Smartphones have exploded onto the scene in the past few years. One of their many functions is credit card processing. So, it’s a slam dunk – all credit card payments should be processed via smartphones, as they’ve virtually taken over the electronic world in many other aspects already, right? Not so fast!

Laptop computers are still a viable option in the credit card processing world. Let’s compare using a laptop to process credit cards with a USB Credit Card Swiper vs. using a smartphone to do so.

Mobility

Whether you use a USB Swiper and a laptop or a smartphone and a card reader to process credit card transactions, you’ll have the mobility that you are looking for. Both can access the Internet from just about anywhere, allowing you to process credit card transactions on the go.

In terms of mobility, call it a toss-up between using your laptop to process credit cards with a USB Credit Card Swiper and a Smartphone.

Price

A USB Swiper can be attached to a laptop computer and process credit card payments accordingly. Internet service varies greatly in price from carrier to carrier and area to area. As an example, I ran a comparison of Internet prices in San Francisco and received a price range of $24.95 to $116.95.

With a smartphone, you’ll need a data plan to process credit card transactions. The average American smartphone user uses 435MB of data per month. So, you’ll probably need at least this much capacity per month and possibly more, which will cost anywhere from $20 to $70 per month.

Note that T-Mobile is the only major carrier to offer a plan with enough data for the average smartphone user at $20. All others charge at least $30 for a 2MB plan, which is typically the lowest available amount of data that is offered that will cover the average American’s usage.

So, in terms of price, it is largely up to which carrier you choose. Internet service comes with a wider range of prices, but offers more options in terms of price and service than you’ll find with most data plans. Thus, if you’d rather just go with 1 or the other, a laptop will fulfill your credit card processing needs while offering more options than a smartphone – all of which may come at a similar or even lower price than a smartphone data plan. This makes a USB Swiper a strong option to consider for your credit card processing needs.

Lost Connections

Have you ever experienced a lost connection while on the Internet? It can be frustrating, especially if you are in the process of accepting a credit card payment.

With a USB Credit Card Swiper and the USBSwiper.com software along with their low rate merchant accounts, your transactions can be stored to be completed at a later time. So, if there is a bad storm and your Internet connection fails, you won’t have to lose any information that you’ve already entered.

Some smartphones do not offer the same capability. So, your smartphone may not save any credit card information if you lose your Internet or phone connection, leading to a wasted effort.

Which is Better For You?

We’ve explored some of the comparisons between using a USB Credit Card Swiper and a smartphone for credit card processing. While smartphones obviously are smaller than laptops, you may have been surprised to learn how a laptop and a USB Credit Card Swiper can compare well to a smartphone credit card reader. The decision is ultimately up to you, but be sure to consider both options carefully before you decide which is best for your credit card processing needs.

For more information on how a USB Swiper program can work for you, click here. For more information on one of the lowest rate smartphone programs, click here.