Square vs. Intuit GoPayment vs. Paypal Here: Which mobile credit card processor reigns supreme?

One of the fastest growing ways to accept payments is with mobile card processors, which offer a fast and easy way to use your phone to accept credit and debit cards while doing business. The affordable rates, free readers, and prevalence of smartphones have all made this the latest craze among small business folk. Though Square started it all, now PayPal and Intuit offer their own flavors of payment processing. When it comes to these three popular readers, which one is right for you?

This review will be reviewing three popular payment processing options: The Square Reader with Square Register software; The PayPal Here Reader with PayPal Here software; and the Intuit GoPayment Reader with Intuit GoPayment software.

Square: Square got started back in 2010 out of the inspiration of Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, whose friend was unable to complete a large transaction because he couldn’t take credit cards in person. From there, he worked with a friend to make a prototype of the iconic little card reader, which has been the inspiration for readers like the PayPal Here and Intuit GoPayment. The Square is a tiny little square that you can swipe your credit card through, and it connects through the headphone jack on your device.

PayPal and Intuit: The PayPal Here reader and Intuit GoPayment readers both arrived much more recently, but they bring along not just an easy to use card reader, but the backbone of two major financial firms. PayPal is already known internationally for being the foundation of online payment processing, and it hopes to bring along this network to users of its PayPal Here reader, too. Intuit, known for its popular products like QuickBooks and TurboTax, is also bringing along a long history of financial services support. Both companies released their readers in the last year or so, and are only now beginning to spread the word about them. The PayPal Here reader is a small blue triangle that sits atop your device on a slight angle, while the Intuit GoPayment is a larger pill-shaped reader, with a silicone cover on the back that lets it sit evenly across the top of your device.

But enough about these readers and how the companies that make them; what sets them apart from one another?

Intuit: Intuit’s GoPayment reader is pretty basic, but the build quality is probably the best among all three of the readers. With a solid swipe assembly that gives that really sweet feeling when you bring your card across it, Intuit’s GoPayment reader is stylish looking and very durable in design. The silicon cover on the bottom of the reader does seem a little unnecessary though, and the software Intuit throws in with it is pretty simple in nature. To make matters worse, Intuit released two versions of the software, phone and tablet edition, possibly confusing users who don’t know which version to download. Either way, the GoPayment reader by far has better build quality even if its software is less than stellar.

Square: Square is pretty nifty for two reasons. For one, it works well with devices that have cases on due to its thinness. Second, it detects the card as you swipe it whether or not you’re ready to start payment. Much like the card reader at most major retailers, this feature is a somewhat trivial, though still nifty feature preventing the dreaded re-swipe. Beyond this though, Square’s Register software is pretty simple and straightforward.

PayPal: PayPal gets credit for stuffing the most features into its software, even though individual device compatibility is very finicky. The EVO 4G LTE we used is actually 100 percent compatible with the software based on our testing, but PayPal doesn’t yet offer it on the Play Store for users. PayPal got me a copy of the app regardless, and is “regularly” adding new compatible devices, but we have no explanation why it’s so picky with individual devices. Either way, you get a lot of powerful features behind the software, including invoice options, easy access to Paypal account information, and even the ability to add checks right into your PayPal account for free. PayPal Here offers an impressive software back-end, even if its very picky with devices. The reader PayPal gives is also the most plastic-y and doesn’t seat very nicely on top of the devices, which is a little disappointing.

When it comes to speed, our hats are off to PayPal, which realized that while there is a necessity to get your cash into your bank account, there is also a desire to be able to use money instantly. All three payment processing apps offer access to your bank account in a very typical three business days or so, but only PayPal lets you use the cash in a matter of seconds. All money collected with your PayPal Here reader will go straight to your PayPal account, where you can instantly use it for purchases online or with a free debit card it will send you. All the other readers simply offer your money accessible straight from your bank account in anywhere form 1 to 3 business days, which isn’t too long.

When it comes to cost, payment processors are less about the upfront cost, but instead the fees you’ll pay while swiping your customers. As a result, most readers are free – either after a rebate or through filling out a form – and instead make their money the payment gateways you use with the readers. When it comes to these three readers, there are three very distinctive pricing options between them.

Square: With Square, you can pay either 2.75 percent on all sales, or you can pay $275 a month for 0 percent as long as the item price doesn’t exceed $400. Square’s pricing gets a little confusing with the flat-rate option, but unless you’re selling more than $10,000 worth of stuff with credit cards in a month, then it may not be worth worrying about anyway. Either way, Square offers a simple and affordable option of swiping for the small scale or large scale operation alike.

PayPal: PayPal offers a very straightforward pricing plan: 2.7 percent on everything, no matter your volume or item prices. PayPal technically argues the fee is only 1.7 percent, but that’s only if you use the money with its free debit card with 1 percent cash back. While this is its way of getting to 1.7 percent, it’s only true in very specific spending circumstances, and doesn’t offer much flexibility. If simplicity isn’t what you had in mind, then PayPal takes the cake in pricing.

Intuit: Intuit’s GoPayment offers two main pricing structures n a somewhat similar way to Square. The GoPayment will charge 2.75 percent on all swipes, or you can opt-in for a monthly plan of just $13 a month, which drops the swipe rate down to 1.75 percent. For the monthly payment to pay off, you’d need to be selling more than $1500 a month or so in stuff. $1500 isn’t much to someone with a serious small business, but it’s not meant for the once-in-a-while user. As a result GoPayment has versatility for the small business user, as well as a fair starting rate.

As you can see, what makes each one cheaper is not really the pricing itself, but instead the amount that you gross in sales each month. If you’re planning to use them for little purchases here or there, then all three will cost just about the same. If you’re racking up moire than $1500 or so, then GoPayment will be the cheapest. If you’re making more than $10,000 a month though, Square has the most economical option. When it comes to the greenbacks though, all three are good for once-in-a-while users.

One important (and final) aspect we’ll look at is the overall amount of service you get with your card reader. These readers, designed to be simple in design and easy to use, also offer limited support in most cases. However, each of the three companies offer different levels of support.

Square: With Square, there actually is no telephone support offered with the device, meaning one-on-one and fast support can be hard to find when you need it most. Instead, Square offers a Twitter account you can request help through, as well as a knowledge base and a expedited email service. While this is certainly satisfactory access, and we love it when companies head to Twitter to talk with customers, it doesn’t replace the fast and personal experience phone support offers.

PayPal and Intuit: Both PayPal and Intuit, already with a big financial background, offer up both phone and email support, as well as a knowledgebase. Intuit offers GoPayment support separate from other Intuit products, while PayPal tries its best to integrate PayPal Here into the rest of the services the company offers, which offers a very seamless experience from your PayPal account to your PayPal Here reader. As a result, PayPal and Intuit are both better off for those who want a lot of hand holding and easy access to support for their readers.

Figuring out which card reader is “right” for you depends on all of the features already mentioned so far. Do you need money the moment you swipe? Do you want a discount for high-volume selling? Do you want to scan checks? Does build quality matters? These questions are just a few of the many you may ask yourself when figuring out which reader to grab, but in the end they all are solid choices for the businessperson, whether they be for once-in-a-while purchases or serious sales volume. The extra features and quick access to your cash makes PayPal Here outweigh Intuit’s GoPayment to us, but GoPayment has a solid pricing structure, too. Square’s pricing structure is a little irrelevant, and its software is pretty simplistic, but you can’t deny the iconic and easy access it offers. With all these thoughts in mind, go out and grab whichever one you feel is best for you. If you don’t like it, an alternative reader is just a simple form or rebate away! Personally, we highly recommend the PayPal Here’s versatility in software, as well as the Intuit GoPayment’s price structure and build quality. Good luck finding the right one for you!

Joshua Sherman is a contributor for Digital Trends who writes about all things mobile from Apple to Zynga. Josh pulls his knowledge from years of experience using smartphones and tablets of all shapes and sizes, and has had his content featured on other top sites like MakeUseOf. Josh is a student at Vassar College.

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Black or white, which iPad mini or iPad 4 should you get?

Black or white, which iPad mini or iPad 4 should you get? | iMore.com Skip to main content Android BlackBerry iPhone / iPad Windows Phone webOS REGISTER|LOG IN iMore iPhone iPad Forums Apps Accessories Reviews How-To Podcasts Free wallpapers: iPhone & iPad Guides: iOS, iCloud, Siri, photography, jailbreak Free: iPhone apps & games, iPad apps & games Shop Online Cases Chargers Screen protectors Headsets & More Free shipping on orders over $50 Black or white, which iPad mini or iPad 4 should you get? By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 a 10:52 am 6

Apple has updated the iPad and launched the new iPad mini, so we're updating our buyers guides to help you choose just exactly the right devices for you. Now, ever since the iPad 2 launched with a choice of black or white faceplates, one of the biggest decisions we've all had to make is which color to get. This year, that stays the same for the iPad, but for the iPad mini, which has an iPod touch 5-style colored backplate as well, it's an even bigger -- make that smaller -- choice.

Is the white iPad 4 or iPad mini faceplate more distracting?

There's a reason almost all TV sets are black. When you're watching video or playing a game, you want the TV set to blend away into the background so you can enjoy what you're doing without the distractions of a big, bright rim around it.

The same goes for iPad and iPad mini. Some people find having a white faceplate very distracting when they're watching videos or gaming, and others just don't like the contrast between the white border and the black screen when the device is off. (It's known as "panda" if you want to get all inside baseball about it.)

Others aren't bothered by a white border at all and really like the two-tone look of the iPhone when its off. This year, however, you also have something else to consider. Until apps update for widescreen, they'll be letter-boxed or pillar-boxed on the iPhone 5, which means black bars. Those will almost disappear on a black iPhone 5. On a white iPhone 5, not so much...

I've had both a Black & Slate and a White & Silver iPhone 4 and have never been distracted nor irked by either one. If White & Silver catches your eye a little too much, however, you might want to stick with Black & Slate.

Will the white iPad 4 or iPad mini discolor?

Rumor has it Apple delayed the launch of the white iPhone 4 in order to improve the UV protection and prevent discoloration. That's just a rumor, however, and white iPads have shipped day and date with black iPads since they were introduced in March 2011. That also means white iPads have been on the market for over a year and a half now, and there haven't been any widespread accounts of discoloration. My own white iPad 2, bought in March 2011, still looks as crisp and clean as the day I unboxed it.

In 5 years time some more obvious aging issues may present themselves, but 5 years is an eternity in consumer electronics. If it concerns you, stick with black.

On the other hand, black shows fingerprints, dust, lint, and smudges more dramatically, so if those annoy you, white is a better choice.

Does the white iPad 4 or iPad mini look better?

Some people just love the look of a white device, whether it's an iPad, an iPhone, a BlackBerry, an Android phone, or whatever. They sometimes get shipped later or come in more limited quantities so there's an air of exclusivity about them.

That's not the case with the iPad 4 or iPad mini.

White tends to stand out more and can be more obvious with brightly colored cases. Is that something that appeals to you? Or do you want the content and the accessories to be the star? If you like the idea of a blank canvas, stick to black. If you want your iPad to pop all on its own, get white.

What about the anodized aluminum on the iPad mini?

Like the watch or race car trend, the Black & Slate of the iPad mini is blacked out and the White & Silver appears brighter and flashier. Think Darth Vader vs. Storm Trooper. Both mix texture and sheen to great effect. Both look hot. Black might show scratches and scuffs more, but that could also be seen as aged to perfection.

Unless and until a significant flaw shows up in one or the other, you're fine with either.

So which color iPad 4 or iPad mini should you get?

At the end of the day, the only real answer is get the color you like better. Everything else is manufactured anxiety at this point. Just close your eyes, picture your iPad in your hand and carefully look at what color you're picturing.

Then buy that.

Rene Ritchie

Editor-in-Chief of iMore, co-host of Mobile Nations, Iterate, ZEN and TECH. Cook, grappler, photon wrangler. Follow him on Twitter, App.net, Google+.

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0 1 29 More of: Featured, Tips and How-To, iMore Guides
More of: ipad mini buyers guide, Ipad Mini, Ipad 4 ? Previously13" retina MacBook Pro gets the customary teardown treatment Next up ?Deal of the Day: 46% off the Incipio OVRMLD Case for iPhone 5 There are 6 comments. Add yours. RealNeal says: Oct 25, 2012 at 11:12 am - 29 min ago

I thought I would never like a white device until I tried the iPhone 5 in white. Now, that's the color I prefer. I'm just glad I have the option of black or white.

Reply singletonkatelyn says: Oct 25, 2012 at 11:25 am - 16 min ago

@Loise, you make $27h thats great going girl good for you! My story is that I quit working at shoprite to work online, seriously I couldn't be happier I work when I want and where I want. And with a little effort I easily bring in $35h and sometimes even as much as $85h…heres a good example of what i'm doing, www.Fox90.Com

Reply stephen007 says: Oct 25, 2012 at 11:32 am - 9 min ago

[Sigh]

Reply dandbj13 says: Oct 25, 2012 at 11:25 am - 16 min ago

White mini, black maxi.

Reply Gazoobee says: Oct 25, 2012 at 11:31 am - 10 min ago

All this article shows is that there are increasingly less things to talk about when it comes to these iconic and almost featureless devices.

However, you missed talking about the single most important and popular argument in regards this choice and the reason why White may actually be better in some cases. You talked about how if you watch videos you really want the black, but the reverse is also true, if your primary viewing is of documents, then you want white.

The black is just as "jarring" to the eye surrounding a white webpage as the white border around a black video screen is.

Reply jimmers says: Oct 25, 2012 at 11:38 am - 3 min ago

"...the iPad mini, which has an iPod touch 5-style colored backplate..."

Quoted from this article. I think this is a misprint or I'm misunderstanding it. It only comes in black with the slate back or white with the aluminum back.

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