Our Guide to Short Term Card Machine Hire

Here, we’ve put together a short guide all about PDQ rental and alternatives, giving every business or sole trader the opportunity to take card payments at any exhibition or other corporate events.

How to Take Card Payments at Events

Taking cash-only at any event, corporate conference or retail pop up shop is outdated and can even cause you to miss out on crucial sales. So, card machine hire is now an essential part of a business’ exhibition and event packages.

There are several ways you can start to take card payments on location and we’ll take a look at these now so that you can choose which process will work best for your business.

At ExpoCart, you can use PDQ rental or iZettle hire. This will depend on whether you have a merchant number or not and how much time you have before your event. Even if your event is right around the corner and you haven’t applied for a merchant number, you can still take card payments with an iZettle card reader.

Take a look at the below four scenarios and find the one that best applies to you.

A - If you already have a merchant number that you have used

If you already have a merchant number and have used this before, you can use ExpoCart's PDQ machine hire service straight away. You will be sent a form following your order and can expect delivery within 5 days.

B - If you already have a merchant number but you haven’t used it before

If you or your business holds a merchant number but you haven’t used it before, it needs to be approved by your bank before we can send out your hired PDQ machine. Due to this additional time, delivery from ExpoCart will be around 7 days.

C - If you don’t have a merchant number but have plenty of time before your event (4 weeks)

If you have plenty of time before your event, you can apply for a merchant number, get it approved by your bank and then order your PDQ machine with ExpoCart. Merchant numbers can take approximately 10 days and you’ll need to also include the additional 7 days to receive your PDQ machine.

D - If you don’t have a merchant number and your event is imminent

If you don’t have time to apply for a merchant number, you can use iZettle to start taking payments instantly. All you need to do is download the iZettle app and connect with your bank and you can start to take payments. iZettle card readers can also be rented with a Bluetooth printer if you need to be able to offer hardcopy receipts.

Is PDQ or iZettle Card Reader Right for You?

Choosing between a PDQ or iZettle device might simply come down to whether or not you have a working merchant number to use. If you do have a merchant number, but you’re wondering whether to use iZettle instead, take a look below at some of the benefits and advantages of the iZettle card reader.

• You don’t need a merchant number to set-up

• You can offer email and text receipts

• 1.75% flat transaction fee

• Contactless and Apple Pay accepted

• Powered through an app with product library capabilities

Choosing which card payment machine is right for your business comes down to whether you have or want to get a merchant number as well as how much time you have before your exhibition or event. Making sure you can take card payments guarantees that you make the most out of your event and avoid the consequences of only accepting cash on location.