A new application by Inner Fence called Credit Card Terminal takes the idea of “business-mobility” very seriously. The entire concept behind the application allows you to accept credit card payments, directly on your iPhone or iPod touch, wherever you are.
Inner Fence explains that Credit Card Terminal acts as a stand alone checkout process. We must say, after Apple banned MailWrangler, PodCaster and NetShare, and Trism raked in $250k, our hopes of seeing genuinely useful applications in the app store kind of diminished a little bit.
As Ars Technica points out, first setting up the application requires a bit of a lengthy process. But a business owner who finds this useful, or helpful in any way, should find it well worth the time and money.
First, a one time setup fee of $99 is needed. The application itself costs $49.99 in the app store. You’ll need an two accounts with Authorize.net (a merchant account, and a gateway account), which will run about $27.50 per month. For each transaction processed, Authorize.net will take $0.35 (flat-fee). Naturally, the credit card companies get their percentage (between 2.19 and 3.3%), depending on which card is in use.
The concept behind this application is where developers should be spending their time. Using the iPhone’s powerful technology, and attempting to solve a genuine problem through an application, is where true success will be found. This application approaches the necessity to process credit card payments in places outside of your office, or online. Think Farmers’ Markets, Professional Photographers, Antique Shows, Art Festivals, Bands, Carnivals, House Cleaners, Babysitters, et cetera.
We haven’t had the opportunity to test out the application first hand (yet), but I know a few t-shirt companies that might be interested in setting something like this up for street vendors. Hopefully, we’re able to finalize the setup process and test it out in real-life situations, relatively soon.
26 Comments to “Credit Card Terminal: Your iPhone Becomes A Checkout Stand”
Whoa. I need this… Now. I wonder if it works on moderate EDGE networks, or if u need strong 3G or wi-fi.
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Inner Fence’s website points out the application’s key features.. Listed is the following: “Connects over your carrier’s Edge/3G network or “WiFi” wireless internet” — So, assuming this doesn’t go the way of Fring over EDGE, it should allegedly work.
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so, what does this mean… if application developers partner with companies like Authorize.net they can get their app approved by shear brute mass? or force? by being so big and visible? what does this mean for two man coding teams?
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@jojo22 We are a two man coding team
http://www.innerfence.com/about
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Hey Delconte, I wasn’t meaning to offend or anything. I’m just wondering.. the article mentions Podcaster, netshare, mailwrangler and those are all really good apps. Don’t get me wrong, this application definitely attempts to “solve a problem”, which is something most apps don’t try and do. But, let’s say it was just you guys without authorize.net, would it still have been approved?
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@jojo22 No offense taken. Just thought it was funny
There was nothing special about our approval process. No backrooms. No cigars.
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@delconte: I’ll say… that is awesome to hear. I guess, the more information the better actually. I don’t want to step on any toes, but like… wait time? how did u know it would be ok and you wouldn’t get denied?
@jojo22: dude, you have to relax and not immediately assume things are a conspiracy.
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@greenwall We weren’t sure that it would be approved. The agony! We wrote some other iPhone Apps to keep us occupied.
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Hey delconte, do you guys take on new projects? Nothing huge, but I’m just wondering if you take on projects for hire? Or if everything is in house?
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@Gregory We’re focused on in-house apps right now, but we’d certainly chat. Email us, support@innerfence.com.
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You are right.
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Very cool idea.
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Sounds like a great app. While I could just load my company home page / shopping cart and take my customers through the selection and purchasing process there, this app seems like it could streamline the process since the selection required on my website is already done when the customer hands me the product at the outdoor market.
If the credit card entry process is streamlined well, this app could prove very useful! ooohh… trade shows!
No doubt, the “lengthy process” ArsTechnica mentions is nothing more significant than setting up a merchant account and tying it to a web site. I trust it’s not more onerous because of running it on your phone… in fact, I’m hoping it’s more simple than getting the same functionality to work on a website because the app has taken care of the necessity of writing the code that would otherwise be needed to embed authorize.net’s codes into a web page… Credit Card Terminal seems like it’s just ‘fill in the blanks’ and go?
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We’ve made some changes to our fees since this article.
We’ve secured much better credit card processing rates for Authorize.Net and a Merchant Account, including eliminating the setup and minimum processing fees. More details,
http://blog.innerfence.com/2008/11/11/great-new-rates-for-credit-card-terminal/
http://www.innerfence.com/apps/credit-card-terminal/signing-up-for-authorize-net
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@Pete You’re exactly right!
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Authorize Net is one of the most widely used online payment gateways out there. To be able to link it to your shopping cart as an online payment gateway and still use it face to face when you need it is a great cost saver.
Michael Rupkalvis
The Transaction Group
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The authorizenet version works well, it is betther than using a knuckle buster to charge cards at trade shows.
I had an existing authnet account with Matt Tasker Merchant Services in Maine for my ecomm, and the iphone application didn’t add any monthly fees to my $5 per month authnet account.
TB
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Hi,
This forum was brought to my attention by a customer who suggested I post.
I am an agent with a Maine Based credit card processor. I offer the authorizenet gateway for $5 per month with no set up fee, and the iphone credit card processing authnet ap for a one time $50, along with low cost merchant accounts.
Feel free to shoot me a note at taskercc@gmail.com and we can talk by phone or email.
Matt T
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Hi,
I use the guy on this post Matt Tasker with my authnet (authnet was $0 set up fee and $5.50 per month), works slick for trade show, same authnet account as my ffl site.
No info really on site site you have to call or email him contact info on the site at http://www.iphonecreditcardprocessing.com
thx peace out.
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The one I’m using is a way cheeper and I think it has all I need. It’s called iTouch2Pay and here is there site: http://itouch2pay.com
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Just go to apple store and search for “credit card”. You can get a good listing of options to pick from.
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I’m a subscriber of iTouch2Pay.com I had to open a new Chase Paymentech account, but did so at a lower rate than my First Data arrangement. I found the app using mobileterminalapps.com
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Will have to start taking bank cards for my business. I own a hair salon in California and looking for the best system for the least amount of $’s. Please tell me if this will help with product and services. If anyone else has great ideas am open and receptive.
Thanks.
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Contact EXS Credit Card Processing at 877-865-7744 or visit http://www.EXSCreditCardProcessing for mobile credit card processing solutions.
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EXSCreditCardProcessing.com
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I been using an app called “Billing: Credit Card Terminal” by the good folks at http://www.spartadata.com It includes features that the others lack like signature capture and tips. This app seems much more pro like. Check it out.
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