Is your business using card machines to its full advantage? 

Businesses across the globe utilise card machines  - including contactless card machines and mobile card machines - to accept credit and debit card payments from customers quickly and easily. But are all of these businesses using card machines to their full advantage?

In many cases, a business may benefit from using a different card machine or working with a card machine slightly differently to accept standard chip and pin card payments or contactless payments from a wider customer base.

At Handepay, we offer our customers exceptional card machines to suit almost any business model, and have over 28,000 satisfied regular customers. With this in mind, here are a few things to consider if you’re questioning whether or not you’re using your card machines in the best way possible.

Things you need to consider when using card machines

Could you benefit more from portable card machines?

Depending on the nature of your business, you could benefit from switching the type of card machine you’re using. If you’ve always stuck with traditional countertop card machines and this has worked well for your business, there’s nothing wrong with staying with the old-fashioned way. Your patrons will have familiarity with your business layout and this contributes to the smooth running of your operation. 

However, if you have found you’re losing patrons because they don’t have the time nor the patience to wait in line at a counter, rather than you moving to them to serve them personally, a mobile card machine or portable card machine could lead to a boost in your sales. Portable card machines are exactly what they sound like - card machines that can be moved around your premises, rather than being tethered to a single spot.

They’re able to take PIN and contactless payments from credit and debit cards (as well as mobile phone payments using services like Apple Pay and Google Pay) via WiFi, rather than an ethernet connection. With the impressive WiFi speeds many enjoy today, they’re just as fast and reliable as their countertop counterparts. So, if you have the availability to serve your customers away from the counter, a portable card machine may be a wise move.

Do your card machines have 4G connectivity?

Mobile data technology has allowed us to remain connected via the internet almost anywhere we happen to be. But the implications of the technology go beyond simple socialising. For businesses that accept card payments from customers, it serves as a helpful backup should something go awry.

Because most modern card machines rely on WiFi and ethernet connections to process payments, businesses can experience significant losses should the internet go down, rendering their card machines useless. But with card machines featuring mobile data connectivity - like the Saturn Android Smart Terminal - you can rest assured that your card payments can still be processed even if the broadband suffers issues.

Plus, with the move towards 5G connectivity, you can expect card machines to continue to evolve alongside the technology, meaning card payments will be acceptable for anyone virtually anywhere despite the location.

Would smart card machines boost your productivity and profits?

While the prime function of most card machines is, as you’d expect, to accept payments from credit and debit cards, some card machines have moved alongside progressing technology to become useful in more ways than one.

Much like comparing a modern smartphone to a mobile phone from decades past, some card machines now come equipped with impressive technology and features such as large, bright, colourful screens. Or, for businesses seeking an all-in-one tool to assist with payments and the management of their business as a whole, some card machines even come packaged with impressive applications (identical to the types you’d see on your smartphone) so they can keep track of everything from business sales to invoices and beyond, all from one easy-to-use device.

The Saturn Android Smart Terminal is an excellent example, helping business owners handle virtually every important aspect of their day-to-day operations from the palm of their hand.

Choose Handepay for all your card payments and card machine needs

If you’re worried your business is falling behind the times when accepting payments from credit and debit cards, or if you’d like to learn more about how you can better utilise card machines, card payments and contactless payments within your business, speak to a member of the Handepay team today. 

With decades of combined experience in the card payments space and tens of thousands of happy customers, we’re in a prime position to help you choose the right card reader to take your business to the next level.

Plus, if you're looking to save money on your current card machine cost, we can help advise you on the cheapest card payment machine that will both serve the purpose you need and meet your budget. Many of our current customers have made huge savings on monthly fees by letting Handepay handle their card machine needs - speak to us to find out more today.