North American Clients using Worldpay (formerly Vantiv) as their Payment Service Provider can elect to take payments using a chip reader allowing for added protection and security for customers paying in person with a card. Clients with or without a chip reader can still take payment following traditional processes within Spektrix.
The purpose of this article is to take a look at the basics of how chip readers work with Spektrix, and guide you through the different documentation available on installing, using and understanding chip readers.
How do chip readers work with Spektrix?
Chip readers like ticket printers, connect to Spektrix via an application called the Box Office App which allows Spektrix to communicate with each hardware device. The Box Office App must be installed on each Windows Computer that will be connected to a chip reader.
For more information on the Box Office App and how it works specifically, see this article.
Integrated payments
There’s an important distinction to make in terms of the chip reader that connects to Spektrix, in comparison to those that you see in a lot of stores and restaurants.
Chip readers that connect to Spektrix allow you to make integrated payments, i.e. payments which are processed directly through Spektrix. When a payment is taken, Spektrix automatically adjusts to reflect this, and payment details (though not card details) are stored against the order in Spektrix.
In contrast, payment methods like cash or any custom payment types you set up (check, invoice etc.) are not integrated which require you to process the payment outside of Spektrix and manually update the order to indicate that the payment has been made.
In practical terms, this means that you need to use specific chip readers with Spektrix, and won’t necessarily be able to use other chip readers that you might have previously used elsewhere.
Which chip readers do you recommend?
The main chip reader that we recommend is the Ingenico Lane 3000, which integrates with WorldPay, your Payment Service Provider (PSP). The Lane 3000 is a fully featured chip reader, and is available to be purchased from WorldPay.
Lane 3000s can take EMV chip and swipe payments.
Here’s where to go next…
This article is very much an introduction to chip readers and Spektrix, and we’ve got a whole range of articles designed to help you understand how they work in more detail, especially in terms of installation and troubleshooting.
We suggest that you work through these articles in the following order if you’re new to chip readers and Spektrix, or skip ahead to what’s most relevant to you if you’re looking for something in particular.
- Introduction to Hardware and Spektrix
- Understanding and Installing the Box Office App
- Setting up a Chip Reader for World Pay Integration
- WorldPay and Spektrix
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If you have any further questions about chip readers, or anything else, please contact the Spektrix Client Success team who will be happy to help.