For many businesses, picking the right credit card machine can be of key importance for their bottom line. Oftentimes, the way you process credit cards is the deciding factor in a customer choosing whether to go through with their purchase or not.

 

Here’s what you need to know about the different types of credit card machines and how to pick one for your business.

 

Types of Credit Card Machines

 

Credit card machines come in four main types: traditional terminals, integrated POS systems, wireless terminals, and virtual terminals. Here’s the lowdown on them.

 

• Traditional terminals. Even now, this is the most common type of credit card machine. It needs a physical connection to your phone to process a payment. It’s much larger than other machines, so it often stays in one place, such as a countertop. It can process multiple types of payments and card-not-present-transactions while offering a high level of security.

 

• Integrated POS systems. This system allows you to integrate your POS with your payment processor, which reduces the chance for human error and leads to faster checkout times. If you’re happy with your payment processor, an integrated POS system is a great option.

 

• Wireless terminals. A wireless terminal doesn’t need to be physically connected to a phone to process payments. Instead, it relies on 4G or Wi-Fi. This is a good option for mobile businesses, but the wireless connectivity does present some security concerns.

 

• Virtual terminals. This type of machine is best suited for processing card-not-present transactions. A virtual terminal is simply a secure web page that can take payments online and over the phone. No hardware is involved at all, and many virtual terminals also offer lower processing rates. These terminals can’t process checks, cash, and debit cards.

 

Features to Look For

 

For most merchants, the number one priority in a credit card machine is ease of use. The best way to make sure your machine is up-to-date and compatible with multiple devices is to buy a newer model that requires minimal training. You may also want your machine to support custom input, allowing you to input the exact price of any purchase.

 

Other key features to look for include payment security, portability, connectivity, reliability, PCI compliance, and EMV/NFC compatibility. Depending on your business model, some of these features will be more important than others.

 

Buying or Leasing

 

Contrary to what you might have heard, leasing a credit card machine is never a good option. Leases cost you more in the long run, and most of them come with non-cancellable contracts. What you should do instead is purchase your machine outright.

 

The easy solution is to get a machine from your processor. Once you open a merchant account, your processor will likely offer you several options depending on your needs. If you’re getting your machine from some other place, you’ll still need to confirm that it’s compatible with your processor before you purchase it.

How You Can Get Involved

 

Now that you know why dog rescue is important, you may be interested in how you can help. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do. Here’s a quick list:

 

• Adopt a dog. If you have room in your home, adopting a dog from a shelter is the best thing you can do for these animals. As mentioned above, there are millions of dogs without homes, and each one you adopt makes more room in the shelter for another dog.

 

• Donate to trusted organizations. All dog shelters could use money, supplies, and donations. These operations tend to depend on the kindness of others, so consider doing your part in ensuring they continue to fight the good fight.

 

• Volunteer at a local shelter. Other than money, dog shelters need help with cleaning, intake, exercising dogs, and so on. Some shelters have gift shops you can work in from time to time, while others need help introducing dogs to prospective families.

 

• Share information about shelters. Your local dog shelter likely has a website that contains information on incoming dogs. Share that information on social media to raise awareness of pets in need of a home.

 

• Foster dogs until they find a home. Fostering is a key part of any dog rescue program. With shelters filling up so fast, foster homes can expand their capacity and prevent needless euthanization. You can foster a dog for a day, a month, or even longer.

 

If you would like to learn more about the Downtown Dog Rescue organization or volunteer opportunities, please get in touch with our office and we can connect you with one of their team members.

 

 

Downtown Dog Rescue – https://downtowndogrescue.org/

 

Donate to Downtown Dog Rescue – https://downtowndogrescue.org/donate/

 

 

Downtown Dog Rescue Contact Information:

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 90035 Pasadena, CA  91109

Adoptions: 818.407.4145
Pet Support Space: 213.403.0129
Fax: 213.402.5064