Curious, I’m getting more and more demand for this service here in Canada and i’m losing business but for a service like mine ATM it’s not feasible. Would require 8 machines for all my delivery staff for the winter season at about 50 bucks a crack per month plus airtime. The thing is my drivers don’t come back to base as I operate a restaurant delivery service but I’m opening a new pizza/ chinese store and I think it would work as the machine could be brought back after the delivery.
How many of you use the mobile debit /credit card machines? and have you noticed an increase in business and happier customers?
Are you a member of CRFA? If not join, rates are good and rates on those machines are also good.
I dont have one now but getting one when I start delivery.
Cheers
the machine i have is the one i used when i had pottery business side of road gypsy type operation bought at sams club or costco dont rember still using it today only problem is where i live dont have good enough cell service to use wireless use as counter top only but if you had good cell service no problem take in car with driver swipe card on front porch have nice day if you want ill get make and model tommorow steer you in right direction maybe.
Moneris and POS West both have the terminals in Canada. TD and BMO both are connected with Moneris and POS West will work with you to use your current merchant service. The units are GSM tecnology so they require you to be in a Rogers cell service area.
I have a freedom 5 from TD. Im on the east coast of canada, must pay an additional $30 a month for cell service through bell along with the $35 for the unit. We can use the unit in places cell phones have no reception, it puts a little extra strain on the battery. I was the first indie in our area with one so i would say it is worth it. customers have come to expect this service now and as our society becomes more “cashless” it is more necessary.
I worked in a place that had 3 drivers on at a time with only one of these units. if you have the right people inside to organize the del. you might be able to pull it off. There would be the odd time that a customer would be told over the phone that there would be a delay if they wanted to use debit, they were usually fine with that or found the cash
I may be missing something here. If you are talking about a branded (VISA, et al) debit card, then you could take the number over the phone and run as a credit card.
If you are truly talking about an ATM type card, then can you not also take the number and PIN over the phone? Sure, they take a security risk, but you get them to signa waiver of liability, and take precautions to protect their data. Voila?
Were talking about the actual wireless terminal to take debit and credit cards at the door. I’ve looked into all the Canadian options and for my type of business (Multiple Restaurant delivery service) where my drivers never go back to my dispatch office, meaning each driver would need to have a unit on board. I could just get 2 units and make customers wait if they want to use debit but this would only create problems in my level of service.
For a pizza del co. it would work great as the drivers come back to base and I will go this route when I open my store.
Looking just to take credit cards? Why not take the card over the phone? CC Companies let you do that… Maybe Canada is different eh…? Technically it won’t work for ATM as the customer must type in pin, not likely to give that to you over the phone. But, my wife uses the debit card all the time as a credit card by hitting the button that says it’s a credit card, goes through and I think she doesn’t get hit with the debit fees, not sure about that though. Tried it myself - running the debit card as a credit card, it worked for me too.
Seems that when you take the order you could suggest the “traditional tip” when running it in-case they don’t have a couple of bucks laying around for the driver.
I already take credit cards over th phone and we need to get a manual imprint at the door as proof the card was in hand, cuz if i get a charge back we need to prove to the credit card comapny that we had the card in hand with a signature. Simply want to take debit cards but the mobile terminals are too pricy ATM
thats insane, here in Canada its about $50 to $75 per month rental just for one portable terminal plus air time at a high rate per minute. Too pricy for me.
I am in northern Alberta Canada and I charge the customers who want the debit to the door $1.5 for the service. I pay about $90 a month total for each machine so the service charge to the customer covers what I pay out to the service provider. I would loose about $200 in sales every day if I didn’t have the machine.
nick I am with you, must be a northern thing, we run the card at the store and they sign for it at the door…Now if your CC company requires proof other than the signature reciept than you may be able to input the security code but that is all set up through the processor
the guy from RBS Lynk trolls through here often maybe we can get his input…what I like to look at is how many orders do I have to do to make this cost effective?
ALOT!