Will you be 'swiping' credit cards through a terminal
or 'keying' them in ?
Most retail businesses have the ability to swipe the
card because their customers are present at the time of the sale. These merchants
should consider a traditional terminal and printer. However, some merchants
will not have this luxury and may want a system that is more suited to their
specific needs. Software packages are available if there is a PC at the business
location. Otherwise a standard terminal and printer will work fine.
How many transactions a month will be processed ?
Merchants who are doing more than a few transactions
a day may want to consider a terminal with a thermal printer. Thermal printers
are not only faster, but because they have less moving parts than a traditional
dot matrix printer they are also less likely to fail. Thermal paper has come
a long way in the last few years and is now much more resistant to fading
and yellowing compared to old fashioned thermal fax paper. Some older model
terminal and printer units now come in thermal versions for only a few dollars
more.
Is a phone line available at the business location
?
Most businesses have at least one phone line at their
business location, and since credit card terminals can share the same line
this is usually not a problem. However, some merchants such as trade show
merchants may find it cost prohibitive to have a phone line installed at
each travel location. These merchants should consider a wireless terminal
that works similar to a cell phone.
Do you need a POS equipment printer ?
Merchants are not required to have a printer. However,
there is usually only a small price difference between a stand-alone terminal
and an integrated terminal and printer unit. Purchasing a unit that already
has a built-in printer can save you money because adding a printer afterward
is more costly.
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Will
you be accepting Debit Cards ?
For those merchants that think they will be accepting
debit cards they should consider adding a PIN Pad to give their customers
additional payment options.
How many merchant accounts will you need ?
For almost all businesses the answer is one. However
in some cases a business may have more than one. Some examples are businesses
that do a large volume of phone order transactions and also do a large volume
of swiped transactions. For these merchants there is a cost benefit to having
a second merchant account. Also, some merchants may share an office and run
separate businesses out of the same space. These merchants may need an additional
account for each business. Some merchants will opt for the Verifone Tranz
380X2 which supports two applications in a single terminal. However most
merchants will use a Nurit 2085 or similar terminal that can hold multiple
merchant accounts.
Which POS machine is right for you ?
FAST TRANSACT does not endorse any brand over another,
but you may have a particular terminal in mind. Typically almost all of the
major brands of credit card equipment will work with our processors. If you've
already decided on a specific brand name, be sure to check out the latest
models. Advancements in credit card terminals have been brisk over the last
few years and newer designs allow you to do more and are usually easier to
work with.
 
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