Connection Choices For Credit Card Payment Terminals
In order for credit cards to be processed, there must be some form
of connection between the credit card payment terminals and the
processing company. This connection allows for real time processing, so
that business owners can be certain that the card is good, and the
payment will go through before the customer leaves with the purchase.
There are three options for connections.
The first option is
outdated and slow. This is a dial up connection, where the terminal
actually dials into the processing service in order to process the
card. This type of connection will require the use of your business
phone line, or a separate phone line for the connection.
If you
use your business phone, any customers that are trying to call during
the process will get a busy signal, and if anyone inside your place of
business tries to use the telephone during the call, the transaction
will be interrupted. Because this type of connection is slow, and
unreliable, it is an option that you will want to avoid.
The
second type of connection that can be used for payment terminals is a
cable or LAN connection. This is much faster than dial up, and has been
the connection preference for many businesses for a long time. This
connection does not tie up your telephone line at all, and the
transactions are typically fast.
However, because additional
services are usually required for a cable or LAN connection, it can
actually raise the cost of accepting credit cards. Before you select
this option, you might want to find out exactly what services are
required in order to have this type of connection - the sales person
who sells you the equipment should be able to help you with this
information.
The third type of connection for payment terminals
is no connection at all, so to speak. This option is wireless. More and
more businesses are going with the wireless option these days for
numerous reasons. Wireless connections have advanced to the point where
they are very fast, and with the proper security measures in place,
they are completely safe as well.
Wireless devices for accepting
credit cards have also gained in popularity because they are mobile.
You can move around your place of business with them, or you can take
them with you on the road. Businesses are often participating in trade
shows or doing home demonstrations, and a mobile wireless device allows
you to still make sales in those situations.
You must consider
the different connection types available to you when you select your Payment Terminals. Not all terminals are designed for all types of
connections. While LAN and cable connections have been the most popular
options for some time now, make sure that you consider the possibility
of going wireless, allowing you to not only keep up with advancing
technology, but also allowing you to go where ever your customers are.
You may even be surprised to find that wireless devices are actually
cheaper than those that are designed for use with LAN or cable.