GPRS portable card machines

[AMS]

I’ve just been contacted by someone from “Retail Merchant Services”, offering me a portable credit/debit card machine. On the face of it, it seems a good deal. £9.95 +vat per month rental, 2.95{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} fee on each transaction, 12 month contract. I don’t have the full bumf yet, but when it turns up I can provide more details.

Has anyone had any dealings with these people?

Dave

[Martin]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

There are shed loads of threads on here about GPRS card machines. Retail Merchant Services (aka Streamline) ain’t the cheapest by any stretch either. Shop around and you can probably do better but do bear in mind the more gross income you transact through merchant services the cheaper the rental. They just want a large slice of your action basically and a lot of handwringing goes with it!

Finally, GPRS units often suffer crap coverage in many areas. Not getting a signal means the bleedin’ thing won’t work, more often than not you may find. 🙁

[Rograbbit]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

I have a similar deal with Elavon mobile merchant services. The machine I use links to your blackberry, android or iPhone. A different machine is required for the iPhone. You can buy the machine for around £150 and then you don’t have to pay for rental, which is better long term if people start paying you more in cash. Again it is 2.95{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} for both credit and debit cards, I bank with Santander and the money goes in to your account the next day. This machine is also Visa approved, a lot aren’t, so tread carefully. There are a lot of people out there after this business at the moment. I find it ok on smaller bills. Remember you need to be adding £1.50 per £50 to cover your costs. Hope that helps.

[AMS]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

Thanks for the replies guys. I believe this machine uses a vodaphone sim. I shall peruse it over.

[johnnyj]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

I would think so Dave i have had tried every network in these parts and vodafone sucks

[stratfordgirl]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

Retail Merchant Services Ltd don’t seem to have anything to do with Streamline, so they may be more competitive, Martin. According to their website they were set up in 2007 and have only around 27,000 customers.

To reduce mobile reception problems, I have a roaming SIM card in my terminal that connects to any of the 4 main mobile networks – an extra £2 per month rental from 123 Send compared with the Vodafone only SIM I had before.

[AMS]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

Thanks for all the replies guys & gal.
Johnny, I’m surprised you think vodaphone is poor round these parts – I thought they had the best available coverage?
My mobile is on 3, and I have nothing once I get south of St Andrews and in the East Neuk.
Stratfordgirl, good idea with the roaming sim, I’ll ask if they can do that

Dave

[johnnyj]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

http://www.intuit.co.uk/mobile-payment- … tAodER0ApA

I,ve been looking at these guys still got free banking at the minute so i’ll wait and see.

Most customers have wireless internet and usually happy to let me connect when i’m looking for parts if the mobile signal is crap, so i would assume the same would happen when taking a payment.

[sorted]

Re: GPRS portable card machines

I have been using the more expensive streamline machine with roaming sim card for a few years now. Its great it creates a steady drip of payments into you account everyday. No more running to the bank with crumpled cheques hoping they will not bounce. The extra cost can be offset by more jobs done instead of running to the bank twice a week.

[Author]

Posts