Processing Equipment Questions

Q. Should I purchase or lease equipment?
If you can afford to pay up front for the equipment that you are looking to obtain, you should definitely do it. Purchasing will save you a considerable amount over leasing. These are a sample of the difference in price between leasing and purchasing. These prices do not necessarily reflect our exact leasing rates, but will compare the low end industry standard lease price to our purchase price.

Lease vs. Purchase - Nurit 2085
Price to Lease Nurit 2085:	Price to Purchase Nurit 2085:
48 Month Lease $59.99 / month.	Flat Purchase $2095.00 / One Time.
48 x $59.99 = $2879.52
Total = $2879.52 and a 48 month contract.	Total = $2095.00 and no contract.
Total savings if terminal is purchased: $784.52

Lease vs. Purchase - Nurit 8000
Price to Lease Nurit 8000:	Price to Purchase Nurit 8000:
48 Month Lease $100/ month.	Flat Purchase $2500.00/ One Time.
48 x $100 = $4800.00
Total = $4800.00 and a 48 month contract.	Total = $2500.00 and no contract.
Total savings if terminal is purchased: $2300.00

These lease rates reflect the low end of what is available in the industry. The bottom line is that even if a lease sounds like a good deal you will still spend much more than if you outright purchase the equipment. Most leases are non-cancelable, and may or may not include a buyout option at the end where you will be required to pay a percentage of the cost of the terminal. We have seen merchants using other companies with a buyout option of the total cost of the terminal that they are leasing.

Check out our lease cost calculator to compare the cost of leasing to purchasing for most popular terminals.

Q. Can I process over an IP based, or ethernet connection?
Many merchants have broadband connections for their business and would like to utilize this connection for their credit card processing. The terminals that we offer for use with this type of connection are the Omni 3740 and the Omni 3750 with the ethernet adapter. PC Charge can also be used through a broadband connection, in conjunction with a PC card swiper. Either of these options will provide a lightning fast method for processing your electronic transactions.

Currently there aren't any terminals that can process through any type of connection other than an analog phone line, except the Omni 3740 and Omni 3750.

Q. Will terminals work with VOIP?
Since the emergence of VOIP phone systems in the business world, this has been a common question. Most credit card terminals will not work with a VOIP telephone connection. A VOIP connection uses a digital phone network which involves switches and multiplexing to transfer data. Most credit card machines use an analog type connection that is incompatible with a digital circuit. The easiest way to use a broadband connection is to use a Verifone Omni 3740 or Omni 3750 with the ethernet adapter. These terminals in conjunction with a router will allow you to connect all of your electronics easily through the same internet connection. It may be possible to use an analog to digital converter, but since this is a very expensive and technically advanced process it is not documented or recommended.

Q. Can I buy a terminal from another company?
Absolutely.

We can reprogram most any terminal being used in the processing industry, and we wont charge you anything to reprogram it. If you find a better price on a terminal from a reputable reseller we encourage you to save money. We try to keep our prices the lowest anywhere, but special offers sometimes come around. Also keep in mind that we will not warranty any terminal that is not purchased from us. You will still be entitled to all of our customer service benefits, but if a problem arises with your equipment, you will need to refer to the manufacturer for warranty and service issues. We offer a lifetime warranty with all of our new and refurbished equipment, with free overnight replacement. If you are unsure about the compatibility of a particular terminal please ask us before purchasing it.

Q. Can I buy a terminal on ebay?
Yes and No.

You can often find excellent deals on ebay for terminals or other processing equipment, but many times these terminals are defective or have other obligations attached to them. Terminals on ebay often include merchant account requirements before the terminal will ever be shipped. These companies usually offer impossibly low rates and will raise these rates after you are committed to their services. Many times defective or outdated terminals are sold at low prices on ebay to the unsuspecting buyer. The most common terminals that are sold to fool the buyer are Verifone Zon series and Nurit 3010 terminals. The verifone Zon terminals are outdated and are unusable on most processing platforms. The Nurit 3010 has a version that cannot be used on any processing platform, because of the outdated wireless network called the CDPD network. These terminals are usually sold with no return policy so once the purchase is made, the buyer is left with a useless terminal. We see merchants on a weekly basis that have been scammed by these ebay bargain terminals.

There is nothing that we can do except offering a certified terminal with a full warranty. Unless the terminal is from a reputable seller and includes at least the manufacturers warranty, don't buy the terminal. If you aren't willing to take the risk of loosing your money on a terminal that doesn't work, just stay away from ebay terminals. The benefit of ordering a certified terminal from us, is that all terminals are either new or factory refurbished. Refurbished terminals are properly marked to ensure you know you are purchasing a refurbished terminal.

All of the terminals we offer including refurbished terminals come with the manufacturers warranty and a 30 day no lemon guarantee. If you process through our company we will extend the warranty to the entire time you process through us, with free overnight replacement.

Q. What is a refurbished terminal?
A refurbished terminal is a terminal that has been remanufactured to restore it to its original condition. Refurbished terminals carry the same warranty as new terminals, but are significantly lower priced than the same new terminal.

Q. Do I need to process with the Ameribank Card to purchase equipment?
Absolutely not.
You may purchase equipment from us and use it with whatever processor you wish. We do recommend checking with your current process or getting their recommendation on equipment to avoid any compatibility problems. All of our equipment is industry standard and non-proprietary, but some processors do not support certain terminals.

We take pride in providing high-quality, reliable merchant services, but you are in no way obligated to process with us to purchase equipment from us. If you are unhappy with your current service, or would like to see if we can save you some money, we invite you to apply with us.

Q. Will this equipment work with my current processor?
In most cases our equipment will be completely compatible with your processor. We do not sell any proprietary or locked equipment. However, not all terminals are supported by all processors. If you are unsure about a particular terminal you should verify that your current processor supports the specific equipment you are looking to purchase prior to purchasing it.

Non-US companies:
The complete exception is if you plan on taking the equipment to use in another country. Terminals and equipment made for US credit card processing will usually not work with non-US banks. This is typically due to proprietary encryption that many international markets use. We currently do not sell out of the US, and we highly recommend not trying to circumvent our customer region because the equipment will most likely not work outside the US.