Did you know that credit card processing machines can come equipped with all kinds of different accessories and upgrades?

What this means for your business is that the first step to getting new equipment involves a lot more than just taking a quick look at the price tag. When shopping around, you should definitely investigate options such as onboard PIN pads, bar code scanners, and even thermal printers.
However, these aren’t the only accessories and upgrades you should be looking for in a credit card processing machine:

· Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator: When you buy equipment like an Internet connection or a credit card printer, it’s hard to put a price tag on the time and effort it saves your business. But when faced with credit card processing machines, you can still quantify all of the time, effort, and resources it saves. An ROI calculator allows you to do just that, giving you an accurate estimate of how much money your business is actually making on any new equipment. If you’re shopping for new equipment or supplies online, be sure to look around until you find a calculator that suits your needs.

· Upgradeable: Some upgrades, such as the addition of an extra bar code scanner or thermal printer, may be incompatible with older equipment and software. Before you make any decisions, it’s crucial to find out exactly which upgrades are compatible with which machines and what some of the limitations might be.
· Network Compatibility: If you have an office with multiple locations, or if your employees use laptops instead of desktop computers, it’s probably a good idea to purchase network-compatible equipment. This way, your employees can still share data even while working offline.
· Customer Service and Technical Support: Buying a Credit Card Printer is always exciting-there are so many new machines to choose from, and the new equipment is always state-of-the-art. But what happens when it breaks? Warranties are great, but they usually cover only manufacturing defects. Make sure any credit card processing machine you’re interested in is backed by a strong company support system that offers training videos, repair manuals, and plenty of other helpful resources.

Finally, you should know how a credit card printer works, so you know what to look for when buying a credit card printer. Credit Card Printers use thermal print heads that transfer heat through wax-coated paper and onto the surface of the plastic cards, where it is cooled and becomes part of the card. The cards are run through the machine at high speeds (20-40) times per second, depending on the equipment. A constant stream of air passes over the print head to cool it while more heat is used to keep the machine itself warm. It takes approximately 3-7 seconds per card for a credit card printer to complete printing both sides of a card.