Credit and debit card acceptance at association gatherings and industry conventions can be a necessary addition to every vendor’s toolkit. There are several currently available options for accepting payment cards at such events. What is best for your business will depend on your own specific requirements.

• Wireless credit card processing. A wireless merchant account solution uses a cordless terminal that allows your customers to swipe their cards through a slot and collect the cardholder’s information in a way that is identical to a physical terminal solution like the one used by retail merchant accounts users. The benefit of using this processing account is that it gives merchants the lowest processing rates, as the accepted payments fall into the lower risk “face-to-face” category. They also save merchants valuable time, as there is no need to manually enter previously collected information into a web browser or a telephone keypad. The downside is that wireless terminals are substantially more expensive than regular retail terminals and there is an additional monthly fee for the service. It generally is recommended for merchants processing high volumes.
• Credit card processing by telephone. With this service merchants simply dial their credit card merchant processor’s system and key in previously collected payment information. The upside of using this service is that it is very simple to set up and there is no need for additional hardware or software. The downside is that the card processing rates are higher than they would have been with a wireless credit card processing solution because the transactions fall into the high-risk “card-not-present” category.
• Virtual terminal credit card processing. Virtual terminal is a web-based service that allows merchants to connect to their payment processing provider and enter transaction information using their favorite browser. It is completely secure, as it uses SSL-encrypted connection and very convenient to use, as it can be accessed from anywhere internet connection is available. It requires no additional software or hardware, just as the phone service. Similarly, the card processing rates are higher, as the accepted payments fall into the high-risk “card-not-present” category.

Be sure to carefully review the options presented to you by your merchant account processor before selecting the appropriate service and keep in mind that the telephone and virtual terminal solutions can be added to your existing account free of charge.