One of the most secure methods of payment from the perspective of the merchant, a card-present transaction requires a customer to either tap their contactless card or insert it into the machine and enter their Chip & Pin number. Either of these is generally risk-free for you as the merchant, as you are not liable for card-related fraud, and therefore would avoid chargebacks and penalties, even if the card is stolen. Despite the contactless limit increasing to £100 per transaction in October, a security measure installed within the system means that for every £300 spent on a card using contactless payments, the cardholder will be required to enter their Chip and Pin number to re-validate and confirm that the card remains in the cardholder’s possession.
There are generally three types of card terminal machines available for merchants, and the right one for them will be determined by the way you intend to use them. The terminal types are:
Seamless Checkout: The Best Card Payment Machines for Retailers
Whether you’re operating a multi-branch restaurant chain, a small business owner with a small unit, or a street food vendor who can be in a different location every week during festival season, there’s a card payment terminal available from Gala Technology for you, and they’re available from just £7 per month.*
*Subject to terms. Example based on the terminal rental for a Castle Vega VC3 Countertop terminal on a 48-month contract. Excludes processing and PCI DSS compliance fees.
Countertop Card Payment Machines
A countertop card machine is suitable for businesses that need to take payments from a fixed point, such as a till point, making them ideal for retail, hospitality, cafes and convenience stores.
Connecting through a phone line and broadband, these terminals are compliant with the latest PCI PTS standards.
INGENICO DESKTOP 3500
The Desk/3500 offers a seamless payment experience. It leverages the Telium application portfolio and complies with future security standards enabling NFC couponing and wallet use cases in addition to EMV Chip & PIN, swipe and contactless payments, through a conveniently located card-reader zone and faster transaction flows.
Featuring intuitive card readers and an easy-to-use applications menu, the Desk/3500 provides an enhanced payment experience backed by PCI-PTS 5.x Certification. Its Telium TETRA OS uses the latest cryptographic schemes with future-proof key length.
CASTLES VC3
Castles Technology’s newly designed VC3 device is built to last. It enables processing at lightning speeds with its powerful microprocessor. This latest counter top model also comes with an optional battery feature allowing mobility wherever you go.
VC3 offers options of Wi-Fi, UMTS, GPRS, CDMA, Bluetooth and USB communications and also accepts all payment types – magnetic stripe, contact and contactless. VEGA 3000 is an ideal, secure, lasting and reliable device that will exceed your payment expectations.
Portable Card Payment Machines
Portable card payment machines use WiFi or Bluetooth to enable merchants to move the terminal around to take payments in different locations as long as they are within range of the base unit.
Data is then securely passed to the WiFi connected base unit, where it in turn transfers the cardholder data to your acquiring partner to authorise payment.
PAX A920
Powered by Android 7.1 and a Cortex A7 processor, the A920 is a revolutionary terminal that combines the full features of an Android tablet with a powerful POS payment terminal, all in a sleek and compact design. It works perfectly as a Desktop, Portable or a Mobile device.
The 5-inch HD touch-screen delivers life-like images & a visually rich operational experience, backed by an impressive high capacity 5250mAh rechargeable Li-on battery for continuous operations throughout the day.
A920 has dual high quality cameras which enable fast scan and process of mobile and QR code payments and also supports visually impaired customers who wish to pay as the device will read out the paying amount, along with basic instructions on how to proceed, using special beep technology to assist with the keypad navigation on the touch screen.
INGENICO MOVE 3500 PORTABLE
The Ingenico Portable 3500 mobile card machine is often thought as a perfect option for mobile businesses or traders without access to a permanent connection point as they operate using Wifi or Bluetooth connections, so you can take a payment even when you’re outside!
CASTLE VEGA 3000 PORTABLE
Castles Technology’s newly designed VEGA 3000 gives you portable capability for your business via Wi-fi or Bluetooth. Complete with barcode scanner, USB Communications, and accepting all payment types - Magnetic Stripe, Chip Card and Contactless, the VEGA 3000 is an ideal, secure, reliable portable terminal.
If you need to take payments on the move, mobile card readers as a perfect option as they come with an intelligent roaming SIM card with a huge network coverage.
PAX A920
Powered by Android 7.1 and a Cortex A7 processor, the A920 is a revolutionary terminal that combines the full features of an Android tablet with a powerful POS payment terminal, all in a sleek and compact design. It works perfectly as a Desktop, Portable or a Mobile device.
The 5-inch HD touch-screen delivers life-like images & a visually rich operational experience, backed by an impressive high capacity 5250mAh rechargeable Li-on battery for continuous operations throughout the day.
A920 has dual high quality cameras which enable fast scan and process of mobile and QR code payments and also supports visually impaired customers who wish to pay as the device will read out the paying amount, along with basic instructions on how to proceed, using special beep technology to assist with the keypad navigation on the touch screen.
INGENICO MOVE 3500
The Ingenico MOVE 3500 mobile card machine is often thought as a perfect option for mobile businesses or traders without access to a permanent connection point as they operate using GPRS or SIM connections, so you can take a payment even when you’re outside!
Featuring a large 3.2-inch display, the Move/3500 provides a seamless payment experience accepting EMV Chip & PIN, swipe and contactless as well as NFC couponing and digital wallets.
The Move/3500 is PCI-PTS 4.x ready. Its TELIUM Tetra OS uses the latest cryptographic schemes with future-proof key length, coupled with an extended battery life. It is the perfect business companion for merchants.
CASTLE V3M2
Castles Technology’s newly designed VEGA3000 Mobile 2 device gives you mobile capability for your business. VEGA 3000 Mobile 2 offers options of Wi-Fi, UMTS, GPRS, CDMA, Bluetooth and USB communications and also accepts all payment types -magnetic stripe, contact, contactless and barcode scanner. VEGA 3000 Mobile 2 is an ideal, secure, reliable device to mobilise your payments
What is the secure alternative to a card machine for in-person payments?
Virtual Terminals do function similarly to a physical terminal, and run using a software application as opposed to a physical unit. As a merchant, you would be required to log in to the virtual terminal and enter your customer’s card details, including long number, expiry date and security code, and quite often their billing address details. Once the payment has been approved, you would arrange delivery or allow the collection. However, due to the card data entering your environment, this would still be deemed a non-secure payment, which means you are not protected from fraud-related chargebacks and would be subject to higher transaction fees, despite the customer being in front of you. This would also mean your company was in breach of PCI-DSS Compliance regulations.
The award-winning payment solution SOTpay, by Gala Technology, enables you to take in-person payments easily, by simply sending your customer an SMS text message or email at the point of sale, allowing them to securely enter their card details into their own device without ever having to share them with you. Because the transaction is authenticated, this method effectively simplifies your PCI-DSS requirements, as well as increases trust with your customer that you take their security seriously.
There is no expensive hardware to purchase to take payments using SOTpay, as it is fully cloud-based, and its status as a PCI-DSS Level 1 solution means it can actively reduce your transaction fees in the process.
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