Whether it’s the size of the technology everyone uses or our ability to access goods and services from around the globe, everything seems to be shrinking these days. For you as an entrepreneur, this trend also applies to the hardware you use to accept your customers’ payments and streamline your company’s operations. For that reason, there is no time like the present to learn about the impact a mobile card reader can have on your success.
Mobile card readers defined.
Most likely, you already accept payments in plastic form from your buyers. If you do, you are using some form of point-of-sale (POS) solution consisting of hardware and software. At a minimum, your POS reads the shopper’s card and facilitates the payment along with your bank, the customer’s bank, and the card provider. In many cases, your system is equipped to perform a myriad of other essential functions that can help you to run your business, manage your employees and relate well with patrons.
There is one potential drawback to your current setup: Your POS may be tethered behind your checkout counter with wires, limiting your flexibility. This is where a mobile card reader can truly revolutionize what you have to offer, both for buyers and your own internal team. That’s because mobile card readers have everything your present POS does but with an added plus - they’re portable. In other words, you can say goodbye to the restrictions of your wired reader.
Mobile card readers are deceptively simple in design, connecting easily to your iPhone, Android phone, or tablet. Internally, however, they are preloaded with all they need to integrate with the other parts of your POS and to communicate with the various elements involved in the payment process. All you need is a stable way to connect to the internet, either via Wi-Fi or cellular data.
The advantages of mobile card readers.
There are moments when technology can feel overwhelming. Sometimes you find yourself thinking it is actually more trouble than it’s worth. However, that is definitely not the case with these portable credit card readers. They can furnish your small or large business with the following benefits and features.
- Fast and secure payment processing from anywhere.
- Shorter lines at the cash register, resulting in better use of staff time and more satisfied customers.
- Flexibility. Mobile readers allow you to give customers the ability to pay contactlessly, with chip-enabled credit cards or using their android or iPhone.
- The ability to monitor transactions at a glance in real time with robust back office features.
- Capability to provide printed paper or email receipts for better company and customer record-keeping.
- Integration with other POS features allowing for inventory management, customer relations, and report generation.
Although it might be hard to believe, all of these amazing features are packed into a device you can easily take with you wherever you go.
How a mobile card reader can improve customer service.
Now more than ever, shopping is a holistic and immersive experience. To get repeat visits from buyers, you need to meet their demand for an ongoing, personalized relationship customized to their individual needs and purchase history.
Your mobile card reader is uniquely equipped to address this requirement because of its versatility and portability. Taking multiple forms of payment from anywhere means you can expand what you offer, to whom, and when. In short, you can meet your buyers where they are and provide them with the products they want, all thanks to your mobile card reader.
Your mobile reader can be just as vital in your store as it is on the road. Encourage sales associates to roam the floor with a reader in hand to answer buyers’ questions and offer additional products that are compatible with what they are viewing. In the end, your reader will help you to provide a more comprehensive shopping and buying experience that gives your customer the benefit of your staff’s expertise.
What to look for when choosing a mobile reader.
As is the case with other POS offerings, you have various options to choose from when it comes to mobile card readers. Consequently, it is in your best interest to do careful research before entrusting your business and your customers’ payment information to just anyone. Take the following tips into consideration when looking for the right mobile card reader.
- Encryption. In an era when data breaches are disturbingly common, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the hardware and software you use during payment processing are as secure as possible. To that end, choose a reader that masks your customers’ data as soon as it is received to prevent intrusion from hackers. You’ll want the payments technology company you partner with to offer certified, point-to-point encryption, as well as the very latest in tokenization to safeguard sensitive data.
- Be sure you understand the fees you’ll be expected to pay. You are probably already familiar with many of them: hardware costs, software usage fees, payment processing and service fees, recurring contract fees, transaction costs, and other charges such as wifi connectivity. As you negotiate with various vendors, make no assumptions. Although some charges are non-negotiable, many are.
- Choose a card reader that adheres to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). If the products and security network you use are PCI compliant, you know that they take data privacy, integrity, and confidentiality seriously.
To be competitive in today’s cutthroat commercial climate requires great products, constant attention to detail, and the ability to be flexible. Rolling and changing with innovations in sales practices and technology is a vital quality to strive for as you take your fledgling small business or established enterprise into the next decade. Because mobile card readers allow you to please your customer base, attract new clients, and optimize your nimbleness, integrating them into your business operations is one of the best steps you can take to propel your company forward.
