Card Readers in a Field

[jbswagger]

Hi,

I've recently been to a busy schools autumn fair which was cash payments only. The committee organising made the decision as apparently the schools wifi signal is poor in the field. Is there a way round this and boost the WiFi signal?
Would using card readers that use a mobile signal rather than WiFi be an option?

Thanks for all help.

[V8covin]

You can get card readers that link to an app on a phone by Bluetooth.Sum-up is the one I use,there are others

[Defcon5]

If they already have card readers that are WIFI only, you can get a mobile router (With a SIM in) and tether them all to that

[jbswagger]

They don't already have any card readers.

[number2]

What's the set-up and transaction cost?

They'd probably take enough additional money through people using card not cash to cover those costs, but they might not recognise this.

[jbswagger]

Thanks for all the replies.

This will be the first card readers bought by the school. I would assume that not having to count all the cash would be a benefit to the school. If we could advise them of all the costs of setting up and using the card readers and then make up their minds

[Rollin]

Sumup Solo uses has inbuilt sim so doesn't need wifi.

£70 and 1.7% of each transaction.

Probably best to buy one and try to see if mobile signal is good.

[jbswagger]

Thanks for all responses

[BIGDAI]

V8covin said:

You can get card readers that link to an app on a phone by Bluetooth.Sum-up is the one I use,there are others

This is an easy option. I use one called Square Up. From memory they are £19 for the unit, the App is a free download and they charge 1.75%. For a technological numpty like me, it's really easy to use.

[Chrisgr31]

I run a beer tent once a year. I bought a SumUp card reader for £30 which connects to phone by bluetooth, then use 4g for the phone.

So much easier than cash!

[cobra kid]

You've already been to it? I'm guessing you are trying to future-proof it?

[Lucas Ayde]

If there were a small number of payment card readers in a relatively small area (ie not hundreds of metres apart) a cheap mobile Wifi hotspot might do the job.

They are sold by most of the mobile providers, typically for travellers, but you need to make sure that they will handle enough WiFi devices simultaneously (often < 10 can be on the WiFi at the same time) and that the devices will be in range (range isn't as good as even a regular home WiFi router, maybe 25m in the open)

Some ideas: https://www.techradar.com/news/best-mobile-hotspot...


Otherwise you are talking a full 4G/5G WiFi router which will be pretty expensive and likely require 240V AC power. They can provide a really good internet connection and decent WiFi range with the right antennae.

Edited by Lucas Ayde on Monday 26th September 12:46

[jbswagger]

Hi

Yes I have alreay been to the event (at the weekend)

A few people were asking the organising committee why it was cash only and they mentioned poor wifi signal in the field.

I wanted to give next years organisers options.

Thanks.

Edited by jbswagger on Monday 26th September 15:36

[jbswagger]

Chrisgr31 said:

I run a beer tent once a year. I bought a SumUp card reader for £30 which connects to phone by bluetooth, then use 4g for the phone.

So much easier than cash!

The event was at a primary school so a lot of the users wouldn't have been of an age to have debit cards so they will probaby don't want to make card only in future.

Edited by jbswagger on Monday 26th September 13:53

[CarCrazyDad]

Rollin said:

Sumup Solo uses has inbuilt sim so doesn't need wifi.

£70 and 1.7% of each transaction.

Probably best to buy one and try to see if mobile signal is good.

That's quite a lot.
There are others doing less (around 1% fees) and same setup cost.

[Peanut Gallery]

As above, my childs school insists on cash only, I am trying to get them to invest in a "Square" reader, it is a whole £19 one off, and then 1.75% per transaction and you get a card reader that blue-tooths to your phone.

A club of mine charges a small fee per event we hold weekly, there is someone there with a square reader and her phone, she just taps "weekly subs" twice and holds the reader out to you, and one swipe of the card pays for 2 subs, email receipt received within 5 minutes, and its all listed on her side for ease of accounting etc. She could also tap on "Annual membership" or other pre-programmed prices.

Easily set up, the battery in the card reader lasts for a decent amount of time, you can have some easy to purchase options pre-programmed or you just type in a figure.

Random note, my school does not want to do it because they do not want loose the 1.75% - despite my claims they would increase their sales by more than 2%

[jbswagger]

I have seen a provider charging £14 for a card reader. Didn't mention the percentage fee charged in the advert., though

[eeLee]

another vote for SumUp connected to phone via BT. Some teenagers got one for a pissup in a tennis club and it was excellent.

[BlueMR2]

There is iZettle as well which is similar.

[Russ35]

I've started using one in the taxi called LoPay. Its another one that links via BT to your phone.

You can have instant payout (1.79%), next working day (0.99%) and once a week, Thursdays (0.79%). % are for personal visa/mastercard debit/credit cards, all business/corporate/international/american express cards etc are 1.79% (2.79% if instant payout).

Card reader is £49 but if you can put £2500 though the account in the first 6moinths its free. You don't need the card reader, you can just use your phone with NFC or qrcodes or send links. There are still plenty of people without contactless cards to not have a reader.

I got this to use as a spare for if I had issues with my Sumup 3G. Tried it over a weekend and had no issues. It was also nice to have the money in my account by 11am on the Monday. So I've stuck to using it instead of the Sumup.