I am new to this and have been researching both. I have been going back and forth about them. I plan to use quick books to help keep things organized so the phone is great for that since it can import right to it. But I have talked to artist and they have had problems.
They both work on the same system so if one does not get it then I would think a swipe unit would not either. I do like the store and forward of the nurit 8020.
Any pros and cons would help. Thanks guys!!!!
Replies
Nurit Pros: cheaper interest charges
Nurit Cons: more expensive for a service plan
Smartphone: just one device to carry for internet, calls, and taking credit cards. The square allows you to photograph the artwork or the artwork with the buyer and send as part of the receipts.
Smartphone cons: if you don't have a service such as Verizon, you are bound to run into places where the cell coverage is poor. (but then the same can happen with the nurit anyway)
I have never had problems with the Square but I do have the Intuit GoPayment as backup. And then if my phone runs out of battery, I can always plug my Square into another artist's phone and log into my account to run a purchase. Cant do the same with the Nurit.
Hope this helps:
Christine
http://www.christinehauber.com
Fine Art Photographer and workshop instructor
Now with a wireless unit does it not have the same reception problems as a cell phone?
Yes. That's why you need a store and forward function. That way you can still get the data from the card while it's present, and batch it out later when you do have a connection. That's the single biggest flaw with the smartphone devices.
That said, the radios in smartphones are better than the transceivers in the wireless machines. Or maybe it's that the wireless machines use better encryption algorithms. I have no idea. Most times you have a signal. But when you don't, it's nice to have a fallback. You can always write down the info - but it slows down your sales process.
Some shows have terrible wireless reception. I've had problems at St. James, Crosby Gardens, to name a couple. My friend had serious issues with AT&T and the Square at Ann Arbor South U this year. Having store and forward lets you take the credit information and move forward. The customer usually does not notice that the charge has not been authorized yet.
The smartphone apps will save you about $20/month in wireless charges. If you just get a store & forward unit you can save that, but you don't get to verify the card until you batch out after the show.
I like my wireless unit. Got it from 1NB, and their service is good. The unit and service is not cheap, but if you sell enough it pays for itself in the long run. I like having hard copies of the receipts, and I track email and contact info on a separate receipt that the customer gets. I don't think the smartphone apps are quite there yet, but I have lots of friends making the migration.