Can I take card payments on my phone?

Yes, you can take card payments on your phone securely using payment links and QR codes. 📲

Thanks to advances in technology, you can now accept payments at a distance and even consider ditching the card machine! If you’re looking to take card payments with your phone, what’s the best way to do so? In this post, we explain why taking credit card payments with QR codes and payment links is the most secure, fastest and easiest way to take digital payments.

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Why take card payments via mobile phone?

There are many reasons why you may choose to use a mobile phone to take card payments. Here are some of them:

• You need to take payments from a safe distance
• You want faster processing time
• You don’t want to use card readers
• You’re looking for cheaper alternatives

More customers are favouring mobile payments, especially since the recent pandemic and lockdown. And that’s no wonder: mobile payments are cheaper, more practical and safer. This is especially true if you run a business in a tight space, are constantly on the move or want all your employees to use the same payment processor.

Many businesses choose to get a mobile card reader, which is a smaller version of a normal, large PDQ machine. However, we have argued before that it is unnecessary to get a mobile card reader if you already own a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. By using a system that implements QR codes such as Pomelo Pay, you can get all the benefits of card readers without having to carry them around or pay for them. Curious as to how you can turn your phone into a card reader? Read on to find out how...

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How to take card payments with your phone using QR codes

The most modern, updated way to accept payments with your phone is by using a QR code payment system. The process is the following:

1. You display your QR code on a table, email, leaflet or your phone.
2. Your customer scans the code with their smartphone - every modern smartphone has an in-built QR code scanner within the camera app.
3. The customer is immediately directed towards a payment screen where they fill in their details and complete their payment.
4. You receive confirmation of payment and the deposit arrives on the next working day.

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Advantages of using QR codes:

• Highly secure: even more secure than debit card transactions. Every transaction is encrypted and details are not stored on anyone’s records.
• Practical: the customer can complete it on their end in their own time.
• Cheaper: with a payment processor like Pomelo Pay, you only pay 1.49% per transaction and no upfront fees.
• Puts the customer at ease: the customer can double and triple check payment details before completing the payment.
• Easy to integrate: It can be integrated with other features such as invoicing, direct debits and a table ordering system.
• Fewer regulatory requirements: it does not require meeting strict compliance regulations

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How to take card payments with your phone using payment links

If you need to take card payments over a phone call, then the most secure method is with payment links. If you’ve taken phone call payments before then you know why it’s cumbersome and not secure: someone can overhear your customer reading their payment details, and you need to go through all sorts of regulation so your POS device is PCI DSS compliant.

With payment links, you can complete the payment over the call in a much more secure way. The process works like this:

1. You are on the phone with your customer who has just placed an order
2. Whilst on the phone, you send them a payment link by SMS or email address
3. Your customer clicks on the link and securely completes the payment without having to read out any card details
4. You get instant confirmation of the payment and receive it the next working day.

It’s always more secure and safer to use payment links or QR codes, two of Pomelo Pay’s most popular features. Both payment methods enhance customer experience and are a lot more practical for both the merchant and the customer. If you’re eager to move on towards mobile payments, these secure methods are a step in the right direction.

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To summarise: yes, you can take card payments on your mobile phone and it’s a lot easier and more practical than using a card reader. With QR codes and payment links, you are essentially turning your mobile phone into a POS; that means you no longer need to carry a card machine, pay maintenance fees or meet complex regulations. And with Pomelo Pay, you can start accepting mobile payments with QR codes and payment links for free. �👇

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