What is a PDQ machine and how do they work?

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> What is a PDQ machine?
> What does PDQ machine stand for?
> How do PDQ machines work?
> What are the benefits of using a PDQ machine?
> Types of PDQ machines
> How much does a PDQ machine cost?
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What is a PDQ machine?

A PDQ machine is just another name for a card machine – a device that lets you process payments from your customers made by debit and credit card and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

PDQs are a development from the original card machines, which required employees to match a customer’s signature with that on the back of their card in order to authorise a payment.

With a PDQ machine, employees don’t have to match signatures.

A customer pays simply by inserting their card into the PDQ machine and entering their PIN - or by using contactless payments.

Whether you’re a small independent market trader, a high street retailer, or a large supermarket with multiple pay points, a PDQ machine can help you take payments more efficiently, and safely.

With more of your customers turning to card payments and digital wallets, now is the time to make sure you have a payment system and PDQ machine that meets their expectations.

What does PDQ machine stand for?

PDQ stands for Process Data Quickly. A PDQ machine is also sometimes referred to as a Point of Sale (POS) terminal or card reader, but most commonly as a card machine. As the name suggests, it allows businesses to take
customer card payments for their goods or services quickly and easily.

How do PDQ machines work?

A PDQ machine lets you take payments in one of two ways:

• Chip & PIN
• Contactless (either debit or credit cards, or through digital wallets)

For both types of payments the process is very simple, and relatively similar:

Taking payments through Chip and PIN with a PDQ machine:

You can process transactions using a PDQ machine by following these four simple steps:

1. Ask your customer to slot their credit or debit card into the PDQ machine and enter their PIN
2. A request for approval of the payment will automatically be sent to the customer’s card provider (e.g. NatWest)
3. Once the transaction is approved, the funds will be sent from the card provider to your merchant account
4. After a predetermined number of days, known as the ‘settlement period’, the money will be moved from your merchant account to your business bank account

Taking payments via contactless with a PDQ machine:

To accept contactless payments through debit or credit cards, or with digital wallets, the process is:

1. Your customer taps their card or mobile device against your compatible PDQ machine
2. The approval request is sent to the customer’s card provider, which checks the customer has the funds to clear the transaction
3. If the customer has the funds, the transaction is approved and the money is transferred into your merchant account
4. If the customer doesn’t have the funds, the transaction will be declined
5. For approved transactions, the funds will be transferred from your merchant account into your business’ bank account - this can be as quickly as 24 hours.

On some occasions, a customer trying to pay through contactless on your PDQ machine may be asked to enter their PIN number instead. This is simply a security precaution that occurs once the customer has reached a certain collective amount on their contactless transactions.

What are the benefits of using a PDQ machine?

UK consumers spend about £13.6bn a month using contactless card transactions, amounting to 855m transactions every month.

Using a PDQ machine can help your business take advantage of more customers turning to cards and digital wallets to make payments.

There are several benefits to using a PDQ machine in your business, including:

Increased security 

No need to keep large amounts of cash on your premises, plus you can benefit from the built-in security features of card payments.

You’ll also reduce the chances of accepting fraudulent cash.

Less chance of human error

Taking more card payments means it’s likely you’ll have fewer cash-related errors

Convenience

Card payments are quick and easy (particularly when contactless) so save time for both you and your customers

Improved brand reputation

Businesses that take card payments are often perceived as more trustworthy by consumers

More sales potential

A PDQ machine will allow you to process transactions from a wider (non-cash paying) audience

Meet your customers’ expectations

With more customers wanting to pay using their card or smart device, you need to provide a payment system that matches the way they want to pay. Expecting them to pay how you want will only drive them towards the competition.

Create safer payments

Every authorised payment using a PDQ machine creates a transparent audit trail of the payment so you know exactly how many transactions you’ve processed and how much money you’ve taken.

Types of PDQ machines

There are different styles of PDQ machine to choose from, including:

• Countertop
• Contactless

Here’s a bit more detail about each of them, including what type of business they can benefit and why.