iZettle Chip Reader

[deniser]

My izettle chip reader has just arrived. I've plugged it into my ipad and done a test transaction which was very nifty and worked smoothly.

I understand that it is for Mastercards only and I have read the somewhat complex settlement terms. The fee is 2.75% which seems reasonable for an occasional transaction.

I like the way you can email a receipt to the recipient. And you can use it as a till for cash payments too (which are not charged for).

Apart from that, the only downside seems to be that it can't do refunds which is peculiar. I can see that you can reverse a transaction on the same day but there doesn't seem to be any way of processing a standard shop return and refund.

Has anyone actually used theirs for a while and are there any more downsides which are not immediately obvious?

 

[deniser]

Oh, of course the other obvious downside is there is no liability shift because the pin number isn't entered so you are at risk fo fraud.

I'm told by izettle that you don't need PCI Compliance. Is the average ipad or iphone that secure?

 

[smo]

Oh, of course the other obvious downside is there is no liability shift because the pin number isn't entered so you are at risk fo fraud.

I'm told by izettle that you don't need PCI Compliance. Is the average ipad or iphone that secure?

Everyone needs PCI compliance for any payment transaction.

It sounds like a farce, mastercard only, no security pins, no refunds....a botched attempt at copying the much better worldpay system which does all cards, refunds and is secure!

 

[Talay]

Everyone needs PCI compliance for any payment transaction.

It sounds like a farce, mastercard only, no security pins, no refunds....a botched attempt at copying the much better worldpay system which does all cards, refunds and is secure!

Quite.

No PIN is a huge issue and one I think many are overlooking when other options exist which are just as flexible and offer all cards with full security.

 

[deniser]

What's the Worldpay mobile option?

The last time I looked at Worldpay there was a monthly charge plus you needed a merchant account.

I got this for very occasional use only. The fact that there are no fees apart from the transaction fee and no hardware required is what appeals to me.

I should add that with the use I have for it, there is no risk of fraud so the lack of pin doesn't concern me. Of course it would if I were using it for normal day to day card transactions.

Is it not the Banks themselves who are enforcing PCI compliance? This is a Mastercard owned operation and they have told me it isn't required. I shall do some more digging.

 

[deniser]

The website states "iZettle meets all the European card industry security requirements.*We are EMV approved and comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, PCI DSS.*All data traffic is encrypted and no information is ever stored on the device or on the iZettle chip-card reader."

So it doesn't need the merchant to do extra PCI compliance checks by the looks of it.

 

[chalkie99]

Look here: https://mobile.worldpay.com/

Got one here - OK it is a slightly higher rate than IZettle but a completely more professional product. Downside if you have an IPhone is that it is for Android only at the moment I think.

You get a proper chip and pin machine which the customer feels happy using and a web based terminal for Customer Not Present transactions.

3.3% credit cards and 65p flat debit cards.

Really pleased with ours.

 

[deniser]

Thanks Chalkie, I'll have a good look.

Chip and pin is a big bonus for a start.

 

[deniser]

Worldpay says it needs a separate merchant account. This is what I was trying to avoid, not because I can't easily get one but because it adds to the cost and I really only do want to use this thing occasionally. If I'm paying for a merchant account then it would be cheaper to get an ordinary chip and pin terminal from Streamline or similar.

 

[chalkie99]

No - no merchant account here - no charges at all apart from the 3.3% credit or 65p debit.

 

[deniser]

No - no merchant account here - no charges at all apart from the 3.3% credit or 65p debit.

How odd. It says you need a separate merchant account in the FAQ.

 

[smo]

Our worldpay one settles directly to the merchant account we already have

It costs nothing to have and as was posted above the rates are high by comparison but we only use it for shows so its ideal. It has a proper professional look and feel to it which makes customers feel comfortable with using it as its just like a "shop" chip and pin terminal but linked to a mobile for the transaction.

 

[deniser]

Our worldpay one settles directly to the merchant account we already have

It costs nothing to have and as was posted above the rates are high by comparison but we only use it for shows so its ideal. It has a proper professional look and feel to it which makes customers feel comfortable with using it as its just like a "shop" chip and pin terminal but linked to a mobile for the transaction.

Is that a merchant account which already has online payments going into it through Worldpay as well or a completely separate merchant account?

 

[smo]

Its a streamline merchant account. We dont use "worldpay" online payments at all.

 

[SuffolkDesigns]

I have used iZettle for a while, and there is certainly an element of distrust with some clients. They do accept visa, but you have to enter the clients phone number, they then receive an sms with a link that they open on their phone and then make payment online. Quite messy.

I switched to a mobile chip & pin from payatrader and so far am very happy with it. Clients are also no longer worried.