Technology is shaping how we live life in the modern age. So much so that the simple act of purchasing something has been made infinitely easier thanks to the technological innovations in mobile payment and mobile credit card processing.
In fact, mobile credit card processing and mobile payment solutions have become so popular to the point that the global number of mobile payment users is expected to grow to 760 million by the end of 2020.
Given its popularity, more and more mobile payment and mobile credit card solutions are now popping up and hitting the market for public use. This might make it hard for someone to get into this, as not every mobile payment and mobile credit card solution is created equal.
In order to make choosing easier, we've put together a list of the 10 most popular mobile payment solutions. We'll be discussing what makes them a good option along with whether or not they're better suited for small businesses or large ones.
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Mobile payment solutions and mobile credit card processing are invaluable to both physical and digital businesses. It helps do away with traditional point of sale systems, which can be a huge help for any business owner looking to cut down on costs
Let's kick off this mobile processing app review with Square. Square is a straightforward payment processing and mobile credit card processing app. Square has made it as easy as possible for business owners, thanks to its point of sale software and real-time reporting analytics.
Another factor that makes Square one of the best merchant services is the absence of monthly fees. Instead, Square offers a flat rate on transaction fees at 2.9% of the purchase + a modest $0.30.
This feature makes it a preferred choice of credit card processing for small business entities. Many small to medium-sized eCommerce operations make use of Square and its processing equipment, helping it earn its spot on this list.
Pros
Our next one down the line is Stripe. Stripe's vision is simple; their goal is to make online business much easier for everybody, making them one of the best credit card processors in the market.
Stripe's credit card processing includes support for multiple currencies. Combined with their comprehensive reporting features, you get an app that is friendly for both the business and the customer.
It's safe to say that this credit card processing service is perfect for international payments as well as the average small business. You can credit this to the modern outlook on businesses of this payment gateway.
Pros
A Chicago native, Braintree is next on the list with its credit card processing. This one takes the perspective of the developer more into account with their credit card processing. That means having an easier time integrating this payment option onto websites.
Braintree also follows Stripe's example with flat-rate pricing, making it predictable for the user. Down the line, you might say this is one of the best credit card processors for small business.
Aside from all that, it also features one of the more comprehensive support models for different payment types. As credit card processing companies go, this one checks the basic boxes.
Pros
An appropriate third party option for both big and small businesses, Apple Pay is one of the best credit card processors for modern businesses. Rather than bother with card readers, Apple Pay instead relies only on the customers' Apple device.
This does restrict your customer base quite a bit. Apple Pay and Google Pay still do compete when it comes to credit card processing services. Needless to say though, Apple devices are one of the most common, meaning you still get a good share of the market.
Alternatively, the Apple Pay user can opt to avail of the Apple Card. Done in partnership with MasterCard, this lets the user make transactions with stores not supporting NFC.
Pros
The advantage of choosing LevelUp to handle your mobile credit card processing is having the customers' confidence. What's makes this unique is the fact that card payments are processed through QR codes. instead of credit card readers.
Card readers are used by the store to process the payments and customers pay through a mobile app. It's unique enough to stand out. Unfortunately, they do not publish the cost per month. This might make it harder for a small business owner to decide right away.
Fortunately, the credit card processing company makes up for this with a heavy emphasis on analytics. That means knowing when, and where, your payments happen. You can see
Pros
Another third party mobile credit card processing service that gives importance to the developers. This credit card processor's toolset gives this one some of the best credit card processing for 2020. Unlike the others, WePay is more of a facilitator rather than a full-fledged merchant account provider.
Just like LevelUp though, we won't be able to publish their costs just yet. WePay has not uploaded any fees per month or likewise, so you'll have to contact them directly for quotations.
What should give you some sense of security with WePay's payment processing is the fact that it was acquired by JP Morgan Chase last 2017. At least you know who's backing all that cash.
Pros
As far as mobile credit card processing goes, Merchant One is one of the older services available. Unlike the others, Merchant One did not opt to produce their own card readers. Instead, Merchant One does their payment processing through Clover's line of equipment.
This also means that they won't have their own POS app where you do business. The only difference here is you'll be focused on credit card readers rather than the software. Don't worry, Merchant One reviews are generally okay with the hardware.
Monthly fees are yet to be disclosed as well, with the company offering to give out a quotation to interested parties. As Merchant One reviews go, we'd say they're a fair bet.
Pros
While this is not a POS app, Google Pay offers a service like Apple Pay. Like Apple Pay, the general idea is to allow the person making a transaction to make use of their phone instead of a credit card.
Another thing to keep in mind is by using Google Pay's service, your customer support will be Google based as well. Now, we're sure customer service isn't going to be the biggest factor. What we're saying is you can expect a similar quality of that service.
Unlike Apple, you can use this on any phone. At least this way, you aren't restricted to one brand. Despite that, Apple Pay and Google Pay both still count as two of the best merchant services for e-commerce.
Pros
It stands to reason that, when talking about the best credit card processing for 2020, we would bring up PayPal. It's among the most trusted by consumers and is among the ideal credit card processors for low volume merchants.
Businesses all over have made use of PayPal for payment processing and have continued to do so. For the merchants, the predictability of its cost makes it easier for them to count their coins.
Unfortunately, high-risk businesses will still be unsupported. You can pin this to the amount of security they place on their clients' accounts. Still, it's counted among the best merchant services.
Pros
Now more commonly known as Amazon Pay, this is another one perfect for small businesses. A merchant account with Amazon is a pay-as-you-go account. This makes it one of the best merchant services for e-commerce available.
Unfortunately, accepted support outside Amazon is not as widespread as PayPal. Not to worry though, what's available are big enough to compensate, most notably Shopify.
Additionally, it's said to be pretty easy to integrate into a website. That makes adjustments to any website easier for the webmaster and credit card processing for small business, cheaper.
Pros
With new technology comes new security threats. This guide outlines mobile payment best practices to help protect your business from common threats.
Despite its popularity, many people are still hesitant to make the switch to mobile credit card processing and mobile payment solutions. These frequently asked questions are geared towards addressing common reservations and issues people have with this technology.
If you need more information on credit card processing and mobile payment solutions, do check out the various resources we have available on Processing Card!
Florence Carpenter is passionate about ensuring that the process of opening merchant accounts is as straightforward as possible. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing.
