| Technology and the credit card processing industry | | | | business, you want a mobile phone plan that can cover |
| have finally given us the options that we need to | | | | your processing needs as well. |
| process cards in all situations and environments. Mobile | | | | There are two drawbacks to using phones and |
| credit card processing has been largely ignored for a | | | | blackberries for mobile credit card processing. The first |
| couple of decades, but in the last few years it has | | | | drawback is that your customers cannot swipe their |
| become a more viable option. | | | | cards. They must hand you their cards, and you must |
| Unfortunately, even though this type of processing | | | | enter their information. Some customers may balk at |
| was possible, the equipment required to perform this | | | | this, since they are not sure that their information is |
| function was typically outdated, and almost always | | | | safe if it is being transmitted over a mobile phone. The |
| very bulky. Often, they failed to work properly, if at all, | | | | information is safe because the highest standard of |
| when we needed them to work the most. Business | | | | encryption is used - but your customers may not trust |
| owners lost countless dollars in lost sales, even if they | | | | this. |
| had done everything that they could to accept credit | | | | The second drawback to using mobile phones and |
| cards outside of their place of business. | | | | blackberries is that depending on the capabilities of the |
| Today, we have much better, more reliable options | | | | mobile phone and the software, you may not be able |
| available to us when it comes to mobile credit card | | | | to store the information for later transmission - known |
| processing. Not only are there devices available that | | | | as store and forward. If you are in an area where you |
| are small and lightweight - yet still full featured, but we | | | | are not getting a good signal from your mobile phone |
| can also accept credit cards using our mobile phones | | | | service carrier, this could be a problem. You must also |
| and blackberries. Often the same companies that sell | | | | consider the fact that you typically cannot print out a |
| terminals for mobile use will also sell software that can | | | | receipt from a phone or blackberry. |
| be used in place of a terminal, and the software can | | | | With all of that said, however, in some situations, the |
| be downloaded using your mobile phones web | | | | use of mobile phones and blackberries to process |
| browser. | | | | credit cards is a viable solution. If it isn't right for your |
| Of course, you must consider the fees charged by | | | | business, however, there is still a wide array of options |
| your mobile phone company for processing orders. | | | | available to you for mobile credit card processing. You |
| The orders are still processed through your processing | | | | need to work with a company that offers a variety of |
| company, but your phone company will charge your | | | | options, and a sales representative that is has a great |
| normal rates for connecting you to the processing | | | | deal of knowledge concerning those options. |
| company via your mobile phone. If you expect a lot of | | | | |