Building the most advanced credit card terminal

It all started about a year ago on a sketch pad and some free time. Ideas come and go however ever since the introduction of the iPhone as a platform for developers to use creative freedom to design and develop ultimately lead me to continue to push the idea forward and eventually putting it into production with the aid of a coworker and friend. As technologies change so do ways we look and do day to day tasks. Being a previous business owner myself I felt addressing a very important challenge meant that I had to address some items that were not currently available on any app that was out at the time. It was obvious I had a need to make something cool but at the same time usable day to day for anyone looking to process a credit card payment on the iPhone.

There were a hand full of apps that offered basic functionality and most looked like a basic calculator. Some even looked like basic web forms which made the process ugly and unattractive to use. I am a designer so I first tackle that portion of the project followed by the workflow and usability aspects. I leave the technical part to my hired hand. A very talented hand at that. See I work as a weathered senior project manager so working on technical projects is my day to day and so this project was not something I was trying out instead it felt a lot like work once I had my interface and functioned defined.

A few blinks later I had a working demo which made the once idea a reality. Thinking back it felt all too easy to put something like this together. It made me want to start something big from this app and expand its capabilities to do much more then it was intended for however some things held me back. These things were relative to usability and practicality. See it addresses a basic need to process credit card payments while feeling and looking better then most. After it's initial release the app built a positive buzz and eventually caught the eyes of Apple. Randomly my site traffic and sales reports were at 5000% higher over night and to my amazement it was due to the app being featured on the front page of the app store. The fame lasted a solid week. The roller coaster ride was a amazing for it helped me recover my initial investment and as such helped me realize both my hired hand and I did an excellent app.

Credit Card Terminals traditionally require countertop stationary physical space, paper rolls, stylus pens, swivel bases, cords, power brick, inks and other materials that compose the actual unit. This is how these units have always been, physical plastic boxes with small LCD or calculator button like interfaces. The newest of these terminals are now available in wireless form which enabled merchants the option to take the terminal with them and process payments on the go. These units are heavy, large and very expensive. Typically a basic wireless terminal will retail for over $500. This is where my app comes into focus as an alternative to the previous wheels in motion. Billing Credit Card Terminal provides the same security and verification mandated by Authorize.net a leading online gateway which powered millions of merchants in the US. As such since the market type is "Internet" there is no need for physical swipe and as such the protocol is "Internet" secure transaction so we do without the need for any extra peripherals, paper, inks or pens. The Idea is simple: Sign with your finger, Select your tip with the interactive slider, email the electronic receipt complete with signature, copy yourself on that email and presto you have a new wheel in which your business now does credit card transactions. Both merchants and customers participate and both benefit in helping keep the process green and friendly for the environment.

Billing Credit Card Terminal is the first and original Signature Capture and Tip enabled with email receipt all-in-one iPhone app. Since it's introduction most apps have replicated and copied our efforts however we remain focused on upcoming additions to further enhance and expands its core feature set. We remain the only app to force Qualified Internet Exchange Rate through our Apps process for each transaction.