Mobile Credit Card Reader & Other Alternative Checkout Solutions

The future of shopping is here, and it doesn’t include long lines at checkout! What it does include is a top-of-the-line mobile credit card reader.

Customers dread waiting in line when all they want to do is pay and leave. Don’t let long checkout lines scare away shoppers! Get a trustworthy mobile credit card reader or two and watch things improve.

It isn’t unheard of to see shoppers abandoning their carts and exiting a business if the checkout lines are too long. Yes, having a store brimming with customers means you’re doing great. But customer experience doesn’t end with prospects finding the products they need.

Checkout is an integral part of the shopping experience. It even impacts returns and referrals!

As a business owner, you want people to have a positive experience at your store because you want them to come back. Long waiting lines don’t exactly scream good customer experience. This is where a mobile credit card reader comes into play.

Fascinated by the designs and patterns of waiting lines in stores? Check out this study on the science of queues!

We asked our credit card machine expert, Account Manager Sean, to help us pick a mobile credit card reader or mobile POS (MPOS) system. “In simple terms, mobile POS systems are a point-of-sale system that doesn’t need to be limited to one location,” Sean explains.

Unlike a countertop terminal that is mounted and stuck at a checkout counter, a “mobile credit card reader can be moved around inside a store or across geographical locations. This means, by using Mobile POS systems or a mobile credit card machine, you can offer customers the [option to] checkout from anywhere in your store,” Sean says.

In some instances, you can also collect payment from a customer’s residence if necessary.

In some instances, you can also collect payment from a customer’s residence if necessary.

The best mobile credit card reader for your business

Every business needs a reliable and fail-safe card reader to thrive. Many businesses could improve their payment options by having an MPOS system for more flexibility. Without a premier mobile card reader and equally trustworthy provider, it can be very difficult to steer your business in the right direction.  

Keeping that in mind, Acumen Connections offers a wide range of devices and services so that you can pick the mobile credit card reader suited to your needs. We will touch on a few of our devices here and we recommend checking out the full list of products to select your ideal mobile credit card reader. 

Let’s explore our list of devices and who knows, you might meet the mobile credit card reader of your dreams!

1. BBPOS Chipper 2X BT

This mobile credit card reader can accept swipe, EMV chip, and digital wallet payments. Being compact and portable makes it a great pick for taking payments on the go.

2. Ingenico Tetra Desk 5000 Wi-Fi

This incredible mobile credit card reader lets you accept payments wherever your customers are in the store. It accepts chip, tap, swipe, and digital wallet payments. 

3. PAX A920

Sleek design and a 5” touchscreen make this mobile credit card reader appear akin to an android tablet. It supports chip as well as contactless payments.

4. Dejavoo Z11

This is another top pick for a counter-top or mobile credit card reader. Along with a guide to using the DejaVoo Z11, we also have a video tutorial to guide you through the process of setting up the DejaVoo Z11 device for your business.  

Every business is unique, so checkout should be, too. Sean shares his personal motto when working with a new customer: “If they want to do something – if they want a unique payment system – we’ll help them set it up! If they want some type of mobile POS systems or mobile credit card reader, we’ll do that too. In our opinion, the sky’s the limit for our business partners.”  

Let’s explore a few real-world scenarios where checkout line alternatives can offer convenient checkout.

 Restaurant pay-at-the-table features with MPOS

If you’re in the restaurant business, you know things can often get chaotic. Your servers are constantly on their toes taking orders, carrying out food, getting the tickets ready, etc. Make checkout simple for them and for your customers by using mobile credit card readers.  

When your customers are able to pay at the table, it improves their dining experience. It eliminates the awkwardness of waiting for a customer to calculate and write a tip. Plus, it saves your team time and energy when your servers don’t have to walk back and forth to the table three separate times for the check. Customers are sure to love the convenience of paying at the table. In fact, 61% of diners say that tablets brought to them by servers improve their dining experience. Also, 3 out of 4 customers think that tech improves their dining experience while 5 out of 5 believe that it increases a restaurant’s efficiency.

Are you a restaurant looking to provide pay-at-table options? Sean recommends our Wifi Ingenico devices such as the Ingenico Tetra Desk 5000 or the Dejavoo Z11 for a smooth experience.  

Tip prompts

Your machine should prompt customers for a tip. It is seen that fixed tip options increase tips by around 37%! This is often because most customers feel compelled to tip better when asked for tip. It’s hard to forget to tip if you’re being reminded. Each terminal has a setting option for a tip prompt. This will ask the customer to add a tip during their transaction. 

MPOS to opening a flexible checkout line in-store

Most stores have very few checkout counters and on busy days the lines get overwhelming. If you’re dealing with a particularly busy day and the checkout lines seem to be getting longer by the minutes, a mobile credit card reader can save the day!

Just picture your customers waiting in line and every second adds to their inconvenience. The sighing, the foot-tapping, the constant checking of phones – all scream in unison that they want to pay and leave. Some customers might even walk out of the store leaving their items still in the cart. You don’t want this to happen.

If you have a mobile credit card reader, like the Ingenico Tetra Desk 5000 Wi-Fi, you can open up another checkout line from anywhere in your store. This is Sean’s recommendation for a convenient checkout experience even on the busiest of days.  

This will take some traffic off the checkout lines. The best part is that you don’t need a cash register or countertop to collect payments. Just announce that you’re accepting card transactions and start checking out your customers using the Ingenico Tetra Desk 5000 Wi-Fi. This mobile credit card reader gives you the experience of mobile POS systems.   

Taking card payments on the side of the road

Collecting payments on the side of the road is possible with a mobile credit card reader. Let us assume you run a fireworks stand on the side of the highway. There’s no Wi-Fi next to a field. You need a mobile device that works by using mobile data and Bluetooth. Plug it into your phone and this mobile credit card reader will work like a charm! “We’ve helped set up remote firework stands with our Miura M010 MPOS device,” says Sean. No Wi-Fi needed!   

We’ve been able to help firework stands with a variety of needs. For firework sellers without Ethernet, Sean recommends our PAX A920 device.  “We’ve even been able to help firework stand with ethernet by providing an Ingenico Desk 3500 card reader.” Sean explains.

Firework stands and seasonal businesses often choose Acumen Connections because of our flexible options for seasonal businesses. An MPOS is one piece of that, but there are other solutions, too. Sean adds, “We provide payment processing services for all types of businesses. You want to rent a mobile card reader instead of buying one? We can help you do that.”   

Learn more about our in-person checkout solutions. 

MPOS to help close a sale without an office

You don’t need to be in at office or store to be able to close a sale. Yes, it is possible when you use a mobile credit card reader. Let us consider a plant nursery. They usually have a lot of land area. If a customer finds the items they want, it would be much more convenient to ring them up next to their truck, rather than make them walk all the way to the main office.   

Our mobile credit card reader the BBPOS Chipper 2X BT connects to Bluetooth to allow you to check out the customer in the middle of a field. This portable credit card reader has a stick-and-remove pad to make carrying it easy.  

We want to make collecting payments a breeze for you and this device makes it possible. 

Accepting on-site payments is easy with MPOS

If a business is in the service industry, there are chances that they might be called in to work at a customer’s home or office. Think plumbers, electricians, cleaning crew, repairmen, caregivers, etc. Instead of using means like cash or check, they can simply use a handheld mobile credit card reader to collect payments. “You’ll never chase down an invoice again,” Sean says. With Swipe Simple your team will be able to collect payment on-site after completing a job.  

When mobile payments areWhen mobile payments are concerned, we suggest SwipeSimple.  

SwipeSimple comes with an app for your phone. Equip your trained team with SwipeSimple as your mobile credit card reader. It’s easy to transport. Best of all, SwipeSimple provides user restrictions. Your team can accept payments from anywhere, without having full account access. SwipeSimple is a great mobile POS for those of us that have to travel to a business or home to provide a service.  

If you’d rather keep an invoicing system, we’ve got you covered. Bring it to the 21st century with electronic invoices instead though. With our online payment gateway, you’ll be able to send a payment link to your customers to pay an e-invoice. The electronic system helps you save on paper, printing, and mailing. Instead, you can keep track of all your sales in one place and easily send a friendly email reminder closer to when the bill is due.

Closing thoughts

Mobile card readers are integral to any business that has a physical location or provides services at a customer’s home or anywhere else. These hand-held devices make collecting payments easy regardless of where you are. Imagine it is holiday season when your store is jam packed with customers. Wouldn’t it make things easier if you could take payments anywhere in the store so that the checkout lines aren’t overwhelmingly long? 

“Sometimes a business will call and say they want their payment system to have certain functions and I always tell them that we’ll get them to where they want,” shares Sean. He elaborates, “I’m all about finding solutions. We partner with our businesses. If they want to do something, like an MPOS, we’ll help them set it up!” 

Maybe your business provides plumbing services, and your work occurs at a client’s home or office. Imagine being able to collect payment without having to go through the hassle of checks or cash.  

Or maybe you own or run a restaurant and it is so much simpler to bring a mobile card reader to the customers at the table.  

All these scenarios are real-life events and are opportunities for you to provide top-notch service. After all, a convenient and speedy checkout completes and elevates the customer experience. 

As a business owner, it is important to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Do you enjoy waiting in checkout lines? Nobody does! Wouldn’t you rather just pay for what you need and leave? Make it easier for your customers to pay what they owe and to leave your store. Small things often have significant impact, and this is definitely one of them. Begin your mobile POS journey with Acumen Connections. Let us help you today. 

Additionally, have you heard of eRetail? It is another untraditional checkout trend we’ve seen on the rise. Learn more about unique eRetail solutions.   

Have questions about our products? Contact us today!