Sage Pay credit card processing is the perfect add-on if you’re already using the other products that come from this perennial accounting software favorite. Sage has been offering accounting solutions for business and individuals for years, since 2001 in fact, so it’s already got a proven track record. 

However, more recently Sage Pay has been acquired by Elavon, which offers merchant processing in the US and also Europe. Therefore, moving forwards, if you’re looking to integrate card payment processing into your operation then this payment gateway option is a great way to get the job done, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sage Pay has competition from the likes of Sage Pay, Stripe, PaySimple, Authorize.net, Worldpay, PayPal, Helcim and Clover all of which are worthy of investigation.

• Want to try Sage Pay? Check out the website here

And, if you’re already using Sage solutions then you should find integrating credit card payment processing into your website pretty straightforward too.

Pricing

Sage Pay credit card processing has been designed to be super flexible, which means that if you have specific needs for your business then it’s best to get the ball rolling my calling them. This is especially so if you run a larger business that needs a more tailored-package approach.

However, at the time of writing Sage Pay has pricing on its UK website that indicates you can get starter pricing as follows: face-to-face payments start from £13 per month, online payments from £27 per month and phone payments from £15 per month. 

Sage Pay also charges transaction fees, which for popular plastic like Visa and Mastercard are 1.99%, while commercial or business cards run at 2.5%. Debit cards are 40p per transaction.

Features

Sage Pay credit card processing is just one part of a suite of products all designed to give your business a boost without the hassle. As you’d expect, this therefore covers all bases, meaning you can accept payments via invoice, face-to-face, online via your website as well as over the phone. 

It’s a beefy collection of features for each option too, with powerful fraud screening tools, lots of security features, customizable payment pages and one-click check-out options amongst other things. One of the big benefits of using Sage Pay though is the way that it can be used to work in tandem with Sage Accounting software, and the powerful integration this offers is worth a lot in terms of efficiency and convenience. 

We’re also impressed with the My Sage Pay analytics portal that delivers lots of useful data back to you on how your business is running.

Ease of use

For face-to-face transactions Sage Pay credit card processing works using either a mobile card machine, portable device or a countertop card machine. There’s also the option of integrating a card machine into your point of sale area. 

While there is clearly plenty of hardware available, the other bonus with using Sage Pay is that it’s a system that works in tandem with the aformentioned Sage Accounts. As the company explains, this means that you can improve your cashflow by integrating it with Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Sage 50cloud Accounts or indeed Sage 200cloud Accounts software. 

Along with the hardware and software muscle, Sage Pay is also able to accept PayPal plus all major debit and credit cards, either online or over the phone. Adding to its wide appeal is the fact that it also supports over 25 currencies.

Support

Sage Pay prides itself on delivering top-quality support that comes in the shape of UK-based 24/7 personnel who are able to deal with all aspects of the system. Support comes via the phone, or you can use online options including email and Twitter. 

Premium subscribers gain priority status, which can be useful if you’re running a larger concern. You will also enjoy the benefit of being allocated your own account manager. In addition, there’s a solid backbone of support content available on the Sage Pay website as well as user-based forums too.

Final verdict

Sage Pay is a great option if you’re in business and already make use of other products in the portfolio of this accountancy specialist. It’ll be interesting to see how things develop now that the company has been taken over, although currently that doesn't seem to have made much difference at all. 

In fact, it may actually be to the benefit of customers thanks to Elavon’s merchant processing power across Europe and the US. We like the idea of no set up fees or contracts that Sage Pay offers, while the face-to-face credit card processing options are more than capable. 

If you want to accept chip and PIN card payments it’s ideal, but Sage Pay has a wealth of other options for processing transactions. All told, it seems to offer a winning formula, especially if you're in a position to speak to them directly and get a personalised solution for your business.

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Authorize.net has a website that spells out its intention from the get go, which is to simplify the credit card payment process. Anything that takes the stress and strain out of financial transactions has always got to be welcome news and Authorize.net has been around long enough to know how to do just that. 

Launched way back in 1996, the Utah-based concern is today owned by Visa and is already a familiar name and popular option for many businesses across the US. As a payment gateway with products and services to suit a variety of users it has a well-proven track record. On top of that, Authorize.net offers a seamless user experience, which if you’re in need of credit card processing will prove very useful indeed, particularly in light of coronavirus.

It shares the marketplace with competitor products such as Sage Pay, Stripe, PaySimple, Worldpay, PayPal, Helcim and Clover.

• Want to try Authorize.net? Check out the website here

Pricing

In order to use Authorize.net you’ll first need a payment gateway, which will let you connect to its services and gain authorization for transactions. You can sign up directly with Authorize.net but you may instead prefer to have a merchant account provider, which will also let you connect to Authorize.net. 

However, if you're going directly to Authorize.net then the current pricing structure is available in three different options. The website recommends its All-in-One option, which is a route that lets Authorize.net get you set up with both a merchant account and a payment gateway. There’s no setup fee, while the monthly gateway costs $25 plus a per transaction charge of 2.9% + 30¢. 

Alternatively, the payment gateway only option is best if you’ve already got a merchant account. This comes with no setup fee, a monthly gateway charge of $25 plus per transaction fee of 10¢ and daily batch fee of 10¢. Finally, there’s a tailored pricing option for businesses who process over $500k annually. 

Features

Authorize.net does come with plenty to offer the medium to large business with a dazzling display of features that work very well. However, anyone signing up will certainly pay for the privilege and it is one of the pricier options for credit card processing duties. 

Nevertheless, for more outlay you get better features, which in the case of Authorize.net means advanced fraud protection. This includes 13 configurable fraud filters relating to IP, transactions, shipping and also velocity. The latter limits the number of transactions allowed per day or hour to stamp out high-volume fraud. Useful if you’re a large concern no doubt. 

Authorize.net is also able to work with multiple card types including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, JCB, PayPal, Visa SRC, Apple Pay, Chase Pay and E-check. There’s also the capacity for setting up recurring payments and invoicing too. Additional features such as automatic account updating allow your business to stay bang-up-to date with regular customers.

Ease of use

Authorize.net is aimed at more established businesses with a larger commercial footprint, which might make it seem a little ominous if you’re operating a smaller concern. However, Authorise.net has been in existence long enough to realize that businesses grow, so if you’re a middle ground venture then it’s fairly easy to configure and is therefore worth investigating. 

While Authorise.net does offer a complete solution, in that it's able to help you with e-commerce integration, has point of sale options as well as being able to process mobile and phone payments, some parts of the process can be tricky to implement. On the upside, the setting up of mobile card reader services and turning your phone or tablet into a mobile point of sale device is actually stress-free.

Support

Authorize.net has the sort of support infrastructure that you’d expect from a large credit card processing concern, particularly considering that it is owned by Visa nowadays. You’ll find a central support center, which can provide you with many more basic answers. 

Meanwhile, there’s support team also at your disposal 24/7 (though they're closed on major holidays), which goes some way to justifying the additional expenditure you get with Authorize.net. We also rather like the Blog feature of the website, which offers up additional information, plus tips and tricks for getting the best out of the service.

Final verdict

Authorize.net offers slick credit card processing services, but you pay a premium for the experience. If you're starting out, or have what qualifies as a small business then you will probably find something like Square or Stripe more suited to your turnover. 

Being both a merchant services provider as well as a payment gateway means that Authorize.net is convenient if you want it to do all the credit card processing donkey work and, potentially, save a little bit on costs in the long run. 

While actually using Authorize.net on a daily basis is essentially simple and easy to master, you’ll really need to think carefully about committing to it in order to be sure you’re getting best value. That said, Authorize.net benefits from beefy support and also numerous fraud screening features, so there’s a lot here for the money.

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PaySimple credit card processing is based out of Denver, Colorado, and offers a suite of products and services that are well-suited to the smaller business owner, especially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Having been in existence for around 15 years PaySimple has refined its business and now offers the ability for companies to process payments in flexible ways, as well as automated billing and adding in customer marketing options to complete the picture. 

PaySimple is a practical solution because it delivers options for accepting payments online, in-person and via mobile, which means if you’ve got a small business it covers all bases within one package. A free 14-day trial certainly makes it worthy of inspection. Similar products are also available from the likes of Sage Pay, Stripe, Authorize.net, Worldpay, PayPal, Helcim and Clover.

• Want to try PaySimple? Check out the website here

Pricing

PaySimple states on its website that it has no contracts and no cancellation fees, which is always a bonus if you’re a small business that has to be careful with its cashflow. Also on its website, PaySimple highlights that credit card processing is 2.49% per transaction plus monthly fees along with $0.60 + .20% ACH / eCheck processing costs. 

It’s worth noting though that there are other charges such as a monthly maintenance fee of $29.95 and numerous other fees for different back-end aspects of the site. It’s a good idea to head to the PaySimple website and look up their Starter pricing page, as well as the more expensive Standard pricing pages. 

While it’s not immediately obvious that there are two different payment plan options, you will want to examine these in detail as they can change the expected overheads you’ll need to pay by quite a lot.

Features

PaySimple has been suitably named as it lets smaller business get up and running with a suite of payment processing tools without too much in the way of fuss or bother. What you therefore get is a merchant account, which lets you process payments, plus a physical card reader for carrying out transactions when the card is present. 

You’ll also be able to process payments using a virtual terminal although it’s worth noting that PaySimple only works if you’re based in the USA. As well as offering the convenience of card processing, the service can also be used to set up recurring credit card payments, alongside those one-off transactions, so automated billing schedules are within reach of anyone.

Performance

PaySimple is predominantly a cloud-based service, which aside from using the physical card reader, is well suited to businesses who might be in less visible or more remote locations. If you’re using the mobile card reader then it’s not currently chip card-friendly, although that is said to be in the pipeline. The system works well, however, with help from the PaySimple mobile app.

Ease of use

PaySimple is as its name suggests is a pretty straightforward service to operate and at its core is the merchant account, which is aided and abetted by the administration panel. This cloud-based setup means that you can control everything in one handy location, and offers all of the tools to configure regularly-used features, such as the implementation of recurring billing. 

PaySimple also has a solid presence on the app front, with both iOS and Android editions present. The iPad version in particular bristles with features while remaining reasonably easy to navigate, although the desktop edition is perhaps the best of the bunch.

Support

Seeing as PaySimple seems to be largely aimed at smaller businesses then the good news is that its support structure is nicely crafted. The people behind PaySimple seem perfectly in tune with the fact that not everyone running a business is on top of every facet of its running. And, crucially, that can often mean taking care of the financial aspect is tough going. 

PaySimple therefore delivers a beefy backbone of support, with its 9-7 EST live chat option proving particularly useful. There’s also phone support and a useful e-ticketing arrangement for filing more complex issues. More basic enquires can be easily tackled via the FAQ area while there’s also an online help center, comprehensive user guide and blog pages to also enjoy. It’s comprehensive.

Final verdict

PaySimple’s US-based operation is slick, stylish and, for its users, wonderfully straightforward.  With a raft of options at your disposal, including the ability to carry out one-off and also recurring credit card payments, PaySimple is a great little system for many smaller businesses. 

The flexibility of being able to process payments online, using a point of sale system and also with a card reader means it’ll tick a lot of boxes for many. In addition, PaySimple receives a lot of praise for its impressive range of customer support options, including lots of opportunities to speak to real people on the phone, which is always a bonus. 

That 14-day trial is perhaps the best way to see if PaySimple ticks all the boxes for you.

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ZipBooks is a reasonably recent addition to the ranks of cloud-based accountancy, tax and finance software, having first appeared back in 2015. But, in a lot of ways that’s good news. ZipBooks isn't bogged down with lots of baggage accumulated from down the years and, as a result, it comes across as a sprightly cloud-based contender with lots to offer, especially during the coronavirus crisis.

Its basic format revolves around four main areas; accounting, billing, expenses and intelligence. The secret to the latter feature is a powerful collection of reporting tools that deliver practical insights into your financial affairs. Variations on the competitor front include competitors FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Kashoo, Zoho Books and Kashflow.

• Want to try ZipBooks Check out the website here

Pricing

ZipBooks carries on the theme for simplicity with its current pricing structure. That starts out with a Starter package, which is free and lets you send unlimited invoices, manage unlimited vendors and customers, as well as view basic reports and supporting connection to one bank. Not bad at all. 

For the Smarter package, and $15 per month, there’s everything in Starter plus the capacity for scheduling recurring invoices with auto-bill, automated reminders, the ability to save invoice line items, plus multiple bank connections. You also get account notifications, the capacity for tracking time and can add five team members too. 

Next up is Sophisticated, which comes with everything in Starter plus smart tagging, custom categories, the ability to reconcile every account, lock completed books, share documents securely, get complex reports and invite unlimited users. ZipBooks also has an un-priced Account package, which requires you to contact them.

Features

ZipBooks ticks plenty of boxes when it comes to covering all of your financial and accountancy needs. This is also most impressive when you consider that the basic version is free, though to successfully expand its appeal you’ll need to stump up a monthly subscription fee like those outlined above. 

Core must-have features are the likes of online invoicing and the capacity for recurring billing, while you can also keep tabs of time, expenses and more besides. There are natty quick-to-use templates too, which if you need to style up an invoice or other business document prove invaluable. What’s more, it’s all contained inside a refreshingly simple, not to mention quite colorful workspace.

Performance

During our time using it we found ZipBooks to be decidedly sprightly, especially considering that it has quite a lot hidden inside that eye-catching interface. Being browser-based means that as long as your internet connection is steady and constant you shouldn't suffer any issues with usability. 

One area where ZipBooks is probably going to need some work in order to bring it up to the same standard is in the app department. Currently ZipWorks doesn't have an Android edition but the app for iOS is okay, though we found the overall experience most effective when the service was being used via a web browser.

Ease of use

Sign up is really easy as it follows a common theme. You simply press the button to get started and follow the steps, including adding in the name of your business, along with a password. ZipBooks will also flag up any leads from visitors looking for a specialist in your line of work if you're interested. 

Once you’re into the main work area the layout is deliciously simple. Over on the left-hand side of the screen are the core menus, including Invoices, Transactions, Reports, Contacts, Tracking, Payroll and Growth. Over on the right are checkboxes that show how far you’re into the setup process. 

Along the top of the menu bar there’s a More tab that, in essence, lets you access a hierarchical menu route to any, or all, of the features and functions. Overall, ZipBooks is a breeze to get around.

Support

Help is always close to hand within ZipBooks and that’s down to a small tab in the corner of the right-hand side of the interface. Click on it and you get access to a help database. This proves useful in some areas, such as when you’re setting up a connection to your bank. While the database returns answers to frequently asked questions, there is also the provision for chatting to real people during their opening hours. 

We couldn't find the exact times during testing, with a ‘Back later’ note seeming to suffice. Phone support isn’t immediately obvious either, while the cloud-based service also lacks the vibrant online community aspect that rivals have to their benefit. Granted, ZipBooks is still a growing entity, but it would be good to see this implemented as part of the support strategy. Its social media channels make amends for that shortcoming though.

Final verdict

ZipBooks is another fine and dandy member of the software-as-a-service ranks for accountancy. The layout and usability factors score highly with us, as it’s pretty hard to go wrong, both during initial setup and moving forwards too. As you build up your accountancy picture there’s also great support on the reporting side of things, and ZipBooks eggs you on with the positive vibes coming from its neatly colored interface flourishes. 

ZipBooks is also keenly priced and stacks up nicely against many of the other cloud-based alternatives that are out there, though it’s weakness is still the app part of the equation. Areas of the support picture could be a little clearer perhaps, but given the easy-to-use structure of ZipBooks that’s actually not too much of a negative. Indeed, overall, ZipBooks leaves us with a real feelgood factor.

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The Wave 2020 edition is a free-to-use online service that combines core functions of accounting, invoicing, payments and receipts to deliver a well-rounded financial solution for all. Working from within your browser you can subsequently track your income and expenditure as well as improving efficiency overall. It’s aimed at everyone from freelancers and sole traders through to small businesses and those with an eye on expansion. 

Wave was started by tech people who’ve had to do battle with their own figures in the past and, as a result, has been nicely tailored to get things done. But, crucially, without the stress. Based on our experience of Wave so far it seems to be a philosophy that’s working really well.

Competitors to Wave include FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Kashoo, Zoho Books and Kashflow.

• Want to try Wave? Check out the website here

Pricing

In its most basic incarnation Wave comes completely free to use, which considering the amount of features and functionality that are included makes it very appealing. The gratis version of Wave therefore delivers comprehensive tools for dealing with invoicing, accounting and receipts. 

However, one aspect of the site service does have a cost attached and that is the Payments area. This works on a pay-per-use basis and adds in the extra functionality of being able to accept credit cards on your invoices. This can be accessed via a large button inside the interface and will let you accept Visa credit and debit, Mastercard credit and debit plus American Express payments too. 

There’s no setup or monthly fee and no hidden fees either. Pricing is currently 1.4% plus 30 cents or 20p for European issued cards, while it’s 2.9% plus 30 cents or 20p for non-European cards.

Features

Wave has been around for a while and so if you’ve ever used it before it will still look pretty familiar. However, if you’re new to it then you’ll find it’s got everything you’ll need. What’s more, the newest addition adds in some extra features in and around the Accounting area in particular. 

This includes a new set of reconciliation tools as well as practical tweaks, such as the ability to search by amount and an instant payment option. Little things maybe; but no less useful. It’s also possible to change account types and, in terms of managing your time more efficiently, the ability to bulk edit accounts is also a boon. 

Combine this with the existing suite of menu options and Wave makes for an impressive package. Wave’s Payroll feature is cool, but can currently only be used by US and Canadian users only.

Performance

Like many services of its ilk, Wave works by allowing you to log in to your pre-registered account and taking on your financial chores through a web browser. While it works absolutely fine and ticks over for most tasks we did find it was a little sluggish to load on occasions. Presumably as you build up a more comprehensive collection of data this might be exacerbated. 

Nevertheless, the lag is generally barely noticeable and the trade-off for this is the enjoyable user experience that you get along the way. Wave’s apps, for iOS and Android, meanwhile, are super slick and work very well. They're the perfect compliment if you’re on the move and don't or can’t access the desktop setup.

Ease of use

Wave is one of the easiest to use services of its kind you can currently find. The interface and user experience is very good indeed and we also like the way it’s possible to add in additional users. So you can hand over the reigns to others in your business, or indeed your accountant if the need arises. 

Even the process of importing financial data you might have in CSV files to populate the system is reassuringly straightforward. This is also a great way of removing much of the legwork involved in getting your accounting area of the Wave service set up and running. 

On top of that it’s also wonderfully easy to integrate other features, such as Google Sheets or Etsy, while we’re also keen on the option for using Wave financial services for bookkeeping and tax work. You have to pay for those as added extras obviously.

Support

Wave offers much of its support on dedicated pages within the company website. There’s a page that allows you to search the Wave help database in order to locate the answer to your query. That’s surprisingly well laid-out and frequently delivers a solution to any technical or user woes you might be experiencing. 

It also has plenty of advice if you’re using either the iOS or Android apps for Wave too. You’ll find another handy Help option that can be accessed from within the interface, and that’s mighty handy too. 

Less useful on the support front, but worth investigating for its overall interest factor, is the community aspect of Wave. A healthy Blog section of the site provides you with more of an insight into the way the service and wider company works. Finally, there’s the capacity for submitting a help request if none of the above options solve your problem.

Final verdict

Wave has to be one of the most enjoyable packages of its kind on the market. For no fee you have access to a powerful suite of tools, which help you navigate any and all of the facets of your business. Anyone who breaks into a sweat when it comes to tax time, or keeping accounts up to date, will find that Wave removes a lot of the mystery and hard work associated with these chores. 

There are some shortcomings and missing features that prevent Wave from getting top marks. But, with the gradual evolution of this service from good to great already happening it seems reasonable to imagine the next edition of Wave will be nothing short of awesome.

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Kashoo is a user-friendly accounting service, which is cloud-based and is aimed at small business users along with freelancers and sole-traders. As you’d expect, Kashoo can help you build up a historical overview of all your years of trading, while the initial setup and configuration process delivers no unwanted surprises. It's mighty useful as the coronavirus continues.

In fact, Kashoo takes just a few minutes to sign up and get started. Additional data input can be done as you go, and being cloud-based it all gets stored safely and securely for you to dip into whenever it is most convenient. This is boosted with an iOS app version of the service, though to date Kashoo still has no Android app option.

Rival software services worth considering include QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Zoho Books, Kashflow and FreshBooks.

• Want to try Kashoo Check out the website here

Pricing

When it comes to cost then Kashoo has always preferred to keep things simple. It therefore continues to have a one-price package, which is currently set at $199 per year. This compares very favourably to competitors in the accountancy software and services marketplace. Considering the level of features found within Kashoo it stands as good value. 

There are two ways to pay, with the $16.65 monthly/paid annually option being the most cost-effective. However, the monthly fee of $19.95 might work if you prefer a more pay-as-you-go way of working. For the curious there is a free 14-day trial, which at the time of writing also included the option of subscribing and receiving 3 months of the service for nothing too.

Features

Kashoo has plenty of features within its fairly simplistic cloud-based interface. That’s not to do it a disservice either as it follows the same lines as others in the online accountancy field. Indeed, the simple layout makes it very easy to use. Being connected is a big part of the puzzle, so early on you’ll want to make contact with your bank accounts, which can be done from within the service. 

Meanwhile, the Transactions list is the perfect way to keep track of business movements, while you can also categorize items such as miscellaneous expenses yourself. Crucially Kashoo is able to work out your taxes based on the information it gets and everything gets nicely collated at the end of the trail. 

Receipts can also be uploaded into the system, all of which should pull together a complete picture of your business accounts. Another bonus is that Kashoo works in tandem with Sure Payroll should you need it.

Performance

Kashoo has been well-engineered and the real positive is that multiple users can also enjoy its potential once you have an account. The additional benefit of this is that you can also assign different users levels of access that suit their requirements. That removes the worry of anyone getting in and tinkering with figures, either by mistake or intention. 

Being cloud-based means that there is little to worry about locally as the bulk of the action is going on over at the Kashoo servers. We got dependable results trying the service on popular web browsers such as Chrome and Safari, but the iOS app is worthy of investigation too.

Ease of use

Kashoo doesn't deliver any unwanted surprises as you pick your way through the interface, and that’s always a good thing. The layout couldn't be simpler to understand, with a main screen work area plus core menu options down the left-hand side. 

Central to this is the Dashboard, which displays the bigger picture and this can be customized to suit your individual requirements. Other menu options include Transaction, Invoices and Bills to Pay. You also have Contacts and Accounts menu options, plus the all-important Taxes area in order to complete the overall picture of your business affairs. 

At the top, incidentally, there is an Inbox where all your bank transactions will be pulled into. This is the main work space where users can categorize and review their transactions. Once they've ensured that the categorization is correct, they can then post the transaction to their General Ledger, which is the Transactions tab in the software. 

Down at the bottom, there’s a Reports tab too. It’s all very easy to work through.

Support

We didn’t think support options were as immediately obvious to find from within the Kashoo workspace, aside from pop-up boxes to explain each feature as you run through them, which once closed stay closed.  

However, there was a yellow icon in the bottom right of the screen, which unveiled a chat or conversation box, which says Kashoo is available Monday to Friday 6am to 5pm PST. Within this area there’s also a dialog box where you can type in queries in order to pick through a stack of FAQ topics. 

Kashoo also has a very robust site for help too, along with a phone number so you can speak to real people should the need arise.

Final verdict

Kashoo is certainly up there with the competition if you're looking for a simple-to-use cloud-based accountancy solution. It’s good value, has covered most if not all bases on the bookkeeping front, especially if you're running a small business or are a sole-trader. 

Crucially, it has been evolving with the times and now has all of the features you need to keep your business in good shape, without breaking the bank in order to do it. The Dashboard sits at the root of its appeal, with a single location giving you instant access to income, expenses, net income, cash deposits, withdrawals and the all-important net cash. 

With the benefit of Sure Payroll integration Kashoo is potent and ideal for business with not too much complex accounting baggage. That said; larger companies with multiple employees might need a beefier alternative.

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PayAnywhere is an American company that has been in existence for around a decade or so now, although it's only in the last couple of years that it has been improved enough to be called a serious player in the card processing stakes. 

There’s no doubt that on face value if you take a tour of the PayAnywhere website that this could be an interesting and useful prospect, especially during the coronavirus crisis. So does PayAnywhere have what it takes to become an option if your business needs to process payments, or is it best avoided?

Similar products include the likes of Square, SumUp, QuickBooks Payments, Shopify and iZettle.

• Want to try PayAnywhere? Check out the website here

Pricing

PayAnywhere currently comes with two different packages for the mobile market, so currently you can opt for their pay-as-you-go package, which has a 2.69% transaction fee attached to it. That covers transaction processing of under 10k per month for swiped, dip or tap payments. 

Meanwhile, keyed entries cost 3.49% plus $0.19 each while there’s also an apparent inactivity fee of $3.99 per month. However, PayAnywhere states on its site that this is applicable only to merchants who do not process a transaction for 12 months. When processing resumes, the inactivity fee will no longer be charged. 

The other package, if you’re in the realms of 10k and over each month, involves a chat with PayAnywhere that will hopefully result in your business securing a reasonable fee base.

Features

PayAnywhere certainly seems to be catering for business users right across the board as it currently has a whole selection of hardware devices to let you process payments. There are a smart terminals, smart point of sale devices, and in the interest of relevance right here, a brace of card readers. There’s the 2-in-1 option and a 3-in-1 reader unit too, as well as miscellaneous accessories designed to make the acceptance of customer funds all the more straightforward. 

Of the two readers then the 3-in-1 obviously does that little bit more as it is able to process magstripe payments (swipe), EMV chip card payments (dip) and also handle NFC contactless payments including the likes of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Meanwhile, the Smart Terminal can process PIN debits, print receipts and has a built-in barcode scanner. Both the Smart Flex machine and the Smart Point of Sale hardware add on a customer facing second screen.

Performance

Mobile payments solutions invariably revolve around small portable card readers and PayAnywhere has two of these units that do the job pretty well it has to be said. 

The 2-in-1 is compatible with iOS and Android operating systems and uses Bluetooth, but it can also talk to desktop computers, which is an added bonus. Simply pair it with your smartphone or tablet and it will be able to process payments from EMV chip cards and magstripe cards too. 

The first reader comes free, while additional units cost $29.95 each. The 3-in-1 credit card reader is a little more beefy but essentially works along the same lines, while it can accept payments from EMV chip cards, magstripe cards and process NFC contactless payments from Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. It costs $49.95.

Ease of use

The PayAnywhere boffins have done a neat job in designing their systems to work across the board and with a variety of hardware. So you’ll be pleased to hear that, while the kit works with your iPhone or iPad, it’ll also work with desktop Macs, Windows and data is stored in the cloud. 

Therefore, you should find actually using the system pretty straightforward as long as everything is running as it should. As you’d expect, there’s a PayAnything app that works hand-in-hand with the hardware and when you add it all together there don't appear to be any real weak links in the payment processing chain. 

A standout feature is its capacity for displaying a library of items for customers to see in addition to their purchase, thereby boosting the potential for extra sales and offer tie-ins.

Support

Customer support, or the apparent lack of it, used to feature quite frequently in old reviews of PayAnywhere, but it appears that things have changed for the better. PayAnywhere does use its slick bells-and-whistles website to indicate that assistance comes via email, phone and a live support source, which should help you get to the bottom of any issues you might have while using both its hardware and software.

Final verdict

PayAnywhere has worked hard to beef up its range of products and services, while retaining its original vision as a provider of payment processing for small, medium and large businesses. 

Low volume turnover users, such as freelancers as an example, should find PayAnywhere an attractive possibility too just as long as you do your homework prior to signing up. 

PayAnywhere also seems suitably robust in the security stakes, with data encryption and tokenization being used to protect each transaction, which is all the more reassuring in the case of processing mobile payments. 

There are also a lot of additional features, such as invoicing and reporting that add value here, while we also like the option to bypass using the PayAnywhere hardware and simply process transactions on your phone instead if you prefer.

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Shopify will be instantly familiar if you've ever been considering an e-commerce platform for your business as that’s where it started out. However, aside from catering for all kinds of business on the selling front Shopify has also expanded its products and services and now includes mobile card reading.

Back in 2017 the company unveiled its first card reader, allowing business owners to take payments and process transactions in much the same way as other players in the market, such as Square, SumUp, QuickBooks Payments, PayAnywhere and iZettle.

So, as of now and despite the coronavirus pandemic, Shopify has an end-to-end solution for people who need a website, content to go in it and a subsequent means of processing customer payments. While there are geographical variations on the theme in terms of hardware, the core experience works around the Shopify POS app.

• Want to try Shopify? Check out the website here

Pricing

Due to the fact that Shopify offers an array of services on what amounts to a global scale there are territorial and geographical differences when it comes to costs too aside from the basic WisePad 3 Reader device. Moving on from the hardware though and you’ll need to look at the backbone of the processing system, which is Shopify POS and there are three variants. 

First up, there’s Basic Shopify, which is suited to people who sell in person at pop-ups, markets and suchlike. That’s $29 a month. The mid-range Shopify costs $79 per month and that is suited to small to medium-sized businesses. 

Finally, there’s the Advanced Shopify option for well-established businesses that have store locations, plus the need for more complex software solutions. That costs $299 a month. You should also note that there are in-person card processing charges too, currently set at 1.7%, 1.6% and 1.5% respectively.

Features

Interestingly, for the UK Shopify has at its root a Bluetooth-enabled card reader design that is already used elsewhere, so it might look a little bit familiar. In fact, it follows the same build, features and functionality as the original one used by iZettle. 

That’s by no means a bad thing though as it clearly works, and has everything you need to process card transactions including tap, chip and swipe payments. But, because of its size, Shopify is able to supply a wider variety of card readers, depending on what kind of business you’re running. 

So, as an alternative in the US, Shopify has its Tap & Chip Reader, while mobile-based store holders in Canada might want to explore the Swipe, an audio-jack card reader.

Performance

In the case of the Tap & Chip reader that’s available in the US you’ll find that it works with a compatible iPad, iPhone or Android device that supports Bluetooth 4.2 and up. 

You’ll need to check the Shopify website for specific model requirements to be sure the unit will be compatible with your mobile device, while you’ll also need a compatible version of Shopify POS, either 5.12.0 or higher for iOS and 3.4.0 or higher for Android. 

The same goes for compatibility in other geographical regions, so check first before committing.

Ease of use

Once you’ve mastered its features and functions you’ll find the Shopify Tap & Chip reader can accept payments from Visa and Visa Debit cards, Mastercard and Mastercard and Mastercard Debit, American Express and Discover, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

Using the reader is really straightforward as you simply need to press and release the power button, watch for the status lights to appear and then pair it with your device using Bluetooth. Once you’ve been through this procedure initially the unit should connect automatically when you next use it. 

There’s an auto sleep feature too, which helps to conserve power during non-payment-processing downtime. Recharging can be done using a supplied USB cable plugged into a phone charger or computer and takes 1 to 2 hours to charge fully.

Support

Considering that all users are paying for Shopify and its services in one shape or form it’s only reasonable to expect a decent standard of customer support. This comes in a variety of ways, such as email and phone, while the chat aspect proves a practical way of getting to the bottom of queries without being too long-winded about it. 

Shopify also has a huge website and many resources online, so you may be just as well having a look at those if you’re simply a newbie who’s looking to get up to speed with how the POS ticks.

Final verdict

Shopify seems to have a solution for pretty much any market you’re in. The ability to offer sales on-the-go from pretty much anywhere means the Shopify POS app and card reader combination definitely appeals. 

While the app is definitely impressive allowing transactions to take place with a wide variety of cards, it has additional value by offering tracking, synchronization of orders with customers, inventory checks and lots more too. The other benefit is that it can also tie-in these transactions to your online or e-commerce site, meaning that content, customers and stock are managed much more effectively. 

If you’re an existing Shopify customer then it therefore seems like an obvious place to start on the card processing trail.

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