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Mobile merchant services allow merchants to accept payments through a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet, and many payment processors offer these services to help mobile businesses operate. Not only that, but modern phones have made it easy to accept payment without the need for a dongle, making it easier for mobile merchants to find a payment processor that offers the features they want instead of just settling for whoever can offer them the right hardware.
In this guide, we will go over some of the most popular mobile merchant services that do offer a dongle or mobile point-of-sale (POS) system, the types of merchants that use them, and how these businesses can potentially accept mobile wallet payments without having to rely on any mobile hardware at all.
The Best Mobile Merchant Services
The following are the best card processors that offer mobile POS hardware to allow merchants to process payments with their mobile devices. Each is ranked based on its Value Score, which uses an algorithm to rate its value based on its pricing compared to its features as both a payment processor and a mobile terminal hardware quality.
We also consider whether they offer value-adds like support for high-risk industries, dedicated account managers for better customer support, online payment support, and compatibility with mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Seamless Chex
Seamless Chex is our best all-around option as the only mobile card processor that covers every base that a merchant could need. They support nearly all industries, both high-risk and low-risk, and they offer dedicated account managers for every client. They also offer online and mobile payment support, making them as versatile as a payment processor can be. Their value-added features, like advanced chargeback/fraud protection, subscription billing, and highly customizable payment gateways, set them above the pack as well.
The only knock on their value score comes from the fact that they don’t offer as advanced a POS system as others, opting for a simpler mobile card processing dongle and developer-friendly applications for handling the rest.
Square
Square is the most commonly associated name with mobile card processing, and that is because they were the ones to popularize the service. They offer quality mobile terminal hardware and well-regarded generalized payment processing, but they don’t jump off the page in terms of value-added features. They also only offer dedicated account managers to higher-tier clients, which makes their value a bit inconsistent depending on their clients’ budgets. They do cover most of the basics, though, offering online payment support and mobile wallet support.
Helcim
Helcim doesn’t provide the most refined hardware, and their value score is largely a result of their transparent, low pricing. They offer a pretty basic processing service, but they keep fees low while covering mobile POS, online, and mobile wallet payments. This makes them pretty well suited for newer firms that are willing to forego better security, chargeback/fraud protection, and other value-adds in exchange for extremely competitive fees.
Clover
Clover is essentially the opposite value proposition to Helcim. They offer the most comprehensive POS hardware ecosystem, with both mobile card readers and brick-and-mortar POS systems that can all be integrated with one another. While their pricing is less competitive than most others on the list, especially their online payment fees, they make up for it by offering unrivaled POS hardware.
SumUp
SumUp is another price-focused mobile merchant service that offers the cheapest 3-in-1 mobile POS reader of all the firms on the list. Their hardware is refined but simple, and the low entry price makes it easier for small businesses to leverage their service. Their recurring fees aren’t as competitive, though, making them one of the more expensive options for businesses that plan to scale quickly.
What Kind of Merchants Need Mobile Card Processing?
Any merchant that does their business in person outside of a stationary brick-and-mortar location will get significant value from mobile merchant services. These services can also be helpful for restaurants and other businesses that want to bring payment tableside.
Mobile merchants include businesses like:
- Food trucks
- Door-to-door sales
- Small retail stores/pop-ups
- Booth vendors
- Freelancers
- Salons/Spas
- Personal service providers (personal trainers, masseuses, etc.)
Any business, even traditional brick-and-mortar vendors, can use a mobile dongle to accept payment. It just depends on their exact use case and needs. Many businesses, even mobile ones, don’t even need extra hardware to accept payments through a mobile device anymore.
How to Accept Mobile Card Payments Without a Dongle
Nowadays, smartphones come with Near Field Communication (NFC) chips that allow them to accept payments from other smartphones and contactless/tap-to-pay credit and debit cards. This allows businesses to simply pick the payment processors with the most competitive features and fees instead of relying on those that can offer them fancy hardware since their mobile device can be all of the hardware they need. They’ll just have to be willing to upgrade their smartphone if they don’t already have one with an NFC chip.
Partner with SeamlessChex for Mobile Merchant Services
If you want mobile payment processing from a business that looks out for your interests, SeamlessChex can help. You can easily accept payments on the go and get started with processing transactions with confidence in your security, chargeback management, and fraud protection now.
Contact us to learn more about our Seamless mobile merchant services, or sign up now to start accepting mobile payments today.
