[committee] EFTPOS / Payment gateway options for UCC
Felix von Perger
frekk at ucc.asn.au
Sun May 13 20:05:13 AWST 2018
Hi!
Westpac does have a seasonal EFTPOS arrangement, but that's only for
short periods so I didn't look into that. Haven't looked far into
Suncorp yet, but they seem to have physical branches in Perth so they
might require someone to actually go there in person, which would be a
problem. I've sent an enquiry in any case.
For a standalone EFTPOS terminal, Westpac charges $55+ per month (way
too much) and the cheapest I could find elsewhere was around $24/month +
per-transaction charges. Another option could have been Westpac Genie
(similar to the other options discussed) but that is not available to us
as we are an incorporated association.
Sure, getting it set up and working could be a pain. AFAIK we don't have
anything lying around that already has Android installed and getting a
Pi set up would be a pain (assuming the app(s) were even compatible with
it). Additional costs in case we need to buy new equipment to make it
work (aside from the card reader/terminal itself) but since that can be
directly related to the club's aims one way or another it requires less
effort to justify.
As for the transaction rates, I'm confident to say that the club can and
probably will absorb them given they sit well within profit margins (so
you get what you pay). Yes, people paying cash would theoretically be
relatively disadvantaged, but card payment is generally considered more
convenient and the system could be designed to significantly reduce the
adminstrative workload.
Assuming that such a setup were to be implemented and was moderately
successful, the most likely reason for it dying out (as discussed in
previous meetings) was that it may be too much effort for new committees
to update office bearer details and so on. The potential incompetence of
future committees should not be a reason for not giving it a try, but in
any case it will be run as an experiment; we don't even know if anyone
will use it.
I'd be happy to have assistance with the technical side of things,
although anything that does happen probably won't become interesting for
at least a couple of weeks (when the hardware arrives and we can
actually start playing with it).
Regards,
Felix von Perger
UCC Secretary 2018
On 13/05/18 18:51, Frames wrote:
> Oh also you might want to compare to the renting a EFTPOS for westpac
> (we've done it before for oday),
> Or Suncorp (I know they cheap)
>
> Setup is easier.
>
> [*OX]
>
>
> On 13 May 2018 6:46 pm, Frames <oxinabox at ucc.asn.au> wrote:
>
> Having done this before getting palpal here to work is a utter
> pain. It is really finicky.
> Like in terms of hardware, OS version, WiFi noises, etc.
> I've heard square is a bit better. I've not heard of the other.
>
>
> In the past when people
> wanted to put money on dispense electronically,
> They did a bank transfer to our westpac account, and included
> their username in the transaction description. And emailed the
> treasurer.
> Who manually checked the bank online.
> And then added. (Some time delay if not westpac but now days that
> should be lower due to the new banking rules)
>
> Without some effort in scripting the same manual step would have
> to be done.
>
> Like this is a cool idea, but setup is hellish.
> And with the fees being taken out of it is enough that most people
> are not going to use it, and will just go to the ATM.
>
> If you want to do it like I'm happy to help, but sadly I don't
> think it is worth your time.
>
> [*OX]
>
>
>
>
>
> On 13 May 2018 5:23 pm, Felix von Perger <frekk at ucc.asn.au> wrote:
>
> Dear committee subscribers,
>
> As you may be aware, I am pushing for UCC to accept card
> payments in person using some kind of card reader / EFTPOS
> terminal, and as a part of many such deals we would also be
> able to accept payments through the website and over the
> phone. This would make it more convenient for members and door
> members to add dispense credit, increases ease of processing
> signups/renewals (especially on O-day and from older members)
> and hopefully also makes the treasurer's life easier.
>
> The committee is currently considering experimenting with
> accepting card payments and will be deciding between the
> providers listed below at the next meeting. The primary
> considerations when selecting a payment provider include
> initial costs (including purchasing equipment) and any ongoing
> fees / rates on transactions.
>
> * Paypal <https://www.paypal.com/au/> (using Paypal Here
> <https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/credit-card-reader>
> to accept card payments)
> *
> o 1.95% flat rate on all card transactions using the
> card reader
> o 2.9% flat rate + 30c for manual entry in the app
> o Upfront cost of $99 to buy card reader.
> o
> + Card reader has keypad.
> o No ongoing / monthly fees
> o Web integration available; accepts payments via paypal
> (of course) and most credit/debit cards online.
> * Square <https://squareup.com/au>
> *
> o 1.9% flat rate on card transactions (contactless and
> chip + PIN)
> o 2.2% flat rate with manual entry
> o $59 upfront to buy card reader (can get it at Officeworks)
> o
> + Card reader doesn't seem to have a keypad. Unsure
> how this works with payments requiring PIN code to
> be entered.
> o No ongoing / monthly fees
> o Web integration & mobile API
> <https://docs.connect.squareup.com/payments/take-payments>
> available, supports invoicing
> * Mint Payments <http://www.mintpayments.com/>
> *
> o 1% flat rate on all transactions (card, manual,
> entered online, etc)
> o $300 upfront to buy card reader
> o
> + Rather expensive but this was offered as an
> alternative to $25/month ($300 is equivalent to
> one year of hire)
> + Card reader has a keypad.
> o Not for profit / charity rates are available (hence
> low flat rates)
> o No ongoing / monthly fees
> o Based in Australia, office in NSW.
> o Web integration and an API
> <https://developer.mintpayments.com/> are available,
> supports over-the-phone payments & invoicing
>
> Unfortunately, the limitation of all of the above options is
> that they all require an Android / iOS device with the app
> installed to connect to the card reader device.
>
> Technically, the club could either purchase a cheap Android
> device spefically for the purpose of taking payments or set up
> a Raspberry Pi with android, permanently installed somewhere
> convenient in the clubroom. The implementation specific
> details are unclear at the moment but once a decision has been
> made it will be worked out.
>
> Regardless of what is decided upon, some kind of Android based
> solution will be implemented and configured appropriately so
> that door members can take payments using the app / card
> reader for dispense topups. APIs for each provider may allow
> custom apps to interface with the reader (not something I've
> looked into in depth), which could lead into a number of
> different projects.
>
> If you have any feedback regarding the above, please let us
> know by replying to this email.
>
> Regards,
>
> Felix von Perger
> UCC Secretary 2018
>
>
>
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