Point of Sale (POS) Systems: When to Buy and When to Rent
As a business with goods to sell, you likely need a POS (Point of Sale) to help process payments. But that’s not all a POS system can do for you, it can also keep track…
READ ARTICLEEquipment Spotlight: Square + Stripe Credit Card Readers
April 14, 2022
If you’ve ever worked at a company with any aspect of sales (as in pretty much every company), you’ve likely heard the adage, “Don’t forget your ABCs.” It stands for ‘always be closing’, and it serves as a reminder to workers that they should always be thinking about and actively pushing toward getting sales completed.
From the salesperson at a shoe store trying to get people to walk out with a new pair of sneakers, to an enterprise account executive trying to close a multi-million dollar software deal, companies want employees constantly moving potential sales to the finish line.
And while one can question the actual effectiveness of a always-pushing sales tactic – being overly pushy is a real thing – the sentiment that anytime is a good time to close a deal is absolutely true. If someone is ready to commit, don’t waste time and risk them changing their mind later.
This used to be a huge challenge though while out in the field or at events. Without taking a check or cash, employees had no way to take payment, even if a person was ready to make a purchase. Fortunately, Square and Stripe card readers have alleviated this pain point and made spot sales a breeze.
By renting iPads or other tablets from eTech and then hooking up a Square Reader or Stripe Terminal, accepting credit cards for instant sales at events is simple. In this post, we will take a look at Square and Stripe card readers including a comparison of the two, the types of events they are perfect for, and the apps they integrate with.
Square Readers vs. Stripe Terminal
Ultimately, Square and Stripe readers are relatively similar products. While Square was initially targeted specifically for small businesses, they’ve expanded recently to other markets. Stripe on the other hand started off as an online payment processor from small to large businesses, and recently launched Stripe Terminal for in-person credit card sales.
The charts below from mobiletransaction.org provide a good side-by-side comparison of the two.
According to the same article, the main difference between the two mobile card readers is, “Square Reader works out-of-the-box with Square Point of Sale app, which has a well-rounded selection of expandable POS features. Stripe’s BBPOS card reader, on the other hand, requires you to either program it with your own checkout app, or choose a third-party payment app compatible with Stripe Terminal.”
Where to Use Square Readers and Stripe Terminals
Technology in general has streamlined festivals, but let’s take a look at a few events where there are ample opportunities to make quick sales using mobile card readers:
- Conferences and Trade Shows – When thinking of professional conferences and trade shows, many people look at them as lead generation and networking events only, not necessarily an opportunity to make sales. This isn’t always the case though, depending on what your company sells. For instance, say you make fine jewelry. Instead of just showing catalogs or samples of your products, why not have some available for purchase? If someone sees something they like, make the sale right then and there. Additionally, if you are a company that is hosting your own conference in the coming months (think Dreamforce, Salesforce’s yearly conference), why not sell registrations on the spot? You can offer a discount to the attendees at the event if they agree to sign up and pay for their registration to your upcoming event on the spot.
Festivals, Shows, and Concerts
These types of events offer a great place to sell directly to an engaged audience. Aside from just food and beverage, these provide a great opportunity to sell goods like clothing, records, paintings, and other ‘swag’ as memorabilia for the event. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to sell tickets to future events. If people had a great time and are in a good mood, offering them tickets to future similar events (at a discounted rate from what they would pay online once they leave the event) is a great way to make some extra income.
Event Planning App Integrations
Both Square and Stripe have integrations with a good amount of event planning apps.
According to the Square website, they integrate with the following ticketing and events applications: SimpleTix, Brushfire, TicketSocket, and Event App. Each have different fees associated.
As for Stripe Terminal, the website says their APIs and SDKs simplify the integration of Stripe Terminal into your point of sale application.
Within reason, companies should always be thinking about ways to drive more revenue and make more sales. Renting iPads or other tablets from eTech, and then utilizing Square Readers or Stripe Terminals to provide a painless sales experience at events is a great way to do so. Reach out to eTech today for any questions or assistance you may need in setting up a mobile payment system at your next event.
About eTech Rentals
eTech Rentals is a national technology solutions provider located in Southern California specializing in rental technology integration. eTech is committed to long-standing client relationships and consistent, reliable local service, trusted by expert event planners, film and entertainment production companies, and businesses in California and nationwide.
Learn more about eTech Rentals at: https://www.etechrentals.com/
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