Cash points can be few and far between in exhibition halls, and you can’t always rely on visitors to have prepared in advance to pay with cash, or to return to your stand after leaving to retrieve cash. A small amount of research and organisation prior to the show can make the difference between smooth transactions at your exhibition stand and having to turn away customers because you can’t take their payments, you’ll thank yourself in the long run!
If you’re an early bird and have over one month to go until the exhibition, but don’t have a UK Merchant ID then you have enough time to apply for a Merchant ID to allow you to use a PDQ machine. Otherwise, if the event is more than seven working days away and you do already have a UK Merchant ID compatible with VeriFone use then PDQ machines are also a great option for your exhibition. These are the card machines you see and use every day, in almost every shop you visit. They accept Chip & PIN, contactless and Apple Pay transactions so give your customers the most options when they’re ready to pay you. They’re also provided with a roaming sim, meaning they’ll connect to the mobile signal in the exhibition hall and you won’t need to rely on the strength of the wireless internet signal.
If your event is less than one month away and you don’t have a UK Merchant ID then we’d recommend you look to hire the increasingly popular iZettle. You see this solution being used more an more, in pop-up shops and restaurants, at exhibitions and other short and mid-length events. You’ll need a smartphone or tablet with the iZettle app downloaded, as well as an iZettle account, but this is easily the quickest solution for taking card payments. You’ll still need to allow three working days for the delivery and setup process, but controlled solely by their app this solution is really simple and intuitive to use. You’ll need to hire an additional wireless printer if you wish to print physical receipts, otherwise you can email or text an e-receipt to your customers straight from the app – it couldn’t be easier!
If you need any help working out the best card payment solution for you do get in contact with us.
A PDQ machine is the sort of card machine you probably use in shops and restaurants all the time, great for your exhibition stand
iZettles are a great option if you don’t have a merchant ID, controlled easily from your smart phone or tablet app
If you need any help working out the best card payment solution for you do get in contact with us.