myPOS – new player in the payment processing market

What is myPOS?

myPOS offers a wide range of payments solution for contemporary businesses. Due to globalization, the modern-day business people are very mobile and thus, there is a need for secure, mobile and reliable payment solutions for their varying needs.

myPOS provides Point of Sales (POS) that can process any type of card- CHIP & PIN, contactless and magnetic strips from all major card providers. The POS terminals provided by myPOS are:

• myPOS Mini Ice
• myPOS Combo
• myPOS Mini
• myPOS Smart

These gadgets are designed to solve evolving problems in businesses, including how to adapt their business structure and the way they do business.

Comparison of myPOS card readers

There are four myPOS card readers with different specifications that enable a business to solve different payment solutions:

MyPOS Mini Ice

MyPOS Combo

MyPOS Mini

MyPOS Smart

myPOS Mini Ice is a 182g terminal that has a touch-screen display. Let’s take a look at some of its key features:

• With a 4-inch color LCD display, it provides a small but adequate interface for easy interaction.
• Its 3050mAh lithium-ion battery ensures that the device can last long after charging.
• The device is charged through a micro USB port but can only process receipts digitally through texts or email.

myPOS Combo is a 360g gadget with a 2300mAh battery and a 2.8inch display. The battery for this device lasts for very long. PINs are input through numeric keys available on the keypad. It also has 6 functions keys. myPOS Combo also has an inbuilt high-speed laser printer that can enable it to process receipts on a 58mm wide. It also has several peripheral ports: a Mini USB (OTG), Mini USB (RS232) and a power port.

myPOS Mini is another product to consider. Let’s take a look at some of its main features:

• It is a lightweight terminal, weighing just 165g, that can be easily carried in one’s pockets.
• It consists of a 1300mAh Lithium-ion battery and lacks a printer for printing receipts. This is a sacrifice one has to do in pursuit of a small and portable device.
• It can only print receipts through SMS or emails. It has a micro USB port for charging and data transfer and touch button input of 10 numerical and five function keys.

Finally, myPOS smart is a smart POS card reader that runs in the Android platform. It has four inbuilt apps dual camera and a touchscreen. It is basically a smartphone that specialized in processing card payments.

It weighs 387g and has a 5.0-inch touch-screen, 5250mAh lithium-ion battery and a high-speed thermal printer that is used in processing receipts.

All card readers by myPOS have Internet connectivity through 3G/GPRS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. They also support other services such as myPOS payment requests,  top-up and GiftCards.

The devices have also been secured to ensure the security of the PIN of the users. Moreover, the myPOS devices are sleek in design and thus, appealing to the eye.

How does myPOS card reader work?

Once a myPOS terminal is purchased, a merchant needs a myPOS account, a mobile phone (possibly) and an internet connection. The internet connection can be either GPRS, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

All the POS devices from myPOS come with an in-built data card for 3G/GPRS connection which has been designed exclusively for the devices in order to allow the device to be used anywhere in Europe.

Internet connection through Bluetooth is only available for Android devices. Wi-Fi connection for the myPOS card readers enables the users to connect through personal hotspots.

To connect the credit card machines to the network, Wi-Fi is selected as the connection type and the correct hotspot (which should be in range) is selected. However, only WPA and WPA2 authentications for Wi-Fi networks are supported.

The activation of the device is a one-time process that takes approximately 5 minutes. To activate the device, a merchant should follow these steps.

1. Log in on the myPOS account, go to Devices, click on Activate your Device and follow the simple instructions that follow. This will generate an activation code.
2. The activation code is then entered on the myPOS terminal that has to be connected to the internet.
3. Upon activation, a confirmation screen is displayed and the terminal checks the for software updates that are installed automatically.
4. After the updates, the device is ready for use.

Prices and Transaction Fees

The prices of the myPOS credit card readers vary with the device specification. The cheapest is the myPOS Mini which retails on the myPOS website at a discount price of €99.00. myPOS Mini Ice can be purchased for €169.00. myPOS Combo and myPOS Smart cost €199.00 and €299.00 respectively.

The purchase price is a one-time payment for the gadget. It is evident that myPOS devices with an inbuilt printer are more expensive than the card readers that can only process a receipt via text or email.

Merchants can open myPOS e-money account for free. The account has no monthly or annual charges but people are only charged for the services they consume.

Accepting Payments – How does it work?

myPOS devices accept payments from all types of cards; the CHIP AND PIN, the contactless cards and magnetic stripes card as well as other international payment methods such as Apple Pay, Android Pay and LeuPay Wallet.

CHIP & PIN cards

To process the CHIP & PIN cards, the card is inserted on the bottom slot of the card reader. If the card is not accepted by the device, it is advisable to remove the card and insert it. If rejected again, there might be some issues with the card and the merchant is advised to request another card from the customer.

Chip cards generally require a PIN and the card will display the ENTER PIN and the POS is transferred to the card in order to input PIN and press the confirmation key. The device will process the card and display a confirmation message if the PIN is correct.

Magnet cards

To process a magnet card, the card is swapped through the top slot of the card. Once the card is inserted, it is swapped at an even speed to process a transaction. The chip card is inserted on the bottom slot of a myPOS device and the same process as CHIP & PIN card is repeated.

Contactless payments

Contactless cards are processed using either a contactless card or a smartphone. payWave and PayPass are the contactless cards that are accepted by myPOS. These payments are processed by placing the card approximately 3cm from the display of a myPOS device. Four lights on the display will flash to illustrate that the card has been recognized and if the payment is confirmed by the device as successful then the four indicators will be lit and a beep sound will indicate that the card can be removed.

he myPOS devices process every type of card – CHIP & PIN, magnetic stripe and contactless cards, and accept payments with all major card providers.

Legal Agreements for myPOS Services

myPOS has developed legal agreements that bind the users of their services and the company. The agreements are available in English with translations available for some of the European countries in which the service is available.

However, it is important to note that English is their main language and the English legal agreements are the binding agreements between the company and its clients. These agreements are available on the myPOS website and they include the user agreement for myPOS service, a legal agreement for the myPOS account, merchant agreement and the legal agreement for the myPOS card.

Data Security

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into effect in May 2018 to harmonize data collection in Europe and to ensure data collected is kept under control of its owner. GDPR affects all companies that collect, transmit and process personal data in Europe including the European companies and international companies that have access to the European market.

Security is very vital for myPOS and the company is continuously implementing new strategies to protect the data of its clients. myPOS has updated its data policy to line it with the GDPR and has outlined how they process data collected and how data is shared with third parties.

The personal data collected by the institution include the data required to provide myPOS services such as the business activity, income source, and the transactions,  information collected with the consent of the clients and information collected as the client uses the myPOS services such as cookies to improve the user experience.

To ensure that the myPOS is compliant to GPDR, it has determined its category as a data collector and controller, mapped its data and updated its Privacy Policy. The organization ensures that it has consent from its clients before collecting their personal data. myPOS has also incorporated different standards to ensure the security of user PIN and the clients’ money.

Warranty, Return Policy, and Stolen Device

myPOS devices such as card readers and myPOS Business Card are not covered by consumer law, as the products are not designated for consumers. The products are characterized as financial services whose main purpose is accepting financial payments for goods and services by legal persons in a legal business.

The owners of the products are expected to utilize the products in only legal businesses. myPOS card machines have a warranty of one year from the day of purchase. As with most other electronics, the warranty does not cover any accessories, cables, plugs and the power supply units.

There is a return policy for the products purchased with defects. The merchants are expected to return the card machines within one year of purchase with the full myPOS package which includes the device and myPOS debit card upon the fulfilment of all the terms that have been outlined in the return policy.

The merchant should not attempt to open the device to repair it and any attempt of opening the device will be interpreted as a violation of the returns policy. myPOS offers guidelines on the disposal of myPOS devices including the battery, cables and electronics components.  A damaged card reader can also be sent to myPOS or its vendors for damages as outlined in the return policy.

A myPOS device is permanently linked to a merchant’s myPOS E-money account and even if payments are made by a stolen device, they will be credited to the merchant’s account. Merchants are encouraged to disable the myPOS card reader if it is stolen by logging into their POS account, going to the Device tab, selecting the device, clicking on settings and then selecting Disable.

Customer Care

myPOS has customer care that can be contacted through email, chatting through a portal on its website and a phone number. The phone number is available on the website. However, their response to the organization chat portal is not as fast as it should. The same case applies to the email’s response.

They emailed them on a Friday night and by Monday morning. They were yet to receive feedback for my query. For an organization providing financial services, it seems that their customer service is a little bit slow.

Who is the target Clientele? Who does myPOS appeal to?

myPOS aims to provide credit card readers to small businesses with varying needs. Whether someone is always on the move or is located in fixed premises, myPOS has a payment solution to the businessman.

Each of the four card machines targets a specific need varying from long battery life for outdoor businesses to an Android device for tech-savvy businesses. With the four myPOS gadgets, there are payment solutions that satisfy every need for small businesses. Businesses such as corporate and self-employed can benefit hugely from the card readers.

Our Verdict

Rating: 4.0
myPOS gadgets are efficient in processing payments and can process receipts quickly whether digitally or physically through high-speed laser printers. Their sleek design makes them appealing to users.

However, they seem slightly more expensive than their competitors. myPOS Mini Ice and myPOS Mini which lack a printer seems immensely affluent than their competitors. The customer care is not even as fast as it should be for the financial sector.  Therefore, we recommend myPOS card reader to all small businesses due to their efficiency, flexibility and the security of their money.