Card machine - What is a card machine?
A card machine is a device that reads credit and debit cards in order to process and complete a transaction such as a sale or withdrawal
Get started with a card machine and managing payments for your business by using the Debitoor x SumUp connection. Sign up today.
Card machines are a type of hardware with built-in technology that allows it to collect the necessary information from a payment card in order to accept a payment or provide cash funds.
A card machine is any type of device that handles credit or debit cards, but generally refers to terminals that are required in transactions where a card payment is made.
Types of card machine
There are a variety of different types of card machines on the market currently available to businesses for use in sales for the purpose of accepting card payments. Depending on the device, it can be wireless and portable, or part of a larger system connected by cables.
Today, card machines come in conveniently small sizes, making it easy to use in a shop, at a market stall, or if your work takes you from one location to another. Card machines allow you to accept card payments from anywhere.
How to use a card machine
The highly portable devices are usually accompanied by a mobile app, connected via Bluetooth. This means that your account in the mobile app is connected to the card machine, and all sales you accept are reflected in the app, allowing you to track your income.
Because credit and debit cards have a number of different possibilities for payment, a card machine should be equipped to accept payment via:
- Chip and PIN
- Contactless
- Swipe and sign
The swipe and sign method has quickly become antiquated and is rarely used today in many parts of Europe, as it is difficult to authenticate and results in higher levels of fraud.
Contactless payments are becoming more popular, as they significantly increase the speed of a transaction. However, most contactless payments have a limit on the total amount of the sale.
How a card machine works
A card machine will read the data stored on the chip card or magnetic stripe of the debit or credit card. The chip and stripe contain the information about the cardholder’s account that is necessary for processing the transaction.
The data that is read by the card machine includes: the account number, card expiration date, 3-4 digit security code and the cardholder name.
This allows a payment processor to then determine whether the account contains enough funds to cover the cost of the sale being charged to the card. If so, the sale is successful.
Debitoor and card machines
Debitoor has a direct integration with SumUp, a company offering the latest in card machine technology and designed to make it easy for your business to accept card payments. The direct integration with Debitoor means you can also manage all of your incoming payments, plus keep track of expenses, issue invoices, and view reports.
