Do you want to accept payments anywhere?
Do you have a smartphone or tablet? You’ll need one to use the card readers and payment solutions that mobile credit card processing companies offer.
Once you sign up, it’s easy to start accepting credit cards everywhere!
Some solutions even enable you to print receipts.
Many merchant service providers enable mobile credit card processing.
These services enable you to accept payments wherever you are.
The best have reasonable fees, are reliable, work when offline, and also come with a good small business management application.
We will look at:
- PayPal — Best when processing sales occasionally
- Easy Pay Direct — The optimal solution for mobile card processing
- Square — Great for a new business
- Payment Depot — Good inexpensive choice for established businesses
- Stax by Fattmerchant — Good option for growing businesses
- Clover — Great for those who have a merchant account provider
If you’re not sure which of the mobile credit card processors is best for you, then read on!
PayPal: Great for Occasional Sales
PayPal used to be found only online.
They recently added the ability to process in-person payments. Their mobile credit card processing solution is marketed as PayPal Here.
PayPal: Pros
- Great safety and security
- Simple to set up and easy to use
- Affordable fees
- Instant availability of funds in your PayPal account
- Use QR Code Payments
- Works with any mobile device
- Free Mobile Reader, accept payments anywhere
PayPal: Cons
- Issues with account stability
- Minimal features for inventory management
- Limited keyed-in and swiped transactions (per week)
- Aggregators can freeze funds
- Incoming funds over weekly limit subject to a 30-day hold
PayPal integrates with a range of platforms and accepts a wide variety of payment methods.
You can get started with PayPal at no cost.
Their pricing model is competitive and straightforward, and it works well for lower transaction values.
They charge $24.99 for their premium chip and contactless card reader, and they offer a magstripe mobile credit card reader for free.
Card-present transactions are assessed a 2.7% fee, while keyed-in transactions are subject to a 3.5% + 15¢ fee.
EASY PAY DIRECT: THE OPTIMAL PROCESSING SOLUTION
Easy Pay Direct is a friend to small businesses everywhere!
Boasting the highest approval rate in the payment card industry, Easy Pay Direct specializes in servicing accounts that others have turned away for being too “high risk.”
The company does its best work with business owners that have more than one merchant account. This enables them to use their patent-pending Transaction Routing technology so that both accounts get used to their best effect — it allows you to specify what percentage of your sales goes into which account.
The redundancy provided by EPD’s Transaction Routing technology means that in case one of your merchant accounts has a hold placed on it, your payments can be redirected to a different account — automatically!
Easy Pay Direct: Pros
- Works with all forms of payment: Credit, Debit, ACH, and eChecks
- Patent-pending Transaction Routing technology
- Simple, easy, and intuitive product
- Human help is easy to get
Easy Pay Direct: Cons
- Lower-Risk businesses might find a better deal elsewhere
- Full pricing not revealed online
- $99 setup fee
- No dedicated mobile payments app
Square: Good All-Around Processor
Square works hard for businesses all around the globe.
They are a great mobile credit card processor, having no startup or monthly fees.
The application is simple, and you can get working in no time with their free POS app. It works offline with both iOS and Android, and even enables Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Not only that, the POS software incorporates a suite of small business management tools — all for free!
Square: Pros
- Great Transaction Rates
- Free Point-of-Sale system
- Free Credit Card Reader, works with any mobile device
- Quick signup, no applications or approvals
Square: Cons
- Pricey for large enterprises
- Aggregator accounts can be frozen or unstable
- Customer service is sometimes hard to reach
- Not good for high-volume or high-risk merchants
Square’s basic service is free to use.
They offer a free magstripe credit card reader and a chip-and-tap mobile card reader (with contactless payments) for $49.
Card-present transactions are assessed 2.6% + 10¢, and keyed-in transactions are charged 3.5% + 15¢.
They also offer the Square Terminal for $299, which allows you to accept chip cards and acts as a receipt printer.
Payment Depot: Great for Established Businesses
Payment Depot gives subscribers access to lower wholesale credit card processing fees by assessing a monthly charge.
They are a dedicated payment processor, meaning their reliability, security, and fees work well for established merchants of every size.
Payment Depot: Pros
- Minimal transaction fees for every type of payment
- Free virtual terminal and payment gateway
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- No cancellation fee for month-to-month billing
- Transparent pricing model
Payment Depot: Cons
- Monthly dues start at $49
- May not approve any merchant processing less than $10,000 per month
- Not suitable for high-risk businesses
With Payment Depot, you will agree to a monthly payment of at least $49.
If you need mobile card readers, they will charge you $99.
All transactions are subject to an Interchange fee plus 5 to 15¢.
In order to process mobile payments, Payment Depot has partnered with SwipeSimple.
Like PayPal and Square, their app works offline.
It enables you to configure tips, store payment information, utilize a product catalog, and process returns.
They also provide detailed sales analytics reports.
Stax by Fattmerchant: Good for Growing Businesses
Staxx by Fattmerchant offers no contracts, no statement fees, no annual or batch fees, plus 0% markups, analytics tools, a dashboard, next-day funding, and free 24/7 technical support.
Stax Pros:
- Great customer service team
- Robust merchant account
- Simple-to-use software
- Accepts Apple Pay (with a contactless reader)
Stax Cons:
- Best for growing, large, or established businesses
- Works only with established businesses based in the U.S.
Stax by Fattmerchant offers different plans for merchants who process under $80,000 annually. They offer the best value once you’re processing over $15,000 monthly, though.
Similar to Payment Depot and Clover, Stax by Fattmerchant uses a Traditional Merchant Account (TMA) model, which means you will need to apply for it.
That will give you a secure account that isn’t subject to freezes (unless you’re found committing fraud).
Add some terrific customer support, and you’ve got a winning package.
Clover: Good for Existing Merchant Account Holders
Clover features offline processing, a robust app market, and the ability to adjust permission levels among multiple employees.
They include inventory management, payment processing, and analytics reporting. Clover also has a POS app that’s packed with features.
Depending on the specific plan you get, you can also enjoy weight-scale integration, easy exchanges, a detailed library of items, next-day deposits, and credit card pre-authorization.
Clover Pros:
- Great POS system for smartphones, including Android devices
- Integrates well with a range of merchant accounts
- Provides barcode scanner for iOS
- Integrated accounting software (with POS system)
Clover Cons:
- Monthly fee
- Questionable customer service
- No free card reader
- Variable contracts and pricing
Clover’s pricing depends on where you sign up for their service.
If you use the Clover website, the monthly fee for Clover Go is $9.95 and up.
A Clover credit card reader will cost you $69.
Card-present transactions have a fee of 2.7% + 10¢.
Keyed-in transactions have a 3.5% + 10¢ fee.
You must have a traditional merchant account to use Clover.
Finding the Best in Mobile Credit Card Processing
Whether you’re an established outfit seeking to take your business mobile, or if you’re one of the new small businesses just starting out in the world of mobile credit card processing, everyone needs a way to take card payments.
Overall, Easy Pay Direct offers the optimal mobile credit card processing solution.
They have a plug-and-play architecture that makes it easy for you to accept credit cards everywhere — even offline!
Even though you can get started with other companies without startup fees, hardware costs, or long applications, the service and support you get with Easy Pay Direct are unmatched.
Call Easy Pay Direct today at 800.805.4949 to get started with mobile credit card processing!
