Can a free card machine really be free?

How can providers afford to offer rental-free card machines?

Money doesn’t grow on trees, so every provider hopes to eventually reap what they sow - it’s the method each uses that sets them apart.

Many providers offer rental-free card machines for an introductory period only, with higher rental charges kicking in when it ends. Some providers charge minimum monthly service charges that claw back anything the merchant had theoretically gained. Other providers inflate PCI compliance fees, or exploit ‘other charges’ to recoup the rental - often buried in long and complex contracts.

The rental-free card machines uno recommends have no limited duration, no monthly charges whatsoever, and no long contract to conceal anything within - there’s just one simple rate for every card type.

Which merchants does a rental-free card machine suit?

A rental-free card machine can work for most merchants, but the more modest their sale values and the lower their turnover, the more that ‘rental-free’ will suit them. Those especially suited to rental-free card machines include most ice cream sellers, sweet shops, market traders, and mobile businesses.

Seasonal traders gain the most: with ‘no-use, no-fee’ billing, a card machine left unused all Winter costs £0 instead of a year-round rental that hands back Summer earnings over the Winter months.

Processing fees for the rental-free card machines uno recommends use the Blended billing model with one simple rate for every card type, deducted daily, with no monthly bill and no ‘per-transaction’ fee added.

Do rental-free card machines suit all trading patterns?

No, rental-free card machines don’t suit every trading pattern: the potential lower rates of the Component billing model may save more at large transaction values and volumes, despite charging rental and ‘per-transaction’ authorisation fees.

Which is why uno establishes a business’s individual trading pattern before recommending rental-free card machines, as businesses come in all shapes and sizes.

What should a merchant check before choosing a rental-free card machine?

6 things worth checking before choosing a free card machine: how long it stays rental-free, its contract length and exit fees, the true cost of an unused month, any ‘other’ charges, rental for additional machines, and when payouts are received.

• Duration - whether rental-free lasts the life of the contract, or an introductory period only
• Contract - how long the contract runs, and what happens if you need to terminate it
• Off-season - whether it’s truly ‘no-use, no-fee’, or minimum monthly charges could bite
• Other charges - whether the rental amount saved could be clawed back by other charges
• Extra machines - whether only the first card machine is rental-free, & what others would cost
• Payouts - whether the ‘real’ cost of rental-free is waiting 3 days for takings to be available