When your business chooses to accept credit and debit card payments in-store, you’ll need a credit card machine/terminal and credit card processing provider. There are all types of credit card terminals on the market. The options come from a large variety of product manufacturers, with a huge selection of various types and sizes, and a whole host of features and capabilities that vary from one product to the next. It can get overwhelming to even know where to start.
Choosing the right payments technology provider for merchant services such as credit card processing and point-of-sale products will alleviate some of the burden on you while you focus on growing your business. We understand saving money is one of your top priorities. That’s why we want to shed some light on why it’s best to avoid leasing your credit card machines.
At Aurora Payments, we do not offer leases to our merchants. We receive a large amount of calls from unhappy merchants looking to switch their processing provider who have unfortunately been locked into a lease in the past. We sympathize with business owners who have entered into a lease as it's understandable to want to pay a smaller monthly price than a large upfront cost. Considerably more so, if you're just opening a new business. We’ve heard our fair share of horror stories when it comes to leasing payment terminals.
an example:
Beverly, the owner of a local dry cleaning business for over 30 years decides to sign a lease agreement for a new credit card machine. The salesman provided Beverly with a lease agreement for $40/month over 48 months. Her total price for that credit card machine over 48 months is equal to $1,920.00.
LEASE
| Price | Term | Total |
| $40.00 | 48 months | $1,920.00 |
Let's look at this scenario if Beverly would have purchased the credit card terminal instead. Typically, from our experience here at Aurora Payments, we see that the credit card machine if purchased upfront is typically 10% of what the merchant will normally pay in a lease. The same product Beverly paid $1,920.00 for actually ranges between $150.00-$350.00 total. Sadly, Beverly has over paid by $1,570.00 for her credit card machine.
PURCHASE
On average, a credit card machine = a one-time total cost of $150 - $350
Keep in mind, there are more expensive credit card processing devices and full integrated systems, however; the lease payments will be higher at around $100+ per month for an average of 48 months for a total of $4,800.00 for a high-end system. Whereas these systems actually cost a one-time total fee of $1,800.00 max even with full installation and set-up.
This information is already hard to digest, and we have one more unfortunate piece to add. Many of these payment machines are replaced by the manufacturer within 2-3 years. Think of it like your personal smart phone; manufacturers make upgrades frequently, add more "smart" features, etc. a few years later, that phone is no longer available and usually no longer holds value. Then the manufacturer sets these products as EOL "End of Life" which means they will no longer support service. Just like with your smart phone, the same cyclical pattern of technology upgrades happens with payment products such as your credit card machines and point-of-sale systems. Merchants are left paying a lease on a product that can no longer be serviced which not only means there is no value to the product, it also leaves them unsupported and open to a higher risk of fraud.
The moral of the story: Forget leasing
Work with a trusted and reliable credit card processing provider. Ask about incentives such as free terminals or activation bonuses to help keep the costs of your credit card machines to a minimum. If you're ready to make the switch to Aurora Payments. We are here to help make the transition painless! Call (833) 287-6729
