Point of Sale Systems for Mobile Businesses

In this day and age, if a business doesn't offer some kind of convenience to its customers, their customers will seek out a business that does. Businesses that can offer mobile services, the kind that take the service to the customer, they will be able to compete in an often crowded market place. The problem with mobile businesses, however, is that the business needs a way to charge clients for their services in the field. Since most people don't carry cash like they used to, and since most businesses prefer not to accept checks due to the risk of insufficient funds in the customer's account, the best option for mobile businesses are mobile point of sale systems.

A mobile point of sale system is one that allows a business to process credit cards via a handheld point of sale system. There are different options for the business owner to consider:

Cellular Telephone Processing: This system allows the business representative to dial a number from a touch tone phone, enter some kind of business identification pin number, and then enter the credit card number and security code when prompted. This will charge the customer's credit card in the amount that the business representative inputs via the keypad.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Processing: Using wireless Internet technology and a specially configured PDA a business owner can utilize a mobile touch screen to access a POS program which will allow the user to enter the credit card number and cost of sale for immediate processing.

Mobile Card Swipe Processing: Similar to the PDA process, mobile card swipe technology allows credit and debit cards to be processed in the field in a similar way to processing at a traditional POS terminal. A card swipe reader is permanently attached to a handheld device with a small screen and keypad to authorize transactions. It is possible to find card swipe attachments that will allow business users to attach a swipe card reader to the other devices mentioned above, the PDA and the cell phone.

The important thing to remember when purchasing a mobile POS solution is that there will be some cost to maintain the wireless connectivity, just like any cell phone or data card. Fees will almost always be added by the card processing company that are equal to a percentage of the sale. The business owner should consider these added costs when shopping for a mobile POS terminal.

To offer further convenience in the field, mobile printers are available that allow the business representative to immediately print a receipt for the customer. This will keep the representative from taking up any more of his time or the customer's time because a handwritten receipt or invoice won't need to be completed. There are several handheld POS terminals that come fully capable of swiping credit/debit cards and printing receipts all from the same machine.

These mobile solutions may be purchased individually or in bulk for businesses that employ several field representatives. Bulk purchases may or may not be eligible for a bulk rate, so the business owner should be sure to inquire about any deals from the mobile POS distributor.