# Credit Card Sales -there's a Phone App for that these days. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652 "2015-09-01T23:34:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/1 "2015-09-01T23:34:06Z")
I just had quite interesting credit card transaction. My music teacher whips out his phone, plugs in this tiny CC scan adapter and presto swipes and charges my card. A 6% fee. I normally pay him by check, but am currently out. I recall in 1998 when I set up my computer business. I had to pay several hundred bucks for a credit card terminal. It required a phone jack and it logged itself into some service to handle the charges. There was a tiny thermal printer that made a ticket receipt. They gave me one hell of a time getting approved. They were really paranoid I might use it for credit card fraud. Especially since my computer business was only part-time. I had to closely check ID and even then I was responsible if a card I accepted was bad. I only charged a few sales on the thing in a couple years. I was losing too much money and closed after that. It’s still boxed up and on a closet shelf. Now I guess anyone can go to the App store and get setup to accept credit cards? All you need is the tiny plug in adapter to swipe the card. I’ll revert back to checks after they come in. I don’t like the 6% fee. But it’s still pretty fascinating. I wouldn’t trust just anyone to scan my card. I’ve taken lessons from this teacher for awhile and he teaches from a facility. I felt safe letting him use his app. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/2 "2015-09-01T23:42:11Z")
Found the adapter that teacher used. [http://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/square-iphone-credit-card-reader-640x427-c.jpg?ver=17](http://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/square-iphone-credit-card-reader-640x427-c.jpg?ver=17) I’m not surprised the technology exists. I am surprised they make it so easy for just anybody to accept credit cars. Like I said, they put me through the third degree to get a scanner in 1998. Not to mention the outrageous cost for the terminal/printer thing. mine was like this [http://www.merchantdatasystems.com/img/Verifone.jpg](http://www.merchantdatasystems.com/img/Verifone.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/3 "2015-09-02T00:50:35Z")
You must not get out much. _Square_ has been around for years. Out here, almost every small restaurant uses Square and an iPad to accept payments. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/4 "2015-09-02T01:10:28Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > _Square_ has been around for years. It’s been available since 2010. I see them everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/5 "2015-09-02T01:26:41Z")
I go to local restaurants and stores several times a week. They all have the standard keypad terminal on the counter top. No different today from ten years ago. They ring up the sale and tell me to swipe my card. Do I want Cash Back? etc. This was the first time I used a really small business (a music instructor). They don’t have a cash register at that place. You prepay by cash, check or cc. This app thing he used was new to me. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/6 "2015-09-02T01:41:31Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > You must not get out much. This has already been established. In addition to Square there are also similar products available from PayWare and Intuit. They all work pretty much the same way - using a smart-phone’s mic input to transmit the magstripe information. These are going to get a bit more difficult to deal with once EMV becomes required. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/7 "2015-09-02T01:47:58Z")
If the OP visited a farmer’s market, art fair, or craft show he’d find almost everybody has Square or one of the less popular equivalents. As do many plumbers, handymen, etc. Damn near anybody that doesn’t need a fixed retail premises has this. And more and more fixed retail places are switching too. A neat thing about Square and the others is that the retailer never has any access to your CC info. It’s entirely inside the sealed app on the locked down smartphone. So it’s far safer than giving your card to a conventional POS terminal at Target, your grocery store, or some restaurant. I have never been asked to pay any surcharge anywhere. So I’m not sure about the 6% fee the OP refers to. Surely the merchant pays the CC company something. But 6% sounds kinda outlandishly high. And tacking it on to the price of the goods/services sounds very odd. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/8 "2015-09-02T13:26:19Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > You must not get out much. He may, but it is Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/9 "2015-09-02T13:47:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > If the OP visited a farmer’s market, art fair, or craft show he’d find almost everybody has Square or one of the less popular equivalents. As do many plumbers, handymen, etc. Damn near anybody that doesn’t need a fixed retail premises has this. And more and more fixed retail places are switching too. You can even get a [stand](https://squareup.com/pos) on which you can mount an iPad or Android tablet to use as a cash register/point-of-sale system. Even the stand is unnecessary, as the cash register is an app on the tablet. If you want, you can add a cash drawer and receipt printer to the stand. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/10 "2015-09-02T14:22:08Z")
PayPal will give you the reader free if you sign up for PayPal Here. The Mrs uses it for a charitable organization, and I’ve used it with some clients. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/11 "2015-09-02T14:34:49Z")
1. Food truck style taco/burrito stands in Artesia, NM used them. [Artesia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artesia,_New_Mexico) is a dinky runt of a town in a very rural county. Even driving up Hwy 82 to [Cloudcroft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudcroft,_New_Mexico), we stopped at a small antique/curio shop that barely had running water. They used one. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/12 "2015-09-02T14:48:57Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Even driving up Hwy 82 to [Cloudcroft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudcroft,_New_Mexico), we stopped at a small antique/curio shop that barely had running water. They used one. Well, sure. It’s harder to sell “antiques” to passing tourists when they don’t have that much cash on hand and checks have become so risky. “Oh, John, it’s BEAUTIFUL.” “It’s ugly and it’s two thousand dollars, Marsha.” “…We take Visa, sir.” “Johnnnn…?” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/13 "2015-09-02T15:13:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I just had quite interesting credit card transaction. My music teacher whips out his phone, plugs in this tiny CC scan adapter and presto swipes and charges my card. A 6% fee. I normally pay him by check, but am currently out. I’m not sure why your music teacher charged you a six-percent fee for using a credit card. At worst, a Square reader will incur a fee of 3.5% plus fifteen cents for a transaction keyed in manually. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/14 "2015-09-02T16:52:41Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > You can even get a [stand](https://squareup.com/pos) on which you can mount an iPad or Android tablet to use as a cash register/point-of-sale system. Even the stand is unnecessary, as the cash register is an app on the tablet. If you want, you can add a cash drawer and receipt printer to the stand. The coffee place near me has a stand that flips, which is nice. They use it as a register, and then it flips over for you to sign it. A lot easier then signing on a iPad that’s being awkwardly held. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/15 "2015-09-02T17:19:13Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Well, sure. It’s harder to sell “antiques” to passing tourists when they don’t have that much cash on hand and checks have become so risky. Yes, which is what I’m already pointing out. It’s so commonplace now that even odd ball retail on the fringes of rural highways is likely to have a Square or PayPal reader. Free or low cost account (with trans fees\*) and a smart phone (3G coverage was all they had there at that time) is all that’s needed. Frankly, I’m surprised the OP was so surprised. \*On my accts, even if the reader swipe fails, I can type in the info. It charges a slightly higher trans fee. I’ve been very thankful for this method of taking other people’s money when selling at fairs and art shows, in addition to add on sales/services when already on a photo shoot. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/16 "2015-09-02T18:08:05Z")
I’ve seen these all over the place for years now. Not exactly earth shattering technology. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/17 "2015-09-02T18:24:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **LSLGuy** : > > If the OP visited a farmer’s market, art fair, or craft show he’d find almost everybody has Square or one of the less popular equivalents. Well, not necessarily everyone. At the farmer’s market my mom sells at, there’s one booth for the market organizers where they’re equipped to take credit cards (presumably something like Square), and they’ll sell you tokens which you can use in lieu of cash with any of the other vendors. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/18 "2015-09-02T18:32:36Z")
“So, I was buttoning up my fly and I noticed another fellow in the men’s room had a device on his trouser fly that simplified the process, more or less “zipping” the sides together!” ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/19 "2015-09-02T18:59:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > “So, I was buttoning up my fly and I noticed another fellow in the men’s room had a device on his trouser fly that simplified the process, more or less “zipping” the sides together!” Huh, didn’t figure you for a “peeker”… ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652/20 "2015-09-02T19:27:38Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] In addition to Square there are also similar products available from PayWare and Intuit. They all work pretty much the same way - using a smart-phone’s mic input to transmit the magstripe information. These are going to get a bit more difficult to deal with once EMV becomes required. [/QUOTE] Square has a new EMV reader “Coming soon” that handles EMV and NFC, so you’d be able to accept chip and sign and ApplePay. They also have a chip-and-PIN EMV reader that can be bought now for about $150, which is cheap as chips, as payment devices go. EMV in general, is going to be more difficult for everyone, at least at first. People will have to get used to “dip it and leave it” while the card, reader, and payment processor have a conversation. Also, **EMV is not required**. (Can I make that blink to help clear that popular misconception?) At least it’s not presently required, and there are a few carve-out exceptions, such as gas pumps not needing to be retrofitted until somewhere in 2017. A merchant is free to continue accepting swipe-and-sign magstripe cards, but the [fraud liability shifts](https://squareup.com/emv-liability-shift)to them. More specifically, the liability is laid on the least-compliant party, which means a merchant that has an EMV reader won’t be liable for a fraudulent transaction if the customer uses a magstripe card. If the card issuer hasn’t provided their customer with an EMV card, the bank is on the hook. The next couple of months will be very, very busy ones for the plastic issuance folks who make the actual credit cards. My corporate charge card has only been updated to an EMV version this week, but none of my other credit or debit cards have been chipped yet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-sales-theres-a-phone-app-for-that-these-days/729652.md?page=2)