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Do You Still Need a Credit Card Terminal?

The future of the payment gateway is starting to look like it lies in mobile, so some businesses that are looking to cut costs have a question: is the terminal still worth it? Is the now old-fashioned cash register slowly going the way of the dodo? Before you make some snap decisions, here are some thoughts.

Terminals are Secure

Credit card processing services offer top notch encryption when moving money between accounts, and it’s only getting better. It’s true that NFC technology is also secure, but public perception of this technology isn’t very high yet. In other words, as secure as mobile is people still trust a credit card terminal just a little bit more.

Mobile payment options are getting better, but some businesses are betting big on this technology. Should you follow suit? There’s conflicting opinion on the usefulness of a POS system to a small business with only one location. You could upsell customers at your POS, and use it as the central hub of your store. However, if you have a busy day your customers will end up waiting in long lines to buy from you.

A better option is to take a hybrid approach. Use a credit card swipe machine, and a mobile unit. Deploy your staff around the store, ready to take a customer’s order with the option to get rung up at the front in a more traditional transaction. This will also prove useful for returns, and other transactions that tend to take up a lot of time.


Charge.com Payment Solutions, Inc.  is the simplest and most affordable payment gateway available online, and has been named the #1 merchant account provider for six years running.

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