Card machines have become an integral mainstay to many businesses since lockdown and the way people are paying for items, food and services has evolved rapidly. Businesses that previously didn’t accept card payments have had to move quickly to implement payment infrastructures to support the needs of their customers. Even customers have had to adopt a new approach to paying for items, and those that were perhaps structured in their approach or reluctant/sceptical with contactless payments have made the switch across.
More and more businesses particularly in the hotel, pub or restaurant sector have recruited additional card payment terminals to support their setup during the pandemic. Additional card terminals allow businesses to serve their customers quickly and conveniently, whilst enhancing their overall experience. It also provides a safer environment as it ultimately means there should be less queuing and if staff are handling less cash it speeds up the whole process.
Sanitising your card machine
Some card machine providers have reviewed all internal strategies in light of the pandemic, and for those that specialise in short term card machine rental, some have implemented strategies to offer additional add-ons such as ”sanitising kits” with their temporary card machine rental and a free guide on “How to look after credit card machines/payment hardware.”
Business owners are generally given flexibility when choosing an additional card machine hire being able to use a merchant account infrastructure or use their own established merchant processing account if they have this in place, so don’t feel pressured to open a new merchant account for another temporary card machine rental.
Follow Government advice and accept contactless payments
If you are a business selling in a physical location, it is almost frowned upon if you don’t offer the facility to accept debit and credit card payments at the moment, and many are turning to temporary card machine hire to fill this void during the pandemic and fulfill the needs of their customers.
Helping businesses to take advantage of payment technology in these testing times is at the core for any payment providers and some businesses are only slowly learning about short term card machine rental now that lockdown has been lifted. The coronavirus COVID-19 global pandemic is affecting every aspect of our lives, from how businesses trade, to how we conduct our daily lives at home with our families. As a payment provider, we are no different and we are waking up every day to new information about how COVID-19 is affecting industries and the economy and finding payment solutions to ensure businesses can trade and retain as much “normality” as possible.
Temporary card machine hire after lockdown
Many card machine resellers often insist on 36 or 48 month rental agreements for their card machines, and the blessing of short term or temporary card machine hire, is you pay a set fee based on the length you require the card machine. In these uncertain times, some businesses aren’t necessarily sure on how things will change and as a result are perhaps only planning for the “here and now,” which enables them to process card payments through to the end of the year. With such a densely competitive industry finding a temporary solution may be ideal as you can review things in time knowing you have no long term obligation and having a temporary card machine hire can invariably prove more cost effective in the short term and means you aren’t committing yourself to unnecessary contracts.
Temporary card machine hire to support your customers
More and more businesses who already accept card payments are turning to temporary card machine hire during these surreal times to fill a void. Businesses that are new to cards are also making a big growth as some now feel this is the time to introduce a card machine to their business to ensure all aspects of payments are utilised.
When considering a card machine hire decide how long you need it for, what type of card machine you require and how it will best utilised in your business setting. The way businesses are trading under the current Government guidelines is changing frequently.
Where do mobile machine readers fit into the marketplace after the corona pandemic?
The growth of mobile card machines has grown in the last few years and in the cases of manufacturers such as iZettle, SumUp Paypal and Square, they definitely serve a purpose and fit a model, but many business owners still prefer the tried and trusted traditional Chip & PIN card machines from the likes of Ingenico or Verifone. iZettle gained recognition last Autumn when they produced the innovative idea with the World’s first card machine reader referred to as “Ocean reader” the world’s first card reader made from recycled ocean plastic. It is worth remembering that mobile machine readers often charge significantly more for their card processing fees so if you plan to accumulate a vast number of sales, the charges soon amount. The hardware for the mobile machine readers may appear cheaper, but they make their money on the merchant processing charges.
Purchases on debit and credit card increasing after lockdown
Over three quarters of purchases in the UK are processed through debit and credit cards, and that figure will only grow under the current pandemic.
Not every card machine hire contract is the same. Different card machine providers offer different hardware, various support levels and often the process for accepting card payments will differ. Sit and compare quotes whilst ensuring you are getting the best card machine that fits the needs of your business.
Are you a business owner that has found itself in a similar scenario of needing additional payment facilities to streamline aspects during the pandemic? Let us know your thoughts below or email sales@wirelessterminalsolutions.co.uk.