Do you need to process credit cards from just about anywhere? Are the days of standing behind a counter collecting payments behind you? Do you want to meet your customers where they are to help increase sales?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could benefit from mobile and wireless credit card machines. Today, it’s easier than ever to accept credit cards from a mobile device, including your own phone. With the addition of a little hardware, you could be well on your way to collecting credit card payments in a food truck, at a farmer’s market, or a pop-up shop.
Are you unsure if mobile payment processing is right for you? Check out the benefits below.
It’s Basically Plug and Play
Traditional POS systems used to take days or even weeks to set up. Between the complicated hardware and wires to the approval process, it could take a few weeks to get started accepting credit card payments. This slows down business and/or makes it harder to get up and running quickly.
Today, anyone from the single-owner brand new business to a larger boutique with many employees can easily set up wireless credit card machines in a matter of minutes. Once you order the hardware, it takes less than 10 minutes to get set up. After installing the hardware, you log into your account and you’re ready to accept payments.
Some machines use your existing smartphone or tablet, such as an iPad. If you already have this hardware and are comfortable using it, you’re halfway there. Most systems include a dongle, which attaches to your device, or have a Bluetooth connected EMV reader. Users swipe or insert their card and the payment processor handles the rest. There are also great stand-alone machines that do everything and include their own wireless Internet connections, like the Ingenico IWL 250, PAX A920, PAX A80, and Dejavoo Z9.
Your biggest job is to make sure you have reliable service for your wireless Internet connection and to ensure the payment goes through, that’s it! Within a few minutes, you can be up and running, ready to accept credit cards at craft shows, road shows, or any other place that is away from your business. Of course, you can use it at your place of business too – if you want it to replace your traditional POS, mobile credit card processing systems are versatile.
Expand your Business
Maybe you aren’t ready to expand your actual brick-and-mortar business yet, as that’s a lot of overhead, but there are other simple ways you can do it.
Today, you’re likely familiar with the large number of pop-up markets around town. What if you could take advantage of these marketing opportunities and chances for more sales? Before you probably would have had to do it accepting cash-only, but that only chases customers away. When’s the last time you saw a ‘cash only’ sign and groaned thinking, well that counts me out, right?
When you have a mobile payment processing solution, you can accept credit card payments anywhere there’s an internet connection. Some even allow you to store payment information if there’s no internet connection, which may happen in crowded places with every merchant trying to hook up to the Wi-Fi. It is a bit riskier to accept payments that way as there’s a chance the payment won’t go through, but knowing you have the option to do so is good.
Mobile payment processing makes it easy to market your business all over town rather than just your brick-and-mortar store, making it easier than ever to make sales.
Mobile Payment Processing Does More than Accept Credit Cards
The main role of mobile payment processing services is to accept credit cards, but it does so much more. Because wireless credit card machines operate in the cloud, you can have a variety of information stored for you that makes running your business easier.
With the ability to update in real-time, you can stay on track with your inventory, pricing, customer information, and more. You set up the system how you need it, giving you the necessary information on your back-end that makes running a business that much easier. Run reports so you know how your business is doing, what you need to change, and where your business comes from all in the same system and from any device, as all information stores in the cloud.
Mobile Payment Processing is Safe
How do you like carrying around cash? It doesn’t feel safe, does it, especially if you’ve had a busy day. Customers often feel the same way, and many don’t carry cash for this very reason. If you have customers that pay cash, you need a place to store it to prevent theft.
Today, credit card processing is safer than ever before. With today’s technology, credit card processing is safer for everyone. Whether a customer uses EMV (chip technology) or swipe, the information is secure from start to finish.
In addition, you don’t have to worry about making trips to the bank, finding places to store the cash or transport it from your mobile pop-ups or other places you make a sale.
Mobile and wireless credit card machines aren’t the wave of the future, they are today’s reality. Any business that wants to grow and succeed needs to get on board with credit card processing from a mobile standpoint.
If you already have a POS system, there may be a mobile processing option you can choose. If not, you can change processors to get the equipment you need to accept payments wherever you go. If you’re ready to be the next biggest thing in town, you must be able to grow with the times, and mobile credit card processing is the way to do it.
Bio:
Lou Honick is the CEO of Host Merchant Services. Prior to founding Host Merchant Services in 2010, Lou was the founder of HostMySite.com and received numerous awards including SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Inc Magazine 30 under 30, and multiple listings on the Inc 500. As a serial entrepreneur, all of his companies have operated on a singular devotion to outstanding customer service and support. Lou is a respected expert on the topics of customer service, payments and fintech, Internet technology, and entrepreneurship.
