One thing that may not be too familiar to the Americans, but this looks a lot sturdier (read:larger) because it isn't a swiper like Square. It is a chip reader, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_and_PIN
Heads up, If you're an American going to Europe, regular swipe only credit cards won't work as often here. Nearly all point-of-sale credit card machines require chip & pin. Or you'll wind up like some tourists in my local supermarket unable to use their credit card.
One thing that may not be too familiar to the Americans, but this looks a lot sturdier (read:larger) because it isn't a swiper like Square. It is a chip reader, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_and_PIN
Heads up, If you're an American going to Europe, regular swipe only credit cards won't work as often here. Nearly all point-of-sale credit card machines require chip & pin. Or you'll wind up like some tourists in my local supermarket unable to use their credit card.
Heads up, if you're an American going to Europe, be aware that attitudes to living on credit or via credit cards are at times very different.
In Belgium and the Netherlands, it's not usual to see supermarkets even taking credit cards, and some restaurants (!) don't either. This is changing, but slowly.
> The customer must sign the transaction on the ipad screen with finger (even harder with iphone). it's very hard to check that to the signature on the back of the card. In my experience, signing works really well. Also, in Sweden nobody checks the signature. I don't even bother signing my card, and I can't understand how anybody can read the signature on the card. I think it's happened once that someone's wanted to…
I guess that checking the signature is a US thing, in the UK, Switzerland and Spain if you don't pay with a chip & pin card they ask for ID, and that works pretty fine security wise.
In my experience, checking the signature just doesn't happen in the US. In fact, most of the time you seem to be given your card back before you even give them the signed receipt.
Checking the signature was the norm in the UK before chip-and-PIN.
PIN keypads have to be secure... totally secure. Passing through the iPhone isn't security. For them to include a PIN entry system, they would need to do so on the chip reader device itself (non-iPhone). The keypads for PIN entry systems always hash the PIN before it leaves the keypad... no other software gets the PIN. If you cannot offer secure PIN entry, then you cannot offer PIN entry. You can still take a signatu…
A good example of this is the Apple Stores in Europe: like in the US, staff use iPods to take orders and checkout. The difference is when it comes to payment: instead of swiping the credit card and signing on the iPod screen, transaction details are wirelessly sent to one of many Chip & PIN readers around the store, and you then complete your purchase there.
This isn't how it works in the UK. Here, staff inputs the order details, etc. on the iphone which is in a special case with a chip & pin reader and a keypad on the back. You insert your card, turn the iphone over, and enter your pin on the physical keypad which ostensibly separately transmits the transaction to the processor. Seems like a really nice solution and is something these guys should be able to leverage.
I think everyone here is missing the point. The dongle and the card swipe/read is merely a short term Trojan horse into changing payment. Further more it is a means to the end of cash payments. If you imagine that these apps will become the "Facebook" of commerce and how that can happen you will see the bigger picture. These apps allow everyone to pass currency using a device, sure they need a card right now as that is the "old skool" method we all respect. Once the card is swipped their is no need to do it ever again. Both parties are registered on the app and thus the "mobile wallet" has been created. Next they will role out "self serve" apps and cardless payment.
What we are talking about here is merely a means to an end. Sadly it also means that these apps will Facebook commerce and while they are doing that they will put eCommerce on the back seat. Wait and see what happens.
I guess that checking the signature is a US thing, in the UK, Switzerland and Spain if you don't pay with a chip & pin card they ask for ID, and that works pretty fine security wise.
In my experience, checking the signature just doesn't happen in the US. In fact, most of the time you seem to be given your card back before you even give them the signed receipt. Checking the signature was the norm in the UK before chip-and-PIN.
I wrote "please ask for ID" instead of signing. In 4 years, I was asked to show An ID exactly on once.
However successful this product becomes (which looks doubtful given its dependence upon signatures), its irritating generic web 2.0 startup name will prevent me from ever taking it seriously.
Square has a good product name, because it's memorable, and it fits the device (it's square!) On the other hand, iZettle is neither memorable, nor makes any sense.
"iZettle is neither memorable, nor makes any sense"
YMMV - I thinks it's both memorable and makes sense (sounds like "I settle"). Also, I've never seen a Square device so their domain isn't memorable to me!
> The customer must sign the transaction on the ipad screen with finger (even harder with iphone). it's very hard to check that to the signature on the back of the card. In my experience, signing works really well. Also, in Sweden nobody checks the signature. I don't even bother signing my card, and I can't understand how anybody can read the signature on the card. I think it's happened once that someone's wanted to…
I guess that checking the signature is a US thing, in the UK, Switzerland and Spain if you don't pay with a chip & pin card they ask for ID, and that works pretty fine security wise.
My American sister pays with a chip-and-pinless credit card when she visits the UK. She has to swipe and sign, but I've never seen anyone ask for ID.
In my experience, checking the signature just doesn't happen in the US. In fact, most of the time you seem to be given your card back before you even give them the signed receipt. Checking the signature was the norm in the UK before chip-and-PIN.
I wrote "please ask for ID" instead of signing. In 4 years, I was asked to show An ID exactly on once.