How to pick the right card machine for your small business.
Card processing: what is there to know about it? Well, quite a bit actually. And when it comes to choosing a terminal (yes, there are different types), it’s important to make the right choice for your business – and your customers.
So which card processing machine should your small business use? Here’s our rundown of the need-to-know and how to choose the best option for you.
Countertop card machine
A countertop card machine is probably considered the ‘traditional’ terminal, and the one we’re all most familiar with. This type of card machine is typically located at the till point and is fixed to the counter, which makes it ideal for small businesses in the retail sector like shops and salons. Point-of-sale terminals allow you to maintain face-to-face contact with your customers, giving you the chance to offer top-notch customer service at every phase of the customer journey.
Countertop card terminals connect via a telephone line or broadband connection, so they need a fixed location like a till point in order to work effectively.
Portable card machine
Portable card machines are – you guessed it – portable. That means you can take card payments wherever your customers are. So if you run a restaurant or café, for example, a portable card machine gives you the ability to take the bill to the table and take the payment there and then, rather than your customers having to get up to pay. This makes it much more convenient for your customers, and again gives you the chance to provide excellent customer service.
Portable card terminals connect to high-speed dial or the very technical-sounding Ethernet IP through a dedicated secure receiver, allowing for fast and reliable Chip & PIN card payments.
Mobile card machine
If you do business on-the-move, you can’t go wrong with a mobile card payment terminal. Mobile card machines give you complete flexibility to take debit and credit card payments when you’re out and about. There’s no need for a fixed telephone line – mobile terminals work wherever there’s network coverage, so as long as there’s signal then you can accept credit and debit card payments anytime, anywhere.
Mobile card machines are clearly the go-to card terminal for mobile businesses, so if you run the kind of small enterprise that’s always on the go, investing in this nifty bit of kit will only be beneficial to your business.
Ready to get started?
So, now you know about the different kinds of card machines available and which businesses they’re best suited to, it’s time to get on board with card processing. At XLN, we offer all of the above card terminals at budget-friendly prices, so you can boost your business for a fraction of the cost. Find out more about our card processing solutions and see how we can help.
