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The data is encrypted and as such they explicitly state it will not work with a jailbroken phone to avoid security issues.

Here's to hoping someone eventually develops a way around this. I'm waiting on delivery at this point and, quite honestly, won't use the device if my phone can't be jailbroken. :(
 
still no card readers, tho

I think they're going to need something close to a case to have a chip reader.

Am I missing something?? the website says there is a card reader that works with iphone and plugs into the headphone jack???

No worries, you're safe. The sinister beauty of Apple's closed App Store and oppressive approval process shines again! :D

Is there really a demand for card readers for iPOS devices?

punch_card.75dpi.rgb.gif
 
That's for a legitimate merchant.

What I'm fearful of is fraudulent use by an unscrupulous waiter/waitress that swipes your credit card on the sly on the way back to their actual register. It happens. In some locations with packed venues (Vegas, Miami, NYC, etc.) it happens hundreds of times a day. Later, if you notice the extra charges and dispute them, you'll eventually trace back the account to someone who had their identity stolen.

so your gripe is with credit card transactions in general, not this device/app?
 
I signed up for my account but the only thing that doesn't make it worth it for me is they have a $100 limit on charges per day (at least for me starting out) In my field there are no small ticket charges so makes it not usable at all. Will have to stick with my merchant account for now.
 
so your gripe is with credit card transactions in general, not this device/app?
My "gripe" is with the ease of fraud with this device.

I think that will be the concern of most people; rampant identify theft and credit card fraud will make them think twice about giving their credit card to someone with a little square white dongle haphazardly attached to their phone. The rest will get concerned when they get fleeced, and no sooner.
 
My "gripe" is with the ease of fraud with this device.

I think that will be the concern of most people; rampant identify theft and credit card fraud will make them think twice about giving their credit card to someone with a little square, white dongle haphazardly attached to their phone. The rest will get concerned when they get fleeced, and no sooner.

I guess I don't see the ease of fraud with this device related to any other type of transaction with a credit card. This supposed "unscrupulous server" or unscrupulous hot shot business owner could just as easily swipe said card twice on their own credit card machine at the register. With this device, the server comes to you, she swipes the card right there at the dinner table, gives you your card back, you sign and go back to your high rise.
 
That's for a legitimate merchant.

What I'm fearful of is fraudulent use by an unscrupulous waiter/waitress that swipes your credit card on the sly on the way back to their actual register. It happens. In some locations with packed venues (Vegas, Miami, NYC, etc.) it happens hundreds of times a day. Later, if you notice the extra charges and dispute them, you'll eventually trace back the account to someone who had their identity stolen.

You are looking at this as a magnetic strip reader. That is not the case. I am like 99.999% sure that the info retrieved is not displaed on the screen at all. Maybe you will only see the last 4 digits of the card.

Also, this swiper works through the audio jack so its some proprietary way of communicating. Much different that you average magnetic strip reader anyone can buy.
 
A high cut of your hard earned $$ to swipe a credit card and an even higher cut of your $$ when you can't swipe the card.

Plus a flat fee on top of the already high percentage they are taking!?

WTF!!:eek:

It's like they screw you AND make you pay for the condom.

What a bunch of greedy hipster doofases!:mad:

Every form of payment has a handling fee, even cash.
Even if it's only a trip to the bank each week is still time that you can't sell.
so 3% equals 1.2hours out of a 40 hour week.
Plus the system does some of the paper work for you.
And your carrying less cash on you.
 
If I were Paypal i would seriously consider developing something similar to this, surely they would be able to make it free.
 
Square vs. PayPal

Has anyone done a transaction fee/fee comparison between the two services?
 
I signed up for my account but the only thing that doesn't make it worth it for me is they have a $100 limit on charges per day (at least for me starting out) In my field there are no small ticket charges so makes it not usable at all. Will have to stick with my merchant account for now.

How can I get my transaction limits increased?
Once you receive your Square card reader you’ll be able to accept card payments with the initial limits. We’re currently expanding our underwriting infrastructure in order to increase these limits. Within the next few weeks, we'll reevaluate these limits to reflect your history of successful card payments.

Maybe not the answer you were looking for, but it seems likely it can be worked out.
 
Here's to hoping someone eventually develops a way around this. I'm waiting on delivery at this point and, quite honestly, won't use the device if my phone can't be jailbroken. :(

Same here. I wasn't aware of this restriction.

Edit: actually, they don't say it can't be used on a jailbroken phone. It's just not supported. This is from their site:

Running Square on a “jailbroken” phone or mobile device with a modified operating system is not supported.


To me, that means that it will work, but if data is stolen or a user runs into problems with Square on a jailbroken device, Square is not obligated to help.
 
Has anyone done a transaction fee/fee comparison between the two services?

PayPal is not in the business of physical terminals. Many, MANY banks are. Probably every bank has a credit card processor branch of their business. PayPal does have Virtual Terminal, but they only have that for full-fledged computers, and obviously it is much more complicated than the simple offerings of Square.

However, Square definitely has a place where PayPal has not fleshed out; they will soon (Square) find out that some of the reasons PayPal has closed doors to these avenues are because of the rampant fraud; it is very difficult by the data they get from transactions to tell what is fraud and what isn't. No passwords, no auto-password-generating keychains linked to secure accounts, no address verification, no cookies/IP addresses/MAC addresses/geolocation from end user machines... just from the terminal/iPad it comes from.

I love the beardy guy and this product, but I sure hope they know what they're getting into. If and when this service blows up, they're going to have to either be bought by a bank or credit card network (this sounds like a Discover kind of concept, IMO), or become a multi-billion dollar company with call centers and fraud departments and 37-page user agreements, just like other payment processors.
 
PayPal is not in the business of physical terminals...

Having run a business that dealt mostly in online sales, with the occasional person coming through our offices, I can tell you it was surely more secure a feeling to ask a walk-in customer for a signature (apparently required for Square) and another form of identification than it was dealing with some online instances.

All this, of course, is for our protection and not theirs I suppose.
 
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severe said:
The data is encrypted and as such they explicitly state it will not work with a jailbroken phone to avoid security issues.

Here's to hoping someone eventually develops a way around this. I'm waiting on delivery at this point and, quite honestly, won't use the device if my phone can't be jailbroken. :(

If that is true.....then I'm pissed. They could of popped a dialog box on first run saying that credit card swipes will not work on a jb phone!
 
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rwilliams said:
Here's to hoping someone eventually develops a way around this. I'm waiting on delivery at this point and, quite honestly, won't use the device if my phone can't be jailbroken. :(

Same here. I wasn't aware of this restriction.

Edit: actually, they don't say it can't be used on a jailbroken phone. It's just not supported. This is from their site:

Running Square on a “jailbroken” phone or mobile device with a modified operating system is not supported.


To me, that means that it will work, but if data is stolen or a user runs into problems with Square on a jailbroken device, Square is not obligated to help.

Thanks for the tip.
 
I have my card reader and it doesn't work with the iPhone app - you HAVE to type it in. The card reader works with the iPad app, though. Guess we'll have to wait for another update to be able to swipe cards.

EDIT: Just used the Android app, it works with the card reader. Looks like it's only the iPhone app (I tried it on my iPod Touch, maybe that's the problem?)

iPod touch 1G doesn't support input from the headphone jack. iPod touch 2G and 3G do.
 
Same here. I wasn't aware of this restriction.

Edit: actually, they don't say it can't be used on a jailbroken phone. It's just not supported. This is from their site:

Running Square on a “jailbroken” phone or mobile device with a modified operating system is not supported.


To me, that means that it will work, but if data is stolen or a user runs into problems with Square on a jailbroken device, Square is not obligated to help.

I don't have my reader yet, but I made two test cash "purchases" using a jailbroken iPod touch 3G (32 GB) and a rooted Nexus One running the latest CyanogenMod firmware. Both worked.
 
Well I was all gung ho on this cool app.

I read all the info on the site prior to downloading the app. I spent the time entering all the info on the app and creating my user profile. I then followed the instructions on how to setup a credit card account. Then I see that you cannot use this service if you have a TAX ID#. WTF!!!!!

You can only use the service with a personal social security number. If you then click on the link for the FAQ, it brings me back to the same page I read before I signed up. Sure there are businesses that Square will not service but no where does it say you can't use his for a legitimate business with a tax id#.

This makes no sense. Yes there are sole proprietorships where the business then is your SS# but there are business that fall within the guidelines on the site that are LLC, INC, etc.

Not sure why this aren't allowed.

I know with a LLC or INC you are personally shielded but they are taking there fee's upfront (i.e. after the credit card percentage and .15 fee is deducted). So what is the risk. Its not like my other businesses CC company where they deposit the transaction in full and then deduct all fee's at the end of the month for al transactions processed that month. Then there is a greater risk.
 
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