posted on March 01, 2010 05:56
Making business easier and more portable is important in today’s marketplace. Enter iPhone Credit Card Processing, an easy to use solution for your mobile business needs.
A popular catch-phrase today is “thinking outside the box”. Everyone is looking for innovative ways to build their business, and match their services to the needs of their customers. Not all business is conducted in an office, and not all sales transactions take place in a store. Being completely mobile is key to reaching all of your customers, and being able to process credit card transactions anywhere has become necessary for many businesses.
Accepting credit cards requires a business to have a merchant account and payment gateway to process the transactions. It also requires the proper equipment to input the transaction – the “swipe” machine, or credit card terminal. In order to be portable, the terminal must be wireless, and it must be in proximity to a wireless connection. Wireless connectivity involves additional fees, just for that connection.
iPhone mobile credit card processing cuts down significantly on both the expense and hassle of this process. In order to begin processing credit cards, you need only your iPhone, your merchant account and payment gateway, and the iPhone application (available for download at the iTunes store). The obvious advantage to processing transactions this way is there is no need for any physical equipment except the iPhone. You will not need to invest in a wireless credit card terminal at all – your phone is with you at all times, so your processing equipment is too! Anywhere your phone works you can process secure payments, and not have the additional wireless fees generated by wireless terminals.
When you are ready to take a payment, open the app and follow the easy, onscreen directions. You will be walked through the process of entering your merchant information (your login, your transaction key and merchant name). Then click on “new transaction”, and begin entering the payment information. You will be notified instantly of the transaction’s approval, just as with a traditional terminal.
The iPhone app provides an area in which to enter your customer’s email address, and upon completion of the transaction, a receipt will be sent to their email account. This area can also be used to enter more customer data, such as name, address, phone number, and full description of the purchased items.
Security is always a concern, and iPhone credit card processing is protected with SSL encryption (just as it would be when ordering over the internet) and fraud protection (AVS and CVV2). Also, the customer’s credit card information is NOT stored on your phone, so it cannot be accessed by anyone once the transaction has been completed.
Whether you are at a trade show or art fair, or have a mobile business such as a limousine service or mobile vending cart, iPhone credit card processing can make your business easier. With security, ease of use, and complete portability you can get your business truly outside the box!