Credit Card Terminal Definition

By Phillip Parker

Last Updated: June 5, 2011

Merchant Account Credit Card Terminal Explained:

What is a Credit Card Terminal? A Credit Card Terminal, also called an Electronic Data Capture Terminal or EDC Terminal for short, is an electronic device that enables merchants to accept credit cards at the point of sale. Terminals are available in wired dial-in phone line, VoiP, and mobile wireless options. Additionally, many can be paired with debit pin-pads to accept pin-based debit card transactions.

Credit card terminals can be bought or leased. The cost of buying a terminal can range from $99 to $1000+ depending on the features that the merchant desires. Leases can range from just a few dollars a month to over $100 per month. Merchants are advised to buy terminals whenever possible as leases are often much more expensive and require long service contracts. If a credit card processor requires the use of a specific terminal that will only work with that provider’s services, you may want to shop for a different processor that allows for the use of various third-party terminals.

Common Credit Card Terminal Brands

Verifone
Hypercom
Lipman/Nurit
Omni
Ingenico
Dejavoo

About The Author

Phillip Parker

Phillip Parker is an independent card payment expert specializing U.S. and Canadian point-of-sale, e-commerce, and mobile payment acceptance. He has nearly two decades of experience in credit card processing as a journalist and consultant. Phillip is the creator of this website and has written over 1,500 articles covering numerous payment acceptance topics. He has also published critical reviews about most merchant services providers currently in operation.

Expert Guidance

Phillip has consulted businesses of all sizes from mom-and-pop shops processing $10K per month to enterprise level organizations processing in excess of $300MM annually. His specialties include:

– Merchant Account Statement Auditing

– Rate & Fee Negotiation

– Processor & POS Selection

– Software Integrations

– Risk Assessment

– Fraud Prevention

– General Processing Advice

Schedule a Consultation Here

Phillip’s Top Picks

Phillip has researched and reviewed over 1,000 merchant services providers over the last 15 years. He also owns multiple businesses that accept credit card payments. If you are looking for an ethical credit card processor that doesn’t hide fees or lock you into expensive contracts, see Phillip’s merchant account picks here.

In The Media

In addition his contributions on CPO, Phillip has also been quoted in several major publications such as The Los Angeles Times, INC Magazine, Miami Herald, Computer World, and numerous others. If you would like to interview Phillip for your story or podcast, please reach out here.

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