The way your customers pay for things is changing. Tap-and-go payments like INTERAC Flash®, and the introduction of mobile wallets (such as Apple Pay and Android Pay), means it’s more important than ever that you’re prepared to accept all the forms of payment that may come across your counter.
Square’s new Reader for contactless and chip cards lets you accept debit tap payments through INTERAC Flash (for payments under $100), as well as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and chip debit and credit cards.
Here are three ways that it can help you diversify your payment system:
1. Accept Mobile Wallets
You’ve probably been hearing more and more about these new forms of payment. Mobile wallets use near field communication (NFC), which enables two devices to speak with each other when they’re held close together. NFC transactions are very secure, and very fast. They’re also more convenient for your customers, who will no longer need to carry physical wallets to make payments.
You can accept mobile wallets by purchasing the very affordable (and very good-looking) Square contactless and chip reader for just $59. It’s a small and affordable NFC payment reader in the market, and it will let you accept tap-and-go card payments as well as mobile wallets.
Here are a few examples of mobile wallets currently available in Canada:
Apple Pay
Apple Pay is available on the newer models of iPhone (6 and newer), as well as the Apple Watch and selected iPads. When a customer pays with Apple Pay, they’re using a credit or debit card that is saved securely to their mobile wallet. By hovering their Apple device across the payment reader, with their finger on the Touch ID button, they can trigger the payment instantly. The transaction takes only a few seconds to complete. Learn more about how you can accept Apple Pay.
Android Pay
Google’s mobile wallet, Android Pay, is available on all NFC-enabled devices running Android version 4.4 or later. To make a payment with Android Pay, your customer simply opens the app on their phone (which requires users to have a secure lock screen) and completes the transaction by holding their device over the payment reader. Read more about how you can accept Android Pay here.
2. Send Invoices Online
Sometimes clients don’t want to pay upfront with a card, or sometimes the transaction is large enough that it requires an invoice. On the flip side, actually getting clients to pay those invoices can be frustrating when you’re relying on paperwork and manual accounting systems. There are a few ways to create an invoice to get paid faster. Digital invoices, for example, streamline this process for business owners around the world, and help them get paid faster. Here are a few other invoice examples for every kind of business.
Square Invoices lets you send invoices via email from the Square app or online from your Square Dashboard. You can send as many invoices as you like for free, and you’ll only pay Square 2.9% +$0.30 per transaction when your customer chooses to pay you online. By freeing up the time you’d usually spend chasing payments and sending invoices, you can focus on growing your business or taking a well-earned holiday.
3. Sell On The Go
Our original Square Reader plugs right into the headphone jack or lightning jack of your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet — meaning it fits in your pocket, your car’s glove box, or wherever you’re doing business. The new Reader for contactless and chip cards can be used with a charging dock on your countertop or can be secured to your iPhone 6/6s, 6/6s Plus, 7, and 7 Plus with a special OtterBox uniVERSE case.
When it comes to accepting payments, you’ll want to make your business as flexible as possible. You can start by fast-tracking the latest and greatest POS and payment technologies from Square.
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