Guest Post - Card payments made easy with iZettle

The is the first guest post I've featured on the site.  I first heard of iZettle a few months ago, though my job and interest in mobile technology.  It's a card reader that you put into the bottom of your phone (iPhone only at the moment).  You can then take payments from people's credit cards.  I've been to lots of events, for example the 'Circus' event at Christmas, where you've had to go to a central point to make card payments.  iZettle is a system that will allow traders to take payments themselves.

Over to iZettle:


Are you tired of turning cashless customers away at the door? Or of missing out on extra sales because visitors only carry the exact amount of cash required to make do for the evening? Then iZettle might be the solution for you. iZettle lets anyone take card payments, anywhere, anytime, using nothing but a free app for iPhone or iPad, and a free mini chip-card reader.

No merchant account is required, and you only pay for successful transactions. For now it is 2.75% for MasterCard or Diners Club payments, and 2.95% for American Express payments, but we’re of course working on letting you take more cards, including Visa. It only takes a few minutes to get an account set up, and you automatically receive daily deposits to your regular bank account.
Does it sound interesting? This is how it works:


Simply take out your iPhone or iPad, and insert the card reader. The iZettle app automatically launches. Insert your buyer's credit card, press "Pay" and ask them to sign on the screen to confirm the purchase. The payment is cleared, and you'll have the money in your account a few days later.
iZettle is EMV approved, and adheres to all the requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, PCI DSS. No sensitive data is ever stored on the card reader or mobile device, and all data traffic is encrypted.


We're currently running a closed beta programme in the UK, and would love to hear your feedback on the service. If you'd like to try us out, please request an invite at www.izettle.com/GB.


You can also visit our website for inspiration on how to use iZettle for your business. For example, bag and accessory designer Larissa Hadjio uses iZettle for her pop-up shops in order to avoid having to hire a mobile card terminal. Read more about her and other users at http://www.izettle.com/GB/stories.