How to choose a card terminal that fits how you sell.

To choose a card terminal, start with where and how you take payments, then pick a device that accepts chip, tap and swipe, connects reliably in that spot and has the features your checkout needs. Before you sign, confirm whether you are buying, renting or leasing it and whether it can be used with another processor later.

The terminal is the part of card processing your customers actually touch. A poor fit shows up every day: lines that move slowly, receipts that won’t print, a dead spot in the back of the dining room. A good fit disappears into the background.

Step 1: Map where payments happen

Walk through your business and list every place a customer pays. Most businesses fall into one or more of these:

Where you take payments	What usually fits
A fixed checkout counter	A countertop terminal or a full POS station
At the table or around the floor	A handheld or wireless terminal
On the road, at events or job sites	A mobile terminal with cellular data
Online, by phone or by invoice	A payment gateway and virtual terminal, not a device
Several stations and inventory to track	A POS system with connected terminals

If you sell in two of these places, you may need two kinds of device, connected to the same account and reporting. Our guide to countertop vs. mobile vs. POS compares the formats in detail.

Step 2: Check the features that matter

These are the features worth checking on any terminal:

• EMV chip. Inserting a chip card is the standard for in-person payments and helps protect you from counterfeit-card fraud.
• Contactless (NFC). Lets customers tap cards, phones and watches. See contactless and tap to pay.
• Magnetic stripe. Still needed as a fallback for older cards.
• PIN entry. Needed for PIN debit and helpful for some international chip cards.
• Connection. Ethernet is the most stable at a counter. Wi-Fi is flexible. Cellular works where Wi-Fi doesn’t reach.
• Receipt printer. Built-in printers save counter space. Some businesses prefer email or text-message receipts instead.
• Tips and dual pricing. Restaurants need tip prompts or tip adjust. Businesses running a cash discount program need a terminal that can show both prices.
• Battery life. For handheld and mobile terminals, check that it lasts a full shift or event.

Step 3: Ask who owns it and who it works with

This is the step most buyers skip, and it is where many of the costs hide. Ask these questions in writing:

1. Am I buying, renting or leasing it? Buying means you own it. Renting is usually month to month. Leasing is often a separate, long, non-cancellable contract. Read terminal leasing pitfalls before signing a lease.
2. Can it be reprogrammed for another processor? Some terminals are locked to one processor. If you switch, you may need new hardware.
3. What happens if it breaks? Ask about replacement, a loaner and how long you would be without it.
4. Is there a monthly fee for the device or its software? Some devices carry ongoing charges separate from processing.
5. Will it work with my POS, gateway or software? A terminal that can’t talk to your POS means double entry at every sale.

A “free terminal” offer often comes with a long contract, a higher rate or an early termination fee. The device is never really free. Ask what you are agreeing to in exchange.

Step 4: Think about the next few years

Card technology and card-brand rules change over time. A few habits keep you from buying twice:

• Pick a current model that accepts chip, tap and mobile wallets today, rather than the lowest-priced older device.
• Make sure the device gets security updates. Unsupported devices can fall out of step with PCI requirements.
• If you might add locations, choose devices that report into one account, so you aren’t juggling logins.
• If you are unhappy with your processor, avoid hardware that only works with that processor.

If a full POS system is on your list, our POS system buying guide covers software, inventory and integrations as well.

Step 5: Match the terminal to your pricing program

Your terminal and your pricing are more connected than they look. If you plan to run a surcharge or a cash discount program, the device has to support it correctly:

• Surcharging. Card-brand rules cap surcharges at 3% and don’t allow them on debit or prepaid cards, so the terminal or software needs to tell credit from debit, often by checking the card’s number range. It must also show the surcharge to the customer before they pay.
• Cash discount and dual pricing. The terminal should show a cash price and a card price clearly, and print both correctly on the receipt.
• Tips. If the amount can change after the card is approved, the device needs a tip-adjust feature set up the right way.

Some states restrict surcharging, so check current state rules before turning it on. Getting these settings right at the start avoids reprinted signs, confused customers and fixes after the fact.

What PayZoom does

We are platform-agnostic, so we start with what you already have and only suggest hardware when it helps. When you need a device, PayZoom hardware includes the Valor V-100, a countertop terminal with a built-in receipt printer; the Valor Mini, a small-footprint countertop terminal for tight counters; the Dejavoo P8, a handheld terminal that can show cash and card prices for dual pricing; the Dejavoo Q Mobile for insert, swipe and tap wherever you sell; the Dejavoo P18 tablet POS; and the PAYS POS station. We also offer rental terminals and mobile tap-to-pay. No early termination fees, and a real person answers when you call.