Wireless Solutions for Mobile Merchants

Which Option is Right For Your Mobile Business?

Wireless is an evolving technology and mobile merchants face unique issues when accepting card payments. This resource outlines different wireless payment solution choices.

Which Option is Right for Your Mobile Business?
Wireless Coverage
Making your Wireless Choice
Vantage Card Wireless Services

It's getting to be a wireless world. Choosing a wireless credit card payment solution for your mobile commerce needs will depend on your card transaction volume, how well you know your customer (how risk averse you are), cost factors, and coverage areas.

Please consider your use carefully before making a decision.

Which Option is Right for Your Mobile Business?

Touch Tone Capture: Use your land line or cell phone to dial an 800 number then listen to the voice prompts to enter card and sale information to obtain an authorization code. Use your order form or make a manual imprint of the card for a signed sales receipt. Touch Tone Capture service costs just 30 cents a transaction and is best for merchants that will process a limited number of transactions and to avoid purchasing equipment, wireless activation and monthly wireless coverage fees. Card Not Present Interchange rates apply so as sales volume increases, merchants should consider moving to swiped card mobile solutions.

Store & Forward (Batch Authorization Mode): Merchants who are looking for swiped card rates but do not need real time approval codes either because they are simply taking orders and not delivering goods and services or because they know their customers and are willing to take the risk of declined transactions when authorizations are attempted at time of batch settlement. In this sales environment, the card is swiped but no communication is available. While most wireless devices offer this service in situations where no wireless coverage is available at the location of the sale, merchants can purchase lower costs terminal units without wireless modems and capability as long as they have a power source at the point of sale. Store & Forward merchants willing to accept the risk can benefit from swiped card rates, lower terminal costs and no monthly wireless coverage fees.

Nurit 8020: For mobile merchants that need the functionality of a retail card processing terminal. With an internal wireless modem and battery power, neither a phone line or power outlet is necessary to run credit card transactions on the Nurit 8000. This unit has a built-in thermal printer and is preferred by merchants operating in a sales environment where multiple staff will need to operate the terminal, processing a high volume of transactions in a short time period. The Nurit 8000 terminal series is a flexible, lightweight, handheld terminal that enables fast and secure transactions on a multi-application platform supporting a range of payment & value-added services.

Vx670: For T&E merchants that benefit from its unique consumer facing payment software allowing both staff and cardholders to operate and interact with the terminal. Examples include Pay at the Table for restaurants and golf course beverage carts where cardholders enter tips. Another key reason to select the Vx670 is that multiple wireless units may be networked together for a single deposit and reporting source using IPCharge. The Verifone Vx670 is the smallest all-in-one wireless handheld payment device available in both GPRS and WiFi.

Vx510 GPRS: For merchants who have access to power, we recommend the Vx510 GPRS wireless connectivity for lightning-fast transactions with efficient processing and high-speed thermal printer keep checkout lines on the move. This wireless countertop solution extraordinary performance in a sleek, compact design.

PDA Smart Phones: For merchants who own a iPhone, Blackberry, or other smart phone PDA, services are available to process credit card transactions. In our experience, we have found mobile devices work best when the unit will operate in a sales environment where a single user will use the device with a single customer at a time. In addition, connecting and carrying card readers and printers with your PDA can present challenges. PayTrace Mobile is designed to allow you to accept credit cards on any mobile device that has an internet connection and a web browser. eProcessingNetwork offers ePNMobile through WebApps to process credit card and signature debit as manually-keyed transactions. iPhone applications target merchant types: kiosk merchants, home services (plumbers, electricians, air conditioner companies), outdoor concession or product (tshirts, tickets, etc) sales, flea market and trade show exhibitors, etc. Apple currently does not allow developers to integrate the use of third-party hardware devices (for instance – MagStripe Readers) into iPhone applications, therefore swiped transactions are not currently available through the iPhone .

Virtual Terminals : For merchants that already have a laptop computer with wireless connectivity that they use to run their business. Adding Authorize.net's virtual terminal application (plus mag-stripe reader via USB port for card present Interchange rates) is a way to avoid additional terminal purchases and duplicate wireless connectivity monthly fees. Depending on your sales environment, a virtual terminal may be a suitable replacement when a single operator runs limited transaction volume. Note: QuickBooks users with laptops and internet connectivity can process cards in a similar manner.

Wireless-Broadband : Merchants can use an all-in-one Internet sharing router with wireless access point and built-in 4-port 10/100 switch to connect up to four PCs or credit card terminals like the Vx570IP unit. Perfect for merchants to operate one or more credit card terminals or their laptop from a single wireless connection. Merchants can save money and purchase an IP Ethernet terminal instead of more expensive wireless credit card terminals. This portable network solution is quick and easy to setup, with little or no IT support using the Wireless-Router with a standard PC card slot for a Mobile Broadband Connection card (sold separately).

Wireless Coverage

Selecting the right wireless device comes down to network coverage, so always start by finding the coverage area that best meets your mobile merchant needs. Just as you encounter coverage problems with your cell phone, you can encounter reception problems with a wireless terminal. Actual service area will vary due to location, weather, network traffic, terrain, signal strength, obstructions, building density, construction, environmental conditions, and other factors. Remember, there is no guarantee that coverage will be available from all spots (even if the maps say so).

GPRS coverage is the next generation wireless for merchants and offers greater coverage area. GPRS works with a SIM chip like your mobile phone and can roam network providers operating a GPRS tower. Because large carriers support these new networks, you’re assured coverage almost anywhere. With GPRS, the merchant can access all the GPRS carriers: AT&T www.attwireless.com, Cingular www.cingular.com, T-Mobile www.t-mobile.com. VConnect chips have multiple GPRS carries (ATT, Cingular, TMobile) on a single chip.

If you determine that you need CDMA coverage (Verizon www.verizonwireless.com, Sprint www.sprintpcs.com, AllTel www.alltel.com) then consider these two recommended solutions. CDMA is built into the modem (no SIM chip).

Verifone Vx610 handles mag-stripe transactions using a choice of the latest wireless technologies such as GPRS, CDMA and WiFi. Its modular design provides true investment protection, allowing modules to be easily swapped should new versions of a technology emerge.

ExaDigm has a modular unit that can support CDMA (Verizon/Sprint), WiFi and ethernet. Pricing with ExaDigm varies by network, so first pick the network but also know that with this unit you have the option of adding additional modules for greater coverage if you choose.

Prepaid Wireless
GPRS prepaid wireless plans are becoming popular alternatives for merchants using both fixed wireless (wireless terminals that require a power outlet) and mobile terminals (wireless terminals that have battery power for true mobility). With SIM chips costing less than $10 and one-time activation less than $6, GPRS prepaid plans feature no contracts, no gateway fees, no transaction fees and no overage fees. Prepaid wireless plans range from a 12 MB plan (approximately 1,440 transactions a year for less than $100/year) to a 120 MB plan (providing approximately 19,200 transactions a year for just over $200/year).

Prepaid GPRS SIMs will work with Verifone's Vx and Nurit wireless terminal lines. Using the exact same GPRS network, prepaid plans are more flexible and less expensive than traditional wireless coverage plans. Prepaid wireless plans are good for one-year or up to the MB plan limit, whichever comes first. Merchants get notification when 1MB remains, providing time to add more transaction processing capacity. When the SIM runs low, merchants can recharge it with whatever plan they want for the renewal. With no overage fees and the ability to recharge SIMs as needed, prepaid wireless services are extremely simple.

Merchants can use their transaction capacity over the course of a month or a year (a real benefit for seasonal merchants who may have a few months of inactivity between events and are currently paying monthly wireless gateway fees). Merchants using dial up today should consider moving to the Vx510 GPRS terminal for a high-speed, always-on connection and save the monthly dial line expense from the local phone company.

Making your Wireless Choice

Wireless is a fast evolving technology and mobile merchants face unique issues when accepting card payments. Wireless benefits include fast transaction times of around three seconds combined with ultra fast thermal printers to generate customer receipts. Wireless units help merchants qualify for swiped "card present" transactions at the lowest possible Interchange rates. With instant approval and decline codes, completing secure transactions is quick and easy. Merchants facing financial losses from risk of fraudulent and declined cards or incur lost sales opportunities by not accepting credit and debit cards benefit from wireless processing.

Merchants should strongly consider more than initial equipment costs when shopping. Identifying the coverage area and the right solution should be your first criteria. Merchants should consider activation, monthly service, and transaction cost of the wireless network SIM provider. The key to a successful implementation is proper programming and wireless chip activation. Having your equipment warranty with your processor will save you time, effort and shipping costs in the long run.

Vantage Card Wireless Services

Vantage offers value through favorable month-to-month merchant services and wireless network contract terms plus pricing structures to help mobile merchants qualify for the best Interchange rates available. Get an Interchange rate quote and proposal and consult with a professional payment specialist at Vantage for more money saving tips. Be careful, there are companies that artificially lower the price of equipment simply to lock merchants into long-term processing contracts with stiff cancellation and early termination fees. Vantage is able to reprogram most wireless devices. Please call us with the make and model number of your unit.

We hope you will find this information helpful.