Accept credit cards on your smart phone or mobile device using your existing merchant account and the CenPOS payment network. The CenPOS mobile app is free. There are no additional fees above standard CenPOS usage rates. CenPOS is sold as SaaS and merchant rates vary by business volume and type of use.

ID-Tech makes a wide variety of reliable  mobile swipe products that are compatible with CenPOS mobile apps. Visit their web site for other options.

 TOP 3 recommended MOBILE CREDIT CARD READERS:

1. http://www.idtechproducts.com/products/mobile-readers.html. The Shuttle, Two-Track Secure Mobile MagStripe Reader- is compatible with almost everything. Works with new and old Apple products like iPhone 3, 3G, 4, 4S and iPad 2, iPad 3, and tablets. The rubberized grip that touches the top of your smart device keeps it from slipping. Most other products on the market do not address this simple fix to an old problem- if the reader moves while swiping, contact may not be good and the user has to swipe a second or third time. Choose this if you are looking for low cost, versatile mobile reader. $48.50 at barcodesinc.com.
2. The Linea-pro 4 turns iPhone and iTouch into a powerful point of sale solution. It includes a 1D or 2D barcode scanner, a 3-track magnetic stripe reader, and a rechargeable battery extender in a compact protective case. As you can see from the picture, it’s nicely wrapped around your iPhone or Itouch. Purchase at Infinite peripherals or contact your CenPOS relationship manager. Choose this if you’re a heavy user and want a slim design, or integrated bard code reading, or integrated drivers license reading.  MSRP $599 and up.
   
3. The iMag is an encryption capable MagStripe reader, also made by ID Tech. There are multiple versions, including one for iPhone 4. Encrypted MagStripe Reader for iPhone 3G/3GS, iPhone 4, and iPod Touch. (Reads tracks 1, 2, and 3, bi-directional reading capabilities. For the power Apple user on a budget, the slim sleeve becomes a part of the phone and attaches at the bottom so you can still use your headset if desired. $61 at barcodesinc.com.
   

Notes: CenPOS mobile app is free. Merchants need to contact CenPOS sales to open an account, which includes free virtual terminal, free mobile app, 7 years of data stored, remote user management, and many other benefits. CenPOS is a scalable hosted payment processing network supporting multiple payment methods. The CenPOS gateway connects to your existing merchant account. Merchants can purchase hardware from any source. Global Channel Sales & Business Development, Christine Speedy, 954-942-0483.

Members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are invited to try our updated mobile payment application, supporting pay at the table, where allowed by law.  The mobile payments applications support sale amount and tip, plus surcharge fee as a percentage or fixed amount, along with custom data capture options. Open to OECS members in Antigua, Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Partial feature list of private cloud based payment network:

• Secure card swipe
• Signature capture- stored for 7 years
• Custom rules based fraud features
• Custom rules based automated alerts
• Remote user management
• Remote supervisor override
• Dynamic Currency Conversion supported
• Robust multi-location reporting

For more information, and compatibility with your existing merchant account, please contact Christine Speedy.

What is the best iPhone credit card reader? The Linea Pro, by Infinite Peripherals, was popularized as the hardware used in Apple Retail stores to facilitate rapid customer checkout. The Linea Pro is a sleeve for an iPhone or iPod touch. Merchants also need an iPhone app for credit card processing.

MOBILE HARDWARE: Linea Pro

The Linea Pro is a sleeve for an iPhone or iPod touch. In addition to providing a moderate level of durability and protection to the iPod touch, it also offers a hot-swappable battery that not only powers the scanner but also serves to keep the iPod fully charged. The Linea Pro has both a 1D/2D barcode scanner and magnetic stripe reader, which makes it perfectly suited for applications like retail point-of-sale where the product can be scanned and the customer’s credit card swiped. The Linea Pro is the perfect device for many types of applications, and although the latest version now supports the iPhone 4/4S and iPod 4th Gen, the Linea Pro does not work with the iPad. $499-599, ipclineapro.com.

iPHONE RECEIPT PRINTING:

Linea Pro offers a a few portable printer options. Star Micronics America has announced the availability of iOS and Android drivers for all of its printers. The drivers allow end-users to utilize Star Micronics printers in tandem with Apple iPad™, iPod Touch®, iPhone® and Android devices to generate receipts and perform related functions in retail and restaurant environments.  The TSP100ECO is a popular receipt printer priced at about $235 online.  They also offer a line of portable receipt printers.

MOBILE SOFTWARE:  Linea Pro is a hardware only company. Special software must be used to process the information captured by the barcode scanner and magnetic stripe reading feature. Linea-pro does not come with any included software.

IPHONE CREDIT CARD APP:  CenPOS Mobile

Transform your Apple device into a secure credit card terminal allowing you to accept card swiped, hand keyed and tokenized transactions. CenPOS Mobile is your entry point into the CenPOS community connecting you to all of your CenPOS payment acceptance platforms- including retail, online, ecommerce, phone orders, kiosk, and electronic bill presentment and payment. Access detailed reporting for transactions that occur throughout your business enterprise, not only on your CenPOS Mobile device. Our unique offering does not require you to change financial services providers, and is easy to implement. The app is free. CenPOS SaaS pricing is based on business volume.

CenPOS Mobile Features

• Receive credit card authorizations quickly and securely on the go.
• Full transactional array including: Sale, Repeat Sale, Create Token, Authorization, Force, Return, Credit, and Void
• Capture signatures electronically by having the customer sign on your CenPOS Mobile Device.
• Deliver customized receipts instantly to customers by email.
• Easy enterprise level reporting that allows you to view all payment activity through CenPOS. Payments made through your CenPOS Mobile device, retail location, and ecommerce website can all be seen in one location.
• Generate credit card authorizations by either swiping a credit card, manual entry, or through the use of a token*.
• Payment information is hosted and not stored on your CenPOS mobile device.
• Free software and no surcharge to use any of our other products
• 7 years data storage vs typical 12 to 18 months
• Remote supervisor approval, cashier permissions, and password change/ unblock

* Tokens are unique randomly generated alpha numeric character sets that replace the credit card information so that data can be securely stored for repeat and recurring sale needs.

INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS: IPHONE 4, LINEA PRO 4 AND CENPOS MOBILE work together to create efficiencies, mitigate internal and external fraud risk and control credit card processing expenses.

• Business to Business:  Sales representatives capture credit card swipe at time of order with ‘dummy proof ‘ prompts, eliminating exposed credit card numbers on paperwork; store data for future payment processing. Qualify for both retail and MOTO interchange rates for lowest costs for each transaction type.
• Non-profit and event fundraisers: speed up checkout for silent auctions and capture valuable data about your donors using QR code and other options.
• Automotive industry: new car dealers deliver parts and record date, time, location when signature captured. License scann
• Restaurants: pay and sign at the table
• Casino:  Credit at the table (Regulatory restrictions may vary.)
• Retail: Integrated bar code reader and payment app, holistic solution for multi-channel sales back office reporting.
• Telecom: Holistic solution for customers to pay bills in store at kiosk, buy new services on devices you sell, and pay bills online.
• Pawn & gun shops: integrated scanning of drivers license.

WHAT MERCHANTS NEED TO KNOW

iPhone vs iPad:  The iPad solution is a bit clunkier due to the size of the iPad and method to attach peripherals. The iPhone sleeve is very thin and wraps around the iPhone. Which is best? It depends on your situation. For a fixed cashier station, the iPad may be the better choice, while for walk-around, the iPhone may be the best option.

Key- entered transactions: If you key enter a transaction on a retail merchant account, you’re required to get a signed receipt to defend against disputes. The assumption is that the customer is present, but the card didn’t swipe, so it’s a face to face transaction. CenPOS offers an alternative option. The merchant can choose to have all key-entered transactions submitted with the MOTO, or card not present, indicator. This is a key differentiator of other products. Call for details.

WHERE TO BUY:

Contact Christine Speedy 954-942-0483 for the entire range of products in this article, including CenPOS direct. Merchants can buy hardware from any source. We’re hardware and payment processor neutral.

This article highlights another hidden way we help business to business companies reduce the cost of accepting credit cards. If your company primarily accepts credit cards as Card Not Present, you have a MOTO merchant account. Many merchants are now looking at adding mobile payments to lower the cost of accepting payments. However, just like with Visa, MasterCard and Discover,  merchants need to follow certain rules that almost no one is telling merchants about.

American Express has a non-swiped Transaction fee of .30% for non-swiped transactions on top of their regular Discount Rate. So if you swipe the card, you automatically get the lower rate, yes? No!

Here’s the non-swiped Transaction fee rule: A fee applied to any Charge for which we did not receive both (i) the full Magnetic Stripe, and (ii) the indicator as to whether the Card was swiped.

When you applied for your American Express merchant account, it would have been set up as MOTO. This means transactions are sent with the MOTO indicator. If you swipe cards on a mobile device, your processor or gateway or virtual terminal is still sending the all transactions with the MOTO indicator. So you pay .30% above the discount rate because your system is telling them it’s a non-swiped transaction.

How you can save .30% with mobile payments, without creating a separate mobile merchant account? Our intelligent payment processing platform automatically detects how the transaction is accepted, swiped or key entered, and then will automatically change the indicator to RETAIL (swipe) so that you qualify for the lower rate.

Here’s how it works:

• Keep your existing merchant accounts.
• Add our intelligent Virtual terminal for all transaction types and acceptance points.
• Process all transactions through our Saas payment processing solution.
• Transactions are dynamically routed automatically to mitigate risk and qualify all transactions for the lowest rates.

This review of ROAMpay X, ROAM Data’s flagship mobile payments product which converts a mobile device into a secure POS terminal,  focuses on key differences between RoamPay and CenPOS, a fast growing payment processing platform.   As a disclosure, your writer can offer most mobile applications to merchants, including RoamPay and CenPOS.

This review targets businesses with revenues from all sources exceeding $1M annually. Typically,

• The business has ‘interchange plus’ pricing for their merchant account.
• Mobile is only one method for accepting credit cards throughout the organization.

“ROAM Data, Inc. is the leading global mCommerce platform provider extending both physical Point of Sale (POS) and virtual eCommerce to the mobile environment.”

Key RoamPay mobile solution features:

• Low cost solution for business to consumer retail sales.
• Roampay provisions by phone number.
• Mobile and virtual terminal interface for sales is the same look and feel. Overall functions are nearly identical.
• To facilitate entering a customer’s address information, there is an optional reverse phone lookup field by entering customers phone number.
• Optional Roam Offers service allows merchants to push out deals.
• Stores encrypted transactions on the device when offline. User will be reminded to upload transactions when they can connect and login again.
• Users can view sales data for 30 days on the mobile device and 90 days on the virtual terminal. Some data may be exported.
• API’s are available.

“CenPOS is an intelligent payment processing network that streamlines the payment experience for businesses and consumers by using state-of-the-art technology to replace inefficient, outdated payment systems. Our comprehensive and holistic approach to payment processing is easily implemented and scalable to your business.”

Key CenPOS mobile solution features:

• Most cost efficient solution for larger businesses and business to business. CenPOS technology helps merchants save up to 1.05% per transaction, depending on the card type and other factors – with their existing merchant account.
• CenPOS has a scalable mobile solution- merchant administrators enable users on the platform via a virtual terminal. There are no per user or per device fees or administration. With custom roles, custom permissions, and infinite controls, the merchant mitigates both internal and external risk.
• Mobile and virtual terminal interface for sales is the same look and feel, but the platform also includes additional modules and features. CenPOS is a scalable platform with a robust set of tools for varying departmental needs ranging from reconciliation to remote supervisor transaction override to custom reports. User permissions, access and alerts are managed by appropriate administrators.
• Especially useful for B2B, health membership clubs, and storage companies, customers can swipe their card and store encrypted and tokenized for recurring billing later. Uniquely, CenPOS will represent the initial transaction as retail, and subsequent transactions as card not present, mitigating risk and qualifying transactions for lower interchange rates in some cases.
• Merchants can choose what data to collect and use for data mining.
• CenPOS stores data for 7 years.

LOGIC DIFFERENCES: Like most mobile payment apps, CenPOS has a significant operational differences than other applications, such as what happens when you key enter a credit card on a retail merchant account?

I had a very difficult time digging in to the details of what the Roam product line can and cannot do. Either there are many limitations, or the information is simply not shared online.

	RoamPay	CenPOS	Comments
FUNCTION/SCREENS	cash, credit, offline sale, void, refund, inquiry, change password	TRANSACTIONS:Sale, void, quick return, voice auth, auth, quick force, credit, create token sale, repeat sale, positive card.  Tips and sales tax also shown.REPORTS:reprint, transaction search, cashier report, supervisor approval, transaction locations. SETTINGS: change password, restaurant mode (tax/tip) on or off. Robust reporting with 7 years data stored.	Roampay appears to be a single user single account solution, but if true, I’m sure that will be updated in the near future.CenPOS is a scalable solution with remote deployment. It includes a virtual terminal to manage user permissions- 100% customizeable- and access. CenPOS supports many sales functions any merchant desires, plus offers strict user permission controls, for example, blocking refunds or voids if desired. While CenPOS does not support ‘cash’ today, there are POS solutions with integrated CenPOS that do, including CenPOS POS. Transactions completed on any mobile device are instantly available on the virtual terminal. Supervisors can override to approve transactions from a mobile device or any computer (authorized).
Payment processing	Works with First Data Nashville, Chase Paymentech Tampa, Global East, Sage Payment Solutions . Offline transactions – When cellular signal is not available, transactions can be stored securely and uploaded at a later time when your network is accessible.	Works with all major credit card processors.Does not support store and upload later. All transactions are in real time. User could call office and have a transaction entered via a virtual terminal.	RoamPay is a RETAIL solution.CenPOS supports more processors, and more importantly, more transaction types for both retail and card not present.
How to buy	Contact your credit card processor	Buy direct or through authorized resellers
Costs	Fees are per device- contact your processor. There is usually a set-up, monthly fee, and transaction fee.	CenPOS customers get the mobile application free with unlimited users.	CenPOS accepts payments via all inputs- brick and mortar, ecommerce, online, mobile, kiosk etc. providing a robust SaaS to help merchants mitigate risk, manage costs, and reduce PCI burden.
HARDWARE	RoamPay encrypted reader.	Hardware vendor agnostic. Popular choices are IDTech encrypted readers including IDTech Shuttle, IDTech iMag Pro, IDTech UniMag II.  Choose only encrypted magnetic stripe readers for PCI.	ID Tech recently added a new product for phone jacks (all Androids use phone jack card reader) that has a rubber piece that helps keep it from slipping. Droid mobile payments users have always lamented the slip problem for all brand readers.CenPOS is compatible with the same hardware that Apple uses in it’s stores for ‘anywhere’ checkout that includes a bar code reader.
Hardware cost	Usually included with set up fee ranging from $99 to $249.	$35-139, and up to $350 for other  high volume multi-purpose options.	If you have an Apple product, choose a reader that plugs in to the bottom. Users prefer them to reduce retries and for the sturdier feel.
COMPATIBILITY	iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, PC/mac. Same solution for devices and computers.	iPad, iPhone, Android, iTouch, PC, Mac, and tablets.Features vary by product to take advantage of each devices’ unique attributes.
EXTRAS	Roam Pay is owned by ROAM Data, which was acquired by Ingenico in 2012. They’ve announced an NFC solution will launch in mid-2012.	Cenpos solutions include Virtual Terminal, Dashboard, Retail signature capture, EBPP, Recurring billing, Online Payments, Kiosk, open source ERP, open source ecommerce integrations. Level II and level III data supported to reduce corporate and p-card processing costs.CenPOS is privately held and has announced support for EMV will be offered.	RoamPay is a solid mobile solution with many innovations expected to come.CenPOS is a more robust solution for existing operations that include multiple payment acceptance points, including retail, online, kiosk and mobile. CenPOS is an entire PCI compliant payment solution that can be integrated with your software. Open source shopping carts, ERP, secure online pay pages and more.
Roampay uses the audio jack only. The standard sale screen is ready to go for restaurants.	IDtech imag pro, above, plugs into the power slot on an iPhone. It is shown with an an unknown application screenshot. CenPOS mobile app screen below. Users only see tabs for functions they have permissions for- this screen shows all available.  Not shown in image- “positive card”, used for zero dollar authorization to validate a card before storing for later billing.

Comparing CenPOS and RoamPay is like comparing apples and oranges. They are nothing alike, but they both have a place in the mobile payments space and they are both growing fast. As a standalone restaurant application, Roampay is better with it’s tax and tip.  As an integrated solution, CenPOS is better with it’s flexible, scalability.

DISCLAIMER: This review uses publicly available information posted on the competitive product web site as of 7/25/2012. The review does not include the credit card processing, just the mobile application. RoamPay is a registered trademark of ROAM Data, Inc..

WHERE TO BUY

RoamPay can only be purchased through your merchant services provider.

CenPOS is sold through direct agents and resellers. Click here to become a CenPOS customer.  Or call the hotline at the top of this web page.

Breaking down why the Payware announcement at ETA 2012 in Las Vegas left attendees unimpressed.

NEW Complete Solution to Help You Succeed in Mobile Payments

PAYware Mobile’s Secure Audio Reader Launches at ETA 2012

PAYware Mobile’s secure audio reader made its debut at the 2012 ETA Annual Meeting & Expo. PAYware Mobile is VeriFone’s payment solution for smart devices that allows merchants to accept payments wherever and whenever they do business.

With PAYware Mobile’s new secure audio reader, merchants can now swipe a card and capture a signature and email receipts – with security and reliability – so they never have to miss another sales opportunity.

What’s New?

Easily and conveniently accepts credit card and signature based debit card transactions – simply insert audio reader into an audio jack
Perfect for today’s popular smart devices – compatible with iOS, Android and BlackBerry operating systems
Allows account administrators to activate, manage and even deactivate gateway access of devices that are lost or stolen
Saves time and reduces transaction fees with swiped, card present transactions
Eliminates manual entry errors and reduces deposit slips and printed receipts

Let’s also add these excerpts from official 12/2012 Payware sales literature.

• How is PAYware Mobile different from other solutions out there? …”Merchants trust and rely on VeriFone”…”allow the customer to sign their name on iPhone’s screen”…”integrated capacitive stylus”

Is any of this really ground-breaking different? I think not. I’ll give them credit for their other efforts in retail, however, this is just another ‘me too’ solution. In fact, after the event I attended a conference call in which an executive from a large ISO summed it up by saying, ‘pretty much everyone was offering ME TOO products’. The one exception was, you guessed it, CenPOS.

Keeping on task with the Payware mobile solution comparison, here are some advantages of CenPOS Mobile vs Payware Mobile:

• Only CenPOS mobile optimizes payments to qualify transactions for lower interchange rates, the bulk of credit card processing fees.
• Only CenPOS mobile has automated switching for retail/Moto presentment so merchants can mitigate risk of lost disputes.
• Only CenPOS mobile stores 7 years receipts, including with signature.
• Only CenPOS mobile enables merchants to securely store payment data for future recurring or repeat sale needs.
• Only CenPOS mobile supports ‘supervisor approval’ so a remote administrator can override a transaction from another.

Both services offer:

• Hosted payment processing
• Remote user management
• Multi-environment support: CenPOS has one hub for mobile, retail, kiosk, online, ecommerce. I’m not sure how Payware works with that, but they do support multi channel sales.
• Tablet POS

Beyond Mobile:

GlobalBay, acquired by Verifone offers a wizard driven environment for scripting. I haven’t seen, so cannot comment, but it sounds good. They also offer inventory management, retailing, and a ‘clienteling’ suite for additional fees.

CenPOS offers API’s that can be customized to connect to ERP’s and other back end solutions. Essentially, a merchant can integrate one time, and then apply for any application need.They also offer a free open source POS, ERP, and ecommerce shopping cart.

Groundbreaking: CenPOS supports Level 3 data in both retail and MOTO. It’s not supported on mobile yet.