iZettle Makes Contactless Card Reader Available To UK SMBs

Thousands of small businesses will now be able to cheaply and effectively accept payment via contactless technology thanks to a new card reader.

The Card Reader Pro Contactless from Swedish firm iZettle costs just £79 and allows businesses to enable contactless payment systems, including Apple Pay, giving them a quick and easy method to deal with customers.

The card reader can even accept payments from wearable devices, such as an Apple Watch, using the company’s technology.

Touch and go

iZettle’s card reader is compatible with all major credit and debit cards including MasterCard, Visa and American Express. It promises there are no fees for set up and no additional hidden fees, with merchants simply paying transaction fees at 2.75 percent, which comes down to 1.5 percent at a high sales volume.

“The launch will make iZettle the first company of its kind to offer small businesses support for Apple Pay and contactless payments,” said Jacob de Geer, iZettle’s CEO and co-founder.

“Since the advent of the smartphone, we have all been longing to move on from both cards and cash. We all imagine a world where wallets are left home, where a simple swipe of a phone or a watch is all what it takes. We’re now getting there. Contactless payments offer unparalleled ease-of-use for consumers, and vastly increased transaction speed for merchants.”

The new card readers are being distributed to select partners across the United Kingdom today, followed by a wider launch on June 1.

The company also announced it will be selling its products in France for the first time, bringing the number of markets it operates in globally to eleven.

Today’s announcement is the latest effort by iZettle to help SMBs accept more forms of payments. Earlier this year it launched Card Reader Lite, which allows small businesses to process credit and debit card payments using a smartphone or tablet.

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