Whether you are the owner of a new business or your business is relatively large having a mobile credit card processing solution is a good idea.
This system is also good for any type of business regardless of what they are dealing with. For every transaction that you do, you’ll pay something hence save a lot in terms of money and time.
Unlike other processing solutions, it doesn’t come with annual or monthly fees and you don’t also require any long term contract.
Once you get an app and card reader you can use your tablet or smartphone to do the rest. As your business expands, you can add other accessories.
How Mobile Credit Card Processing Solution Works
A mobile credit card processing solution allows you to sell your goods and accepts all the payments with a tablet or a smartphone.
With that said, the best solution should allow you to pay a fixed amount and have all the features that you can rely on. It should also be able to work offline.
Moreover, the best mobile credit card solutions should have no monthly charges or start-up fees.
Check out our reviews about some of the best solutions out there.
1. Square
Square is believed to be among the best payment processing solutions in the market today.
Apart from the feature that you use to accept the payments, it’s fitted with full-featured POS software that manages customer satisfaction, tracks inventory, and runs sales reports.
It works well on apple smartphones, androids, tablets, and iPads. If you are looking for more features, make sure you subscribe to paid services such as email marketing and payroll.
When you accept one of their credit cards using your tablet or smartphone, you just need to pay a flat rate.
With its next-day funding, it takes less than 2 business days to deposit money into your account. If you need the money faster, you can choose the same day funding system.
It does not have a payment getaway, monthly fee, annual fee, and set up fee. In fact, you don’t even have to pay any chargeback fee for the services.
Lack of all these fees makes it the most affordable option for those who don’t process a lot of credit cards or small businesses who don’t want to pay a lot of money.
Unlike other systems, Square allows you to process MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Android Pay, and Apple among other cards out there.
Square Pricing
- Magstripe Reader is Free
- Chip and Contactless Reader is $49
- Keyed in Payments is 3.5% plus 15 cents of the transactions
- Chip, Swipe and contactless payments are 2.6 % plus 10 cents per transactions
Pros
- It’s the best software for payments and ticketing
- It’s easy and simple to use
- It comes with the ability to accept payments from anywhere
- It provides you with a quick transaction process
Cons
- It has all the features that you need for payment
- If you buy a new phone the hardware may not work
2. PayPal Here
Launched in 2012, PayPal Here currently boasts of 277 million active users and 22 million business users. This makes it one of the best solutions in the industry today.
As a massive ecosystem, PayPal keeps on expanding with a seamless system that every merchant needs.
Whether you have a business or nonprofit organization and have a valid email address you can easily sign up and add additional details such as an address, phone city, and type of business.
Coming with everything that you need to process on the go it’s one of the best solutions that every business needs.
If you don’t need advanced POS capabilities, you can use countertop set up.
Since the app has an intuitive and easy to use interface, you can easily edit your business information and manage inventory.
PayPal card reader can help you get all the details from your card. But even with this you still need to include other details
When you process a customer refund, you’ll still need to pay some fee for the refunded transaction.
It allows you to accept debit and credit cards. You can also use it to process checks and invoice payments. Some of its acceptable cards include Discover, Visa, MasterCard, and Samsung Pay.
Since it can accept PayPal Check-In it will definitely allow you to pay using your own PayPal app or phone. You can also keep information about all the payments.
PayPal Here Pricing
- Chip, Swipe and Contactless Payment is 2.7%
- PayPal payment is 2.7%
- Chip and Swipe Reader is $24.99
- Keyed in Payments is 3.5% plus 15% of the transaction
Pros
- Intuitive and easy to use interface
- In-app invoicing available
- Extensive device compatibility
- Free sub-user accounts
- Ideal for low volume merchants
- Time tested and trusted customers
Cons
- Account stability issues
- Inconsistent customer support
3. Quickbooks
If you use Quickbooks accounting solutions for your business then you may like Quickbooks payments as well.
With Quickbooks, you can smoothly sync your payments into your accounting software and allow you to see all your sales in real-time.
Easy and simple to set up, since the company has a flat rate you don’t have to engage in any long term contract.
It allows you to accept debit and credit cards in person using a mobile credit card reader linked to your phone or tablet.
As compared to other options, it’s fitted with few pricing plans. If you have a small business then the best plan for you is pay as you go.
On the contrary, if you process up to $7500 per month and most of these are done in person you should go for a monthly fee plan
Quickbooks does not have long term commitments. There is no fee you are charged for earlier termination either.
Since the company posts its merchant fees, you need to go through them before signing any contract.
This will ensure that you know how much to pay for the service. You’ll also know the responsibilities that you are agreeing to.
If you need to reach their customer support staff you can call them from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. you can also reach them through their live chat feature or via twitter or Facebook.
QuickBooks Pricing
- The cards accepted in person using a card reader 2.4%+$0.25
- ACH Bank transfers are 1% with a maximum cost of $10
- For quick books Desktop users monthly fee plan of 1.6%+$0.30
Pros
- The best device compatibility
- Suitable for all types of businesses
- In-app invoicing available
Cons
Customer support can sometimes be inconsistent
4. Stripe
Stripe is one of the best mobile credit card companies in the market today. Since it’s easy to set up, you can start using it as soon as possible.
Designed for developers, you may feel out of place the first time you visit the site. However, once you know your way around, you’ll realize that it’s quite easy to use.
One amazing thing about it is that it works well with several business services and applications such as accounting and invoicing systems, eCommerce platforms, and CRM software.
Once you get a Stripe account, you can just link it to these businesses with just a click. You can also copy and paste a shortcode to place the buy buttons anywhere in your online store.
If you have a developer among your staff, you can enjoy a range of features, developer tools, and advanced customization that stripe offers.
As compared to other systems, Stripe is quite easy to use. Its check out systems is quite easy and simple thus making it easy for customers to complete their purchase.
Whether you are signing up for an account from their website or third party’s website you’ll find the whole process quite easy.
You just need to fill the form, activate the account, and select the best processing plan. It does not provide you with a merchant account hence you don’t have to submit to credit check.
More so, it comes with simple and affordable pricing with no hidden charges hence you won’t spend much.
Stripe Pricing
- Online credit card transaction is 2.9%+$0.30
- Online payments made with international cards you have to pay an additional 1%
Pros
- It has multiple security protocols to keep customers payment data secure
- It provides one of the best customer supports
- You can track down all your sales and payments on the go
- It allows you to view real-time reporting
Cons
- Stripe is both customizable and affordable but highly technical
- It does not virtual terminal for processing phone, mail or fax orders
5. Fiserv
Formerly known as First Data, this is perhaps one of the largest payment processing solutions in the market today. In fact, if you operate a high volume business, it’s the best.
Apart from its competitive rates, it features a technology that allows you to handle all types of payments.
Although it’s a huge company that serves big businesses, resellers, and financial institutions, it works with small and medium-sized businesses by offering a wide range of equipment and payment processing services.
As the lender in the payment industry experienced merchants can enjoy competitive fees and negotiate month to month terms.
With its Clover Brand POS, you can accept payment methods such as Alipay.
Like other processors, it customizes its pricing based on the products and services you are dealing with and the rates in the industry.
This means the rates and prices may vary from one business to the next.
It provides every payment acceptance method so you can accept debit and credit cards at your business and the on the go payments using your mobile app and phone.
If you have a small business, it recommends its Clover line of point of sales systems and credit card terminals.
Since all its Clover credit card readers include NFC technology, you can accept mobile wallets and contactless cards with relative ease.
In addition, through its First Data Salutes program, it provides a free Clover Mini point of sale service to new merchants.
The company also provides 24/7 customer support where you can call them for any issue.
Fiserv Pricing
For pricing details, you need to contact the company.
Pros
- It provides customer experience by offering products that address their needs.
- It boosts efficiency by streamlining technology and processes
- It helps track service activity
Cons
It’s a bit costly
6. Dharma
If you are looking for a full-service merchant provider, Dharma is the right choice.
Each Dharma account allows access to MX Merchant. It also features invoicing capabilities, virtual payment terminal, and customer database.
Apart from having access to MX merchant express, you’ll get a mobile credit card reader for ios and Android.
With Dharma, you can accept all your credit cards on the go including mobile payments for no additional cost.
Just like processors such as Square, it can process payments offline, something that’s important for mobile sellers.
The best part is that you can use your phone to scan in credit card information.
Its MX Merchant also allows you to keep customer information, change signatures, send emails and analyze all your transaction history.
You can also use the MX Merchant dashboard to view analytics and sales reports. It also comes with features to set up ACH payment processing and create different logins for staff members.
Although Dharma prices are low established businesses with several transactions will enjoy using them. In fact, if you are only processing $20, it’s the most affordable software.
Dharma Pricing
- Swiped card payment is 0.15% plus 7 cents per transaction
- Keyed in payments is 0.2 plus 10 cents per transactions
- Amex payments are 0.25% per interchange
- Mobile reader and swipe $99
- ACH payment processing is $25 monthly fee and 40% per transaction
Pros
- It’s the best for established businesses
- It’s the best for low-risk businesses
- You can view all
Cons
- It’s not the best small business and startups
- It does not have full retail POS capabilities such as Shopify or Square
7. Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce platform that provides mobile credit card and in-store processing services.
As one of the best platforms, it plays a huge role when it comes to keeping records on sales, inventory, and customer data from every transaction.
Shopify Elite, an entry-level mobile plan will provide you with shipping functions, full-featured mobile POS, and several online selling options.
After signing up, you can start accepting credit cards in minutes, enjoy competitive rates, and get a free mobile credit.
With Shopify POS mobile app and mobile credit card reader, you can process all your sales and get business management tools right on time.
Just like other systems, it allows you to track inventory, sales, and even process all your payments.
This system comes with the most advanced inventory features. You can track and add multiple product features and variants.
Its POS includes sales reporting, products, insights and discounts, and employees. Customer directories provide you with the ability to call and text customers and save customer information.
You can also create an unlimited number of employee logins and monitor cash in hand.
Additionally, it will give your customers the ability to view and comment on what has happened throughout the day.
Just like Square, all your customer, inventory, and sales data is centralized across platforms. With its POS, you can send the products directly to the customers after making sales.
This is very good for those who sell larger items.
Shopify Pricing
- The monthly fee is $9
- Swipe, Chip and Contactless payment is 2.7%
- Online and Keyed in Payment is 2.9% plus 30 cents per transactions
Pros
- It has a competitive flat rate transaction
- It helps keep all your sales, inventory and customer data
- You can sign up and start using it within minutes
- There are no start-up or cancellation fees
Cons
It’s very detail-oriented
8. SumUp
Available in over 31 countries, SumUp is one of the most effective mobile credit card processing solutions in the market today.
As one of the best mobile credit card processing solutions, it’s best suited for businesses that process lower volumes.
Providing a fixed 2.65% transaction cost and coming with no monthly fee, this mobile solution has a downloadable app and can connect through Bluetooth to your phone.
It supports a wide range of cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express, and newer services such as Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Regardless of the means of payment you choose, it comes with a useful bonus of no rental contract and, a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 1-year warranty on the reader.
This credit card processing solution makes the process of accepting payments through a card tap or mobile phone as easy as it comes.
Additionally, it allows you to accept payments via Pin and Chip. It also helps process all the payments quickly and securely thus making it one of the best solutions in the market.
Once you input the amount, you just need to connect the customers’ card and then send them the receipt through email.
Since they focus a lot on simplicity, they have a comprehensive SumUp Support center online that you can use in case you run through any difficulty.
You can also reach them through email or phone from Monday to Saturday.
SumUp Pricing
- The SumUp card reader is $19 minus taxes.
- It does not have any monthly fees
- You should pay a transaction fee of 2.75% per in-person card payment.
- The virtual transaction fee is 3.75%+$0.15
Pros
- Simple and very effective
- It charges a minimal amount
- It does not require any contract
- It’s one of the best card readers
Cons
It does not suit high volume sales charge
9. Helcim
If you are looking for one of the most transparent mobile credit card processing companies, Helcim is the right option.
It provides an interchange pricing service to all its customers and updates all its fees and rates on its website.
You can, therefore, compare its pricing as you shop for a solution. This way, you can rest assured that there are no hidden fees once you get the bill.
It’s one of the companies that come with a rate guarantee. This means it won’t increase its margins or rate for the duration that you’ll have the account.
Given that it’s very transparent, it shows its monthly fees for its online services and retail and all the features included in each.
As compared to other solutions it provides its services on a month to month basis hence you can cancel the service whenever you want.
More so, like all the other mobile credit card companies, it provides you with your own account and accepts all the major credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.
With its account, you’ll receive Helcim’s hosted online store. If you already have a website you can use its payment getaway API or hosted payment pages to accept all the payments.
With Helcim’s invoicing commerce tools, you can always email your customers’ invoices. They then just need to click and enter their information so as to pay the invoice.
This mobile credit card payment processing company also secures credit card payment data using sophisticated tokenization and encryption technology.
This means you won’t have to worry about the security of your data.
Helcim Pricing
- In-person sales accepted using a card reader is 0.25%+$0.8 above interchange
- Online transactions are 0.45%+$0.25 above interchange
Pros
- It has transparent pricing hence no hidden charges
- Provides a 24/7 customer support
- It does not have any cancellation fees
- It does not have any outbound sales team
Cons
It’s not the most suitable for micro vendors
10. Chase Merchant Services
Chase Merchant Services is also another good mobile credit card processing solution for businesses.
Once you purchase a reader, you can use it on any Android or Apple smartphone.
If you want to work with the bank to manage your checking accounts, payment processing, and credit cards, it’s the best.
You can contact a specialist to get the best rates since its pricing system depends on the quotes.
It’s also easy to use thus suitable for managing gift cards, viewing sales reports, and accepting payments.
You can also check gift card balances, add tips to transactions, and develop a product catalog detailed reporting and faster checkouts.
If you use it for your banking it can function as the receiving bank. This means you can use it to manage chargebacks, funding, and settlements directly from the bank.
For such a large solution, it has received very few complaints from customers. This means the company provides the best services to the users.
Overall, the company has fair business practices and respectable practices.
While you may not get the same attention that you get from other companies, its fair term contract and reasonable fees are some of the best features.
Chase Merchant Services Pricing
No pricing information disclosed on the website of the company
Pros
- No monthly account fee
- No monthly fee with a standard account
- No terminal leases
- Large direct processor
- Interchange plus pricing is available
Cons
- NFC based payment is not yet available
- No pricing information on the website
11. iZettle
Whether you need flexibility or freedom, iZettle has it all. As a new and improved card reading service, it’s one of the most popular services out there.
The amazing thing about it is that it’s one of the simplest solutions out there. As a compact card machine, it works together with an app on your phone to make the processing easier.
It’s not only attractive but also very much affordable. It’s also quite popular with small business owners who are looking for a cheap way to make payments.
It has a transaction fee of 2.50%. This means, if you choose the Go Package you can sign up for free.
It also has the Pro package for those who have more sophisticated requirements. The target market for the latter includes cafes, restaurants, and bars.
Another important thing about this solution is the simplicity associated with how it works. Since the card reader is connected on your phone’s app you just need a connection to process any payment.
Once you have a Wi-Fi or 4G that connects to Bluetooth, you can process your payments from anywhere.
The best thing is that it only takes a few seconds to power it up. Once you are done the power can last for up to 8 hours.
More so, this mobile credit card processing solutions can accept all manner of credit and even debit cards.
Some of the cards it can handle include Visa, Visa Electronic, Maestro, and America express.
iZettle Pricing
- The basic Package is free
- The more potent Go package is £29 per month and VAT
- The Pro Package with more sophisticated requirements is £39 plus VAT per month
Pros
- It’s simple and easy to use
- As compared to others it’s pretty cheap
- It comes with lots of accessories
- It has one of the best apps
Cons
- It does not have device receipts
- The monthly fee for a wider support
12. Flagship
If you are looking for a mobile credit card processing solution with the most flexible solutions, this is the ideal option.
Since it provides monthly terms it shows that it has confidence in the value of its pricing and quality of its services.
Unlike others it allows you to choose between the interchange and tiered plus pricing.
While industry experts prefer interchange-plus pricing, most businesses prefer tiered pricing because it allows them to save some money.
It has been in business for over 15 years hence boasts a proven track record in the payment processing industry.
Whether you have a startup or smaller merchants it generally works with businesses of all sizes. It provides its services on a monthly basis to its customers with no termination fee.
While credit card rates are based on several factors, Flagship does not advertise its tiered pricing plan on its site. This is because the rates offered may vary.
Based on your monthly sales volume you may negotiate much lower processing fees. This means the higher the volume, the lower your rates.
Given that its full-service processor, you can choose the payment acceptance method that’s suitable for your business.
For instance, you may need a mobile card reader for your on the go sales or payment getaway for your store.
To ensure that your customers and business information are safe, it strictly adheres to the industry standards.
Apart from its 24-hour support, it will provide you with a dedicated support agent that you can email or call directly if the need arises.
Flagship Pricing
- Debit card with pin is $0.25
- Normal debit cards accepted in person 0.35%+$0.19
- Regular credit cards accepted in person 1.55%+$0.19
Pros
- No cancellation fees
- It has interchange-plus pricing
- It’s a great option if you’ve been declined by other processing solutions
Cons
- Equipment pricing is not listed
- Tiered pricing is very unpredictable
13. Payroc
Founded in 2003 and located in Chicago Land Payroc is a unique processing solution that services thousands of merchants across the world.
It’s committed to ensuring that every client gets the perfect solution while providing pricing clarity, advice, and customer service.
Through its professional program, it provides every business with an advisor who guides them through the complexities of payments and business transactions.
With its omnipayment solutions, they allow you to accept all the major debit and credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, and American Express among others.
If you like, you can add more electronic processing, mobile payments, and card vault to safely store your customers’ details.
Additionally, it provides standalone payment solutions to companies that require an online type of payment solution.
If you strictly sell online you can use its gateway or compatible services such as USAePay, NPC Secure, and Authorise.Net.
The right getaway will depend on whether you can afford that and what you need bearing in mind that they incur additional costs.
In case you are looking for a more robust option, it provides a full-fledged POS system that’s capable of managing inventory, taking payments, and much more.
Since some customers still prefer checks, it will provide a reliable, safe, and cheap electronic check processing solution. You can even take checks online using the checks by Web option.
Payroc Pricing
As compared to others it does not publish its fees and rates. However, it offers charts that you can use to estimate the rates.
Pros
- Its features allow the customers to pay anytime anywhere
- It provided one account for all transaction activities
- You can accept all the major credit and debit cards
- It allows you to add more mobile payments
Cons
It does not publish its rates and fees hence you have to estimate
Selecting Mobile Credit Card Processing Solution
1. Payment Security
One of the most important things to consider is the security of your data. You need to choose a provider that offers secure data processing.
If you accept debit and credit cards, you must choose a provider that’s PCI compliant. It should be able to safeguard your customers’ payments using the latest data security.
This means, using technologies such as point to point encryption, tokenization, and fraud management tools.
2. Consider the Fees and Service Agreement
Pricing for payment processors is often based on the type of transactions that you do. This also depends on revenue consistency, business sales, and transaction frequency.
It’s important to know whether your businsses matches with that of the provider.
There are also services that need contacts and set up fees and other hidden charges that may affect your transaction and processing fees. Also, do not forget about factors such as
- Early termination penalties and charges
- Fees for terminals
- Fees for surpassing maximum monthly quotas
- Fees for missing minimum monthly quotas
3. Transaction Frequency and Average Transaction Amount
Many mobile credit card processing solutions provide a tiered pricing model based on amounts and transaction frequencies.
You should, therefore, select a package that matches your business needs. In any case, if you miss or exceed these, you may end up paying more for the service.
You need a payment provider that can quickly adapt to your business needs and even expand with your business.
You should also review your pricing with your dedicated account manager to see if you can make some cost-saving changes.
4. Customer Support
This is also a very important factor to consider when looking for the right payment provider. Even if you are using the best payment processor, issues will always arise.
With this mind, you should choose a provider that you can reach throughout the day and throughout the week.
Although email is fine in most cases, in some instances, you may need to reach a live person through chat or phone.
5. Maintenance and Set up Ease
Getting started and maintaining your payment provider should be as easy as possible. This includes aspects such as hardware, enrollment applications, training, and software upgrades.
If these steps are difficult, using the payment processor might be a bit challenging. It should also have an easy to use user interface so you spend as little time as possible.
6. Easy Integration to Other Platforms
Online payment integration can be one of the most difficult things to do.
The best payment processor should provide you with detailed instructions. This will allow you to easily integrate with popular eCommerce platforms such as Magento. Shopify, and WooCommerce.
You should also choose one that will not slow down your website with a slow payment. This will allow your customers to make payments in a very easy way.
Frequently Asked Questions
One of the top concerns for the payment industry is data security. This means every mobile processor should comply with the Payment Card Security Standard.
Research has shown that companies and merchants that were faced with data breaches were not PCI compliant.
To securely capture and transmit payment data, most mobile card readers use point to point encryption and tokenization. With this in mind, most of them are quite safe.
While some small companies only deal with cash, you need to know the most suitable method for your customers.
If your customers prefer to pay using debit or credit cards you may not make a lot of sales if you decide you accept only cash.
The most important thing is to choose a model that suits most of your customers.
The best card reader for tablets and iPhone phones should have both NFC and EMV technology to allow you to accept contactless payments and chip cards including mobile payments such as Google pay and Apple Pay.
Most mobile payment companies that feature their rates do not allow you to negotiate. Unless you are dealing with a high volume of transactions.
However, there are things that you may do to ensure that you are receiving the best rates. Flat rates make it easy to know what you’ll pay for the service.
This means if you know the average sales ticket size you can determine which processor will save you some cash in the long run.
If you are running a seasonal business then you should go for a company that offers pay as you go services or month to month terms. This means you won’t be paying for the services that you’ve not used.
Although many mobile credit card processing solutions and payment processing companies require the customers to be in businesses, there are some processors that accept individuals.
These services also allow individuals to use their services for fundraisers and garage sales. SumUp also works with sole proprietors and allows them to receive and make payments.
Wrap Up
Whether you have a new in business or an established store looking to take your business forward, make sure you choose the best service.
The best provider should also have zero monthly fees, transaction fees, and contracts. If you are not sure, you can start with the above and choose the right one for your business’s needs.
