Square is often used by vendors at SF conventions. The scanner is free from the website (you can buy it in various electronics places; you’re credited the price of the scanner in your account when that’s set up).
I use it when I sell my books. It’s very convenient to be able to take credit cards, and Square’s cut is very reasonable.
Why buy an expensive credit card terminal when you can build your own, for free?
Anyway, who still swipes their credit cards? Those things all have a chip now!
Let’s say you really could build your own credit card terminal “for free” (although I don’t see how you can do this if you need any actual hardware). How are you going to process the credit card transactions? That’s part of what you get with a credit card terminal.
America really needs to move away from the check game. Or “cheque”, as I would spell it. What a clumsy and unwieldy way to pay for things.
I haven’t written a cheque in over 15 years, and not even seen one in about 12 years.
I actually have several of these devices (that were sen’t to me for free from various apps/processors) sitting around collecting dust.
I mostly use Paypal. I’ve had 1 transaction go through Square, and that was online. It’s good to have the card readers in case I ever do have an in-person requirement but I mostly operate through online subscriptions.
I’ve been seeing these for years while out shopping or browsing, especially at temporary events, seasonal markets, etc.
Yea paypal has been pushing one of these readers on me for years, but most of my sales are through the internet so I don’t need it.
I got in a situation like the OP when I discovered edible metal balls, I was fascinated and awed but my wife was like what come on they have had these for decades how can you never have known of this lol.