Smartphone credit card readers

TimNJsoxfan

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Sep 14, 2004
2,718
NW New Jersey
My wife (a Therapist) just stated renting office space for her practice.  She wants to be able to let her patients pay with credit card.  Has anyone have/had experience with The Square or the Paypal Square?  If so any caveats?
 

uncannymanny

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Jan 12, 2007
9,081
Square is great for customers and though I have never been on the business side so many companies are using it I'm sure the experience is great on that side too. Don't get involved with PayPal if you can avoid it.
 

mauidano

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Aug 21, 2006
35,657
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I'm an independent contractor of sorts.  I use Square when necessary to accept CC.  They keep refining it and adding new features.  It works flawlessly on in iPhone or iPad.  Take about 48 hours to hit the bank account and there is a small fee.  But well worth it.
 

Orange Julia

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Dec 13, 2006
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I've been using square to sell sponsorships to events. I have had no problems with it, although i suspect I have lost the little thingy already.
 

Hambone

will post for drinks
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Jul 15, 2005
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Depending on how much your wife charges, she should shop around. Square is a very simple solution, but major banks offer similar services. 
 
Bank of America version - https://mobilepay.bankofamerica.com/bams/mobilepay/home.html
 
Citi version - https://www.pogopayment.com/pogo/www/home.html
 
PNC version - https://pnc.pogopayment.com/pogo/pnc/home.html
 
PayAnywhere - 
 
Apps are all the same as it's the same provider. They also have something they offer called MobilePay, which operates very similarly except you pay a monthly fee ($10 or so) in exchange for lower processing rates. 
 
One main thing you'll get from those providers vs apps is an actual 800 number help desk. Most Square merchants (and hell any of these apps) average less than 5 transactions a month, so even one support call cuts their profit margin a lot. 
 
Another option is PayAnywhere - http://www.payanywhere.com/
 
Like I said tho, most are simple basic swipe and pay so whatever she's most comfortable with
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
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Jul 19, 2005
17,368
Staples has a lower and simpler rate (2.5% for all swiped cards and 3.5% for keyed transactions) than almost anyone in the industry. They also have live 24/7 customer support. You can customize/brand your receipts, offer discounts, process full or partial returns, etc. The only catch is you need to process at least around $200 per month or you will get dinged $5. I'm guessing she will hit that threshold no problem.

http://www.staples.com/Staples-Mobile-Register/product_572565
 

Over Guapo Grande

panty merchant
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Nov 29, 2005
4,463
Worcester
I have a high school buddy who works for Square.  If you want I can dig up his contact info. From what I remember from a chat at the reunion they eat the transaction fee... though that recollection may be as impaired as I was. 
 
Ok, the eating of the transaction fee recollection was probably a bit muddled .
 

JimBoSox9

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Nov 1, 2005
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Mid-surburbia
Over Guapo Grande said:
I have a high school buddy who works for Square.  If you want I can dig up his contact info. From what I remember from a chat at the reunion they eat the transaction fee... though that recollection may be as impaired as I was. 
 
Ok, the eating of the transaction fee recollection was probably a bit muddled .
https://squareup.com/pricing Square pricing
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Jan 23, 2009
20,680
Maine
I've been using Square for CC transactions for a couple years now.  The only drawback, and it's a minor one, is the reader has a tendency to spin in the jack when you use it.  When it moves as you're swiping a card, it can cause signal interference (think about the static that you might get in a headphone if you jiggle the cord/plug) that occasionally results in a read error.  So you might have to swipe two or three times to get the card to work.
 
From what I've read and heard, other plug-in readers like the Paypal one have a little swing out arm that stabilizes the unit so that doesn't happen.  If you're going to be using an iPad, it might be worth investing the $99 in the stand with built-in swiper to avoid that issue and give it a bit more professional look.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,368
Whatever she decides on, make sure she knows that if she Keyes in the number instead of swiping the card she will be charged a full percentage point higher for that transaction. It's worth trying the card a few extra times before keying in the number.
 

Hambone

will post for drinks
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
2,822
If you're having issues getting the reader to work when swiping the card try turning up the volume on the phone. Then try to remember to turn it back down so you don't get startled when you get a wicked loud text.
 

SumnerH

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Jul 18, 2005
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Alexandria, VA
jayhoz said:
Whatever she decides on, make sure she knows that if she Keyes in the number instead of swiping the card she will be charged a full percentage point higher for that transaction. It's worth trying the card a few extra times before keying in the number.
 
With Square it's an extra 15 cents + .75%, which is worse than a full percent on purchases under $60 (and much worse on small purchases).