Michael Koploy of Software Advice has posted a useful list of the 9 best iOS apps for retailers. He notes the App Store rating and the number of ratings an app has received, giving you idea which are the most popular. The free app Square makes his list and continues to be one of the best deals I've seen. You not only get the app free, but also a free credit card reader that connects to your phone. And there's no monthly fee or contract. You simply pay per transaction.
Pretty good, but...
I've had this for awhile and used it a few times. Here are a few glitches. First, the credit card reader doesn't always work on the first swipe. Sometimes it takes 3 or more swipes to get it to recognize the CC. Perhaps I just need more practice to figure out the best way to get it right on the first swipe... Second, the user must know that if you swipe a card, then stop the transaction because the customer wanted to add something, or perhaps a call comes through, or anything else happens to interrupt the process, you'll have to start over and each swipe will register a "pending" transaction on the customers bank account. While only the completed transaction will completely process after a few days, your customer may call (as one did for me) to tell you that you made a mistake and charged them 3 times for the same transaction. While this is not usually a big deal, since the charges are pending and only one will actually process completely, the customer still has the total of all swipes held against their account until the bank releases the holds in 2 or 3 days. Just FYI. Overwise, this works well and is a great convenience if you need mobile CC processing service. The funds are deposited in about 3 business days.
Thanks much for this detailed
Thanks much for this detailed feedback on Square.
Jim