We can now support PIN based debit transactions with the help of Element Payment Services.
How To Get Setup To Accept Debit Cards
If you are already processing through Element, you just need to contact them at 866.435.3636 and ask to purchase a driverless PIN pad for use with MerchantOS. If you are not with Element, you will need to get a merchant account setup with them and be sure to ask for a driverless PIN pad during that process.
Why Might You Want To Accept Debit Cards?
Debit card processing fees may be cheaper than credit card fees depending on the size of the majority of your transactions. Element can do a rate quote to let you know if you would save money on Debit transactions by looking at your transaction history. Also, due to the use of a PIN number, the payments are less susceptible to fraud and chargebacks. There are some drawbacks though which include lower spending limits than normal credit cards.
What Took Us So Long?
Since we are web based, it’s difficult to communicate with hardware such as PIN pads from the web browser. We had to wait for the right technology to come along that could allow our software to securely communicate with the PIN pad. Element Payment Services understood this need and was the first we are aware of that can allow us to process these transactions from a browser using their driverless pin pad.
Other Advantages To The PIN Pad
If you use a driverless PIN pad for all your transactions with MerchantOS, including manual entry credit card transactions, you will be at the lowest level of the PCI questionnaires for retailers (SAQ B) to achieve PCI (Payment Card Industry) security compliance. This is because no unencrypted cardholder data ever gets on your computer. It is encrypted by the driverless PIN pad before it leaves the device allowing the device to be considered a stand alone terminal. This also means that while compliance is easier, actual safety of your customer’s cardholder data is dramatically improved.
More PIN Pad Support Coming
We plan to support PIN Pads with other processors as the ability to do so becomes available.