Entrepreneurs, traders, you must know payment terminals! Do you use it on a daily basis or have not yet dared to take the plunge? Do you use a fixed or android pos terminal?

Let’s recap!

Android pos terminal: the different types

The android pos terminal exists in three forms and thus meets all the needs of payment by credit card.

The fixed terminal

The most classic, it is fixed since it is connected to an Ethernet cable or ADSL connection to operate. Intended to remain on a counter or in a fixed place, it can quickly become less practical.

The android terminal

The android terminal looks like a fixed TPE, but wireless because it works on battery. Thanks to this, it can be moved. However, it must be placed regularly on its base in order to be recharged. It quickly becomes essential in a bar or restaurant-type businesses where the customer can pay without moving while remaining seated at his table, which is obviously not possible with fixed terminals. 

M POS

The POS for mobile Point Of Sale is a small android pos terminal operating through a smartphone or tablet and a payment application. This latest generation of payment terminals also takes the form of a box and allows payments by credit card or smartphone. MPOS is very popular with mobile food truck businesses, street vendors in markets, taxis, VTCs, etc.

How does an android pos terminal work?

Fixed or mobile TPEs have the same type of operation (other than the connection allowing them to operate).

The android pos terminal works like a traditional TPE thanks to a 3G, 4G or WiFi connection.

The m POS type android pos terminal works differently. First, you need to install a mobile application on your smartphone or tablet (available on Android and iOs). This application controls your reader: you connect your reader via Bluetooth to your phone and then you connect to the mobile application. You can then enter the amount of the transaction to be cashed and trigger the payment: the reader takes over, the customer proceeds to payment. Once the transaction is completed, the payment ticket is displayed on your mobile application to send the payment ticket by SMS or email.

It is thanks to the internet connection of your phone, 3G or 4G that the reader works.

The EMV chip corresponds to the standard for payment with an electronic chip on bank cards. When it first appeared in the 90s, its specificity was to secure payments and prevent fraud. In order for payment to be made via the EMV chip, the customer inserts his bank card into the android pos terminal and enters his four-digit PIN (confidential) code

The Near Field Communication (NFC) and contactless payment

Contactless payments have become almost automatic for a large part of consumers. For this, the customer must only bring his card or his mobile near the TPE.

Data processing

As soon as you’re mobile TPE has received the data (transaction information), they are transmitted to a payment processor which contacts your bank as well as your customer’s bank card network. The issuing bank (the cardholder’s bank) is then questioned. It then checks that the customer has the necessary funds for payment and that the transaction is not fraudulent, that the bank card is not a stolen card… Once the payment has been accepted, the payment processor is informed. . He then puts the funds on hold for about 24 to 48 working hours

What is the cost of an android pos terminal?

To compare the cost of an android pos terminal according to the providers, you must take into account several factors:

The range of terminals;

The purchase price of the TPE (between 80 and 550 €) or the rental price of the TPE (from 20 to 60 € per month);

The printer if there is one;

The price of consumables;

The maintenance contract;

Warranty extension

The duration of the appointment and the terms of suspension

These are estimates, it is best to get information directly from the players concerned! Make comparisons and select the best deal for you.