Heard the term ‘PDQ’ but not sure what it means? You’ve come to the right place. Read on to find out what a PDQ machine is, how it works and, most importantly, what it can do for your business.
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.
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.
You can process transactions using a PDQ machine by following these four simple steps:
If your customer is paying via contactless, you can skip step one and simply ask them to hold their card or compatible device on the PDQ machine’s contactless payment reader instead.
In 2017, there were 16.3 billion payments made by credit or debit card in the UK alone. Here are just some of the ways accepting this method of payment can benefit your business:
When it comes to traditional face-to-face payments, countertop terminals are great for businesses with a fixed sales point or location, like shops, retailers and supermarkets. They usually sit next to the till and can’t be moved around the premises like mobile and portable models, but they don’t tend to take up too much room. As they stay plugged in, you don’t need to worry about running out of battery.
Often pocket-sized, mobile PDQ machines are by their nature perfect to use on-the-go. You don’t need a fixed till, but you do need a mobile signal or GPRS to process payment. Most mobile terminals come equipped with a ‘roaming’ SIM card, which connects to the strongest mobile network available when you’re accepting payments. They’re particularly handy for events, pop-up shops and even customer’s homes. Just don’t forget to charge them.
Also known as wireless Chip and PIN machines, portable PDQ terminals work in a similar way to countertop styles. But instead of being physically connected to your till, they process transactions via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This makes them ideal for restaurants, cafes and takeaways, where it can be useful to take the PDQ machine directly to your customers. That way, they don’t need to get up until they want to leave, and you can manage taking payments without a queue forming.
Contactless card payments usually come as standard with countertop, mobile and portable PDQ machines and allows you to process payments in a matter of seconds. You can take contactless payment not only by credit and debit card, but also via Samsung Pay, Google Pay and Apple Pay enabled devices. Keep in mind that for all methods except Apple Pay, there’s an upper limit of £45.
There are some fees and costs associated with using a PDQ machine to process card payments. These include merchant fees, card charges and other costs relating to which specific type of PDQ machine you choose.
Find out more about card processing fees.
Want to find out more about PDQ machines and how they can help your business? Get in touch with our team today who will be happy to help.
