005, BuyerZone.com, Inc. All rights reserved.