Implementation of a Payment Terminal Solution
Implementation of a payment terminal solution is a relevant problem for many present-day companies that are interested in both card-not-present and card-present payment processing. The problem became even more relevant after the EMV liability shift, as EMV certification is an important phase of payment terminal solution implementation.
Card-Present Solution Implementation
Companies, that face the challenge of card-present solution implementation, can be (roughly) divided into the following categories: startups (newcomers) and existing companies that want to either add card-present functionality to their operations or upgrade their card-present solution which is already in place. In either case the strategy includes several important steps. It involves selection of payment terminal models and terminal applications, as well as fulfillment process, and, if necessary, EMV certification(s).
At each phase of the process you need to answer important questions. For example, you have to decide, what functions the terminal application must be capable of performing, which payment types you need to accept (EMV contact, EMV contactless), whether you need an integrated terminal solution, or a standalone one, whether you need to implement mobile solutions, how many different types of devices you are going to use, and which of them have to be EMV-certified, etc.
One of the main things to remember is that there are very few large payment terminal manufacturers at the market, and your choice, most probably, includes only several options (if not the only one). The choice of hardware may, in fact, be the last step of the payment terminal solution selection process, while the limitations, imposed by availability and compatibility of the payment terminal software you need, may be the decisive factor.
More detailed information on the subject can be found in the respective article on Paylosophy.com.