Which card terminal? Five form factors and the question that matters more than the manufacturer
Countertop, mobile, SmartPOS, PIN pad, unattended: the hardware is the same at almost every payment network operator. What distinguishes the form factors, what to watch for in certification and platform, and when Tap to Pay on a smartphone is enough.
The short answer
Almost every payment network operator (Netzbetreiber) in Germany and Austria sells the same hardware under its own name: a “SmartPOS A77” is a PAX A77, a “Desk 5000” is an Ingenico, a “Base Next” is a CCV. The choice of provider is therefore not decided by the device, but by terms, service and till integration. The choice of form factor is decided by the workplace.
The five form factors
Countertop: wired to power and network, no battery, usually with a printer. For the fixed till in retail and behind the bar in hospitality. Robust, inexpensive, but immobile.
Mobile: battery, LTE or Wi-Fi, printer. For table service, delivery, tradespeople, market stalls. Battery life and mobile coverage are the practical questions.
SmartPOS: Android terminal with touchscreen, camera and apps (PAX A series, Ingenico AXIUM, Verifone Victa and T650, SUNMI P3, Castles Saturn). Can handle till, tip, voucher, ordering and payment in one device. This is the generation all the manufacturers are investing in.
PIN pad: no printer, attached to the till, with the till controlling the transaction. For chains and anyone with till software that prints the receipt itself.
Unattended: for vending machines, car parks, charging points, car washes. Weatherproof (IP65), vandal-resistant, with no staff present.
The generation change
The classic Linux terminals (Ingenico TETRA range Desk/Move/Lane, Verifone Engage) are being replaced by Android SmartPOS. End-of-life announcements already exist for the Ingenico Desk/3500 and Desk/5000. Anyone renting a device for four years today should go for the new platform, otherwise the contract runs longer than the support.
On the security standard, PCI PTS 6.x is the market standard and PCI PTS 7.x is arriving; the PAX A77 advertises itself as the first terminal with version 7. Devices with older certification may continue in operation, but at some point can no longer be newly deployed.
Tap to Pay: when the smartphone is enough
Since 25 June 2024, an iPhone in Germany has accepted card payments without an additional device, and since October 2024 in Austria too; Payone, Nexi, the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe and Worldline are listed as providers. There are corresponding solutions for Android.
The German special case is girocard: payments above 50 euros need a PIN, and entering a PIN on an ordinary smartphone display is delicate from a security point of view. CCV was the first provider, with a pilot approval from the Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft, to implement girocard payments above 50 euros with a PIN on a standard smartphone.
Tap to Pay suits service providers with few payments a day, market stalls, tradespeople and use as a backup device. For a till with a hundred transactions a day, a dedicated terminal is faster and more robust.
What to really think about when deciding
- Which till system runs in the business, and is the terminal approved for it (ZVT, OPI or cloud interface)?
- Android platform and PCI PTS 6.x or higher.
- A replacement deadline for faults in the contract, not just “support”.
- If renting: a term shorter than or equal to the expected useful life of the device generation.
- The manufacturer is secondary, as long as it is not in the middle of a restructuring.