Solutions for Mobile Merchants

It's getting to be a wireless world. Vantage offers solutions for mobile commerce merchants depending on your card transaction volume, how well you know your customer (how risk averse you are), cost factors, and coverage areas.

Which Option is Right For Your Mobile Business?

Please consider your use carefully and contact a Vantage payment advisor before making a decision.

Touch Tone Capture: Use your land line or cell phone to dial an 800 number then listen to the voice prompts to enter card and sale information to obtain an authorization code. Use your order form or make a manual imprint of the card for a signed sales receipt. Touch Tone Capture service costs just 30 cents a transaction and is best for merchants that will process a limited number of transactions and to avoid purchasing equipment, wireless activation and monthly wireless coverage fees. Card Not Present Interchange rates apply so as sales volume increases, merchants should consider moving to swiped card mobile solutions.

Store & Forward (Batch Authorization Mode): Merchants who are looking for swiped card rates but do not need real time approval codes either because they are simply taking orders and not delivering goods and services or because they know their customers and are willing to take the risk of declined transactions when authorizations are attempted at time of batch settlement. In this sales environment, the card is swiped but no communication is available. While most wireless devices offer this service in situations where no wireless coverage is available at the location of the sale, merchants can purchase lower costs terminal units without wireless modems and capability as long as they have a power source at the point of sale. Store & Forward merchants willing to accept the risk can benefit from swiped card rates, lower terminal costs and no monthly wireless coverage fees.

Vx610 GPRS: For mobile merchants that need the functionality of a retail card processing terminal we recommend the Vx610. With an internal wireless modem and battery power, neither a phone line or power outlet is necessary to run credit card transactions. The Vx610 can also operate on the PrePaid SIM wireless plans, greatly reducing the costs of wireless service. This unit has a built-in thermal printer and is preferred by merchants operating in a sales environment where multiple staff will need to operate the terminal, processing a high volume of transactions in a short time period. The Vx610 is a flexible, lightweight, handheld terminal that enables fast and secure transactions on a multi-application platform supporting a range of payment & value-added services.

Vx510 GPRS: Fixed wireless solutions provide merchants with the benefit of an always ready connection for faster transaction times verse dial up terminals. For merchants who have access to power, we recommend the Vx510 GPRS, offering wireless connectivity and high-speed thermal printer to keep checkout lines on the move. This wireless countertop solution provides extraordinary performance in a sleek, compact design that can eliminate the need for a dedicated dial line and save the monthly dial line expense from the local phone company. The Vx510 can also operate on the PrePaid SIM wireless plans, greatly reducing the costs of wireless service.

iPhone: In our experience, we have found mobile smart phone devices work best when the unit will operate in a sales environment where a single user will use the device with a single customer at a time. Target merchant types: kiosk merchants, home services (plumbers, electricians, air conditioner companies), outdoor concession or product (tshirts, tickets, etc) sales, flea market and trade show exhibitors, etc.

Apple's WebApps for Payment Card Acceptance:

• VeriFone's PAYware Mobile application offers an encypted card reader device to speed payment transaction acceptance that plugs into the iPhone dock connector and cradles the phone. For more on PAYware Mobile, the iPhone reader and service plan pricing visit: http://verifone.merchantrates.com/verifone.aspx
  
  New VeriFone pricing includes a Free PAYware Mobile iPhone reader!
  
  
• ePNMobile application is able to accept key entered card payments. Vantage supports ePNMobile with an eProcessingNetwork account to process credit card and signature debit.

Vantage can provide merchant account numbers for a variety of devices. For merchants who own a Blackberry or other smart phone PDA, services are available to process credit card transactions. For example, PayTrace Mobile is designed to allow you to accept credit cards on any mobile device that has an internet connection and a web browser. However, merchants planning to simply key enter card numbers should consider simply using Touch Tone Capture service as described above to avoid monthly fees

Virtual Terminals : For merchants that already have a laptop computer with wireless connectivity that they use to run their business, a virtual terminal application (plus an optional mag-stripe reader via USB port for card present Interchange rates) is a way to avoid additional terminal purchases and duplicate wireless connectivity monthly fees. Depending on your sales environment, a virtual terminal may be a suitable replacement when a single operator runs limited transaction volume. Note: QuickBooks users with laptops and internet connectivity can process cards in a similar manner.

Wireless-Broadband : Merchants can use an all-in-one Internet sharing router with wireless access point and built-in 4-port 10/100 switch to connect up to four PCs or credit card terminals like the Vx510IP unit. Perfect for merchants to operate one or more credit card terminals or their laptop from a single wireless connection. Merchants can save money and purchase an IP Ethernet terminal instead of more expensive wireless credit card terminals. This portable network solution is quick and easy to setup, with little or no IT support using a Wireless-Router with a standard PC card slot for a Mobile Broadband Connection card (sold separately by your wireless carrier). Also note: for PCI compliance, merchants must have a secure router and IP connection for the POS device, not an open WiFi access point..

Nurit 8020: For mobile merchants that need the functionality of a retail card processing terminal there's the Nurit 8020. With an internal wireless modem and battery power, neither a phone line or power outlet is necessary to run credit card transactions. This unit has a built-in thermal printer and is preferred by merchants operating in a sales environment where multiple staff will need to operate the terminal, processing a high volume of transactions in a short time period. The Nurit 8020 is a flexible, lightweight, handheld terminal that enables fast and secure transactions on a multi-application platform supporting a range of payment & value-added services.

Please note that GPRS service is not supported on these older technologies: 8010US12 =Motient (Now Dial Only- there will also be a sticker with a LLI number) and 8010US13 =Mobitex (there will also be a sticker with a MAN number). Also, VeriFone has introduced a new model of the Nurit 8020, the M41, with part number 8020-US41. You will soon see these models being shipped from VeriFone. These units should be upgraded to model M50.

Vx670: For T&E merchants the Vx670 offers a unique consumer-facing payment software allowing both staff and cardholders to operate and interact with the terminal. Examples include Pay at the Table for restaurants, golf course beverage carts and taxicabs where cardholders can swipe their own card and enter tips. Another key reason to select the Vx670 is that multiple wireless units may be networked together for a single deposit and reporting source using IPCharge. The Verifone Vx670 is the smallest all-in-one wireless handheld payment device available in both GPRS and WiFi.

Wireless Coverage
Selecting the right wireless device comes down to network coverage, so always start by finding the coverage area that best meets your mobile merchant needs. Just as you encounter coverage problems with your cell phone, you can encounter reception problems with a wireless terminal. Actual service area will vary due to location, weather, network traffic, terrain, signal strength, obstructions, building density, construction, environmental conditions, and other factors. Remember, there is no guarantee that coverage will be available from all spots (even if the maps say so).

GPRS coverage is the next generation wireless for merchants and offers greater coverage area. GPRS works with a SIM chip like your mobile phone and can roam network providers operating a GPRS tower. Because large carriers support these new networks, you’re assured coverage almost anywhere. With GPRS, the merchant can access all the GPRS carriers: AT&T  www.attwireless.com, T-Mobile www.t-mobile.com. Our SIM chips have multiple GPRS carries on a single chip.