The present era is a high tech era. Gone are the days when one would pay via paper e.g., cash or cheque, for the purchase. Plastic is the new face of currency. Apart from the card being convenient to carry, it is also easy to use. A person, using a card to pay, requires the merchant to acknowledge it to complete the sale. The credit card machine is the viable answer to both the parties to complete the sale. It is a boon to the people.
In the times not far from now, the business organizations used to take the print of the card and to follow up, they issued charge slips to the card holder. This charge slip was duly signed by the user after verification and was taken as an acceptance by the user to pay the liability. However, these actions have become the things of the past as in the present world, the sale takes place instantaneously. The machines, used for the transaction, are light and portable. They acknowledge major credit cards issued by leading companies. Apart from the credit cards, these machines also accept debit cards of all major banks. These machines do not come in any standard design and shape. The device is connected to the master link and there is a slot for swiping the card. The moment you swipe the card in the slot, the device recognizes the card by reading the microchip embedded in it. The read information is then sent to the computer for verification and authorizing the deal. This process hardly takes a few seconds and the user gets the deal approved in a small span of time. The card reader is the most significant part of the device.
When the card is swiped on the device, the information in the embedded microchip is transferred to the bank or the credit card company. The machine then prints out the receipt having the detail of the purchase and the money that the user has to pay to the merchant establishment. There are two receipts printed, one is signed and handed back to the merchant and the other receipt is retained by the card holder, known as the customer copy. It does not take more than a few seconds to complete the whole process. The contemporary credit card machines are more user-friendly. They come equipped with an alphanumeric keypad which is easy to use. The modern devices also boast of special features, such as the LCD display. Some machines also come attached with thermal printers making it easier for the merchant to take prints instantly.
You can come across these machines in almost all the hotels, restaurants, petrol pumps and departmental stores. The device is also helpful in producing information on sales and a total of credit given out on a daily basis. These machines are also efficient in keeping track of transactions and debt payments on credit cards. These also come in wireless units, which is the latest technology perfected lately. The wireless devices are much in fashion and can be seen during carnivals, trade shows and exhibitions.