Credit Card Processing Terminal

Which Credit Card Processing Terminal Is Right for Your Business?

These days, it's almost impossible to do business in Knapp WI unless your company accepts credit cards. A credit card processing terminal may seem like a hefty expense if you're on a tight budget or run a small company, but the benefits of being able to process credit cards at point of sale will quickly pay off in increased returns. Choosing the right credit card processing terminal can make a big difference in the cost and ease of processing credit cards.

Do You Need a Credit Card Terminal?

If your business engages customers face to face - if you run a Knapp WI retail shop or restaurant, for example - you probably need a credit card processing terminal. Merchants use terminals in situations where the credit card is present at the time of sale, and in some states, you're required to process credit cards through a terminal if you're accepting them at point of sale. Check the laws in [statetitle] to find out if it applies to your business.

You can also use a credit card processing terminal in "card not present" situations, such as if you take mail order or Internet orders for your business, but most business prefer online solutions for this scenario. With the right credit card processing terminal, however, you can simply key in the information from the touch pad so that you're running all of your credit card information through one conduit.

How Many Merchant Accounts Do You Have?

If you have to run credit cards through more than one merchant account, you'll need a credit card processing terminal that can accommodate multiple merchant accounts. This is especially valuable to businesses that share one terminal among them, such as in a flea market or artists' cooperative.

What Kind of Connection Do You Need?

Credit card processing terminals may connect to the central database via telephone line or via an IP connection. Most newer terminals require an IP connection, which processes transactions at an average of 2-3 seconds. Telephone credit card processing terminals generally take about 10 seconds to process a transaction. If you don't have either a phone line or an Internet connection, there are wireless credit card processing terminals available that can process your transactions anytime and anywhere. This can often be the best solution for a small, mobile business.

Finally, some businesses in Knapp WI opt for a terminal with store and forward capabilities. With these, you can accept credit cards and enter information into the terminal on site, and process the transactions later in the day when you have access to a connection.

Do You Need A PIN Pad?

If you want to accept debit cards as well as credit cards, you'll need a credit card processing terminal with a PIN pad so that customers can enter their PINs safely.

Once you determine what kind of credit card processing terminal you need, you can start shopping around for one that fits your budget and start accepting credit cards and debit cards.