Mophie iPhone credit card reader coming to a CES near you
By Vlad Savov 
posted December 31st 2009 4:19AM
posted December 31st 2009 4:19AM
posted December 31st 2009 4:19AM
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Apple will probably use these in their retail store since they don't believe in cash registers.
@dickweed
stores*
They already have a iPod Touch with a case on it that they use as handheld registers.
@Coogan I bought something from there and it's actually pretty cool. They have cash drawers that are hidden inside the tables with the receipt printer near it. I bought a case there with cash and cha-ching, the drawer just opened. I guess each machine is tied to a different cash drawer.
@dickweed. More like the other way. this is directly influenced by the pre Holiday switch by Apple to an ipod Touch based sales system (replacing the ugly Windows Mobile based hand helds). The touches and their custom battery/scanner/reader cradle got a lot of blog buzz but it was custom made for Apple and are signs are that it would be at least a year before Apple would even consider licensing them out to other to use with their sales software (Apple's is said to be custom built software as well which for security will never leave their hands).
Mophie is just copying the idea and it's a good thing to copy actually. Using the phone/touch as a sales device means having it on and potentially running all the time, which would be a battery killer. Something the cube didn't cover. But Mophie already has.
@dickweed It's perfect for the escort on the go.
and then they will "loose" the iPhone with all the cc#'s on it... because they "left it in their car"
@dickweed It's nice to see Mr.Dorsey innovating something new again.. Surprisingly it's far more different than his "twitter" inspired work. Squareup is something that should have been done years ago, finally its on the way for a skyrocketing release.
See the detailed square-up review: http://bit.ly/squareup-by-jack-dorsey-best-or-worst
And now, surprise.. he already got 2 competitors already - but come to think of it, should there be an urge of competition for this type of product at this early stage? And should this innovation only resides on the iPhone kind only?...
@(Unverified) The square is even better still for the "escort on the go": it allows you to, ahem, take a photograph of, , what you're selling along with a written description, and then shows the location of the transaction on a map to forestall any plausible deniability of the said, er, transaction. A blackmailer's treasure...
This looks to be the best one I've seen yet. Very nice idea of integratability.
Also, report this freakin' spammer ^^.
@N900
its a POS , not point of sale but piece of shit...
Why is it swiping when there is a chip right on the freaking Visa card...
Magnetic strip is being phased out.. I even use the chip and pin in Canada now.. cmon.
fin nubs
@NAME No system in the US uses pin+chip, that's why it's swiping. Didn't think of that possibility, Sherlock?
Criminals are frothing at the mouth (card skimmers)...Personally, I can't see much of a need for this device in every day use as I don't steal credit card numbers or sell drugs from a street corner.
@Chaosdivine
oh yes, because small/mobile (handymen, landscaping, craft fairs, etc) are criminal in nature. The potential for these card readers is huge, and far more secure than giving someone a check, and safer than carrying around a large amount of money.
@Ned Scott Why is swiping a mag strip and providing a signature more secure than cheques? Both the mag strip and signature can be faked ridiculously easily. I don't know about you, but I've never had a problem with cheque fraud; the same can't be said about credit cards.
Sorry, but the potential for these readers, outside the US at least, will always be limited, because mag strips have already been superceded by chip and PIN cards.
Don't get me wrong - I see the value of these devices - but the bottom line is they're insecure.
@Chaosdivine
I like the lamp!
@Chaosdivine. I had to fire a kid for stealing card numbers from a retail shop. he didn't use a card skimmer. he used good old fashioned smarts. he figured out that the sales journal still put the whole card number and he matched that with the companies loyalty program apps and bingo. he had all the info he needed.
so this system is not THE key to stealing numbers. those that want them will get them.
what it is is a way for those that do remote sales like a farmers market, flea markets etc to have the numbers in a potentially securable device rather than tons of bits and paper that are way less secure. but guess what, most of those folks still take cash. so those that don't trust, just whip out the card. it's that simple
@Chaosdivine
ALL YOUR CREDIT CARDS ARE BELONGS TO US!
seriously though, all i can think about is "this can't be secure" like, what's to stop some pissed off employee who's iPhone the retailer/service was using from somehow exploting your personal info?
@HighestRanked
Well I personally see people like you who come on to these forums as dysfunctional bullies that only come on here to attack people to make themselves feel better. I know your type. As you can see several people provided their opinions to my comment in a grown-up fashion. Unlike yourself...sorry Troll - how does it feel now?
I still think my point is very valid and there is serious potential for misuse. I'd be very leery about some random retailer pulling out HIS iPhone with a card reader attached. At least with traditional card readers, I think, they are offered as some type of service by the credit card companies. They are maintained by them as well. There is a trail to follow for recourse. On "Billy Bob the Farmer's" card reader/skimmer...who do I follow-up with when I start seeing several thousand dollar rack-ups at the local strip club?
@jengadget
Thanks! Lamps have such beauty don't they? ;)
@Chaosdivine haha the troll accusing others of being the troll, try a harder straw-man tactic next time, that one is getting old.
So basically, according to you, an iPhone with a card reader is not to be trusted. Strange that you make zero mention that this exact kind of mobile POS solution has existed for Palm and WinMo phones for years already. So you are a) severely ignorant or b) trolling against the iPhone. So which one is it? There are no other choices.
@HighestRanked
Look LOSER! ALL YOUR COMMENTS ON HERE ARE NEGATIVE and YES I'm SCREAMING...why don't you go away and beat up your girlfriend and leave the comments on these forums to us adults? You offer no value to Engadget. None at all except negativity. Are you mad at the world or what? GROW UP TROLL!
@Chaosdivine
OK first off I already use my iPhone to except credit cards the app I use does not store any credit card info on the phone it works through Authurize.net just like a virtual terminal or a online credit card transaction would. I card reader like this paired with a credit card terminal app would allow you people to scan cards and not have to type in the info. It would be no more a security risk then handing your card to a waiter (if not less so) and letting them walk in the back to process you card to pay for a meal.
In fact if I am using my iPhone right in front of you it is much less risk since all a waiter would need do is get you write down the credit card numbers exp. date and the 3 digit security code and your name and later they can go online and buy what ever they want.
If I take your card and enter it in my iPhone with you watching me I process the transaction right there and guess what only the last 4 digits are displayed once entered and the terminal App does not save any credit card data on the phone once you approve that single transaction the info is gone from my iPhone and even from my account records only the merchant account company that processes the transaction has all the info. So a card reader like this paired with a terminal App would be more secure then you handing me your card and me using a old style credit card form that (you know the ones with the carbon paper stuff.) People are so scared of technology that they do not realize that the old way you used to process credit cards before card terminals was much less secure the merchant had all complete credit card number on triplicate and on a carbon paper that any thief could dig out of their trash.
@mfournier
Hey, thanks for the information. I admit, I'm one of those scaredy cats. Not scared of technology per say, but the humans who use technology for nefarious reasons. I appreciate the value in your post for it makes things a lot clearer. However, it probably won't change my mind if I see an iPhone with a card reader attached. If they won't take cash (aka buying a wobbily pop on an airplane for example - some don't take cash) then I probably just won't buy their product right then and there...just saying.
Can we just all agree that iPhone is most likely the best phone ever made?
Sadly, ATT is the worst.
So, to have the best, you have to have the worst :(
@mtnDewFTW
Can we just all agree that Engadget is one the best tech sites made!
Sadly, trolls like mtnDewFTW are the worst.
So, to have the best, you have to have the worst :(
@hapeeman
well if mr. dorsey makes it compatible with other phones, i think he'll have the upper hand. hot-swaping it to any customer's phone will definitely make it a winner... and also be ahead of the hackers. if he does all this he'll make a shit load of money.
@ImDaIllest "Can we just all agree that Engadget is one the best tech sites made!"
Actually no. Gizmodo is way better. They show up with the majority of news first and show up in Engadget a day or two later. Plus Giz has much higher quality articles than Engadget.
Engadget is something like the TNZ of the gadget world, minus the you-saw-it-here-first prestige. Oh and also Engadget is infested with fanboys (huge qualitative difference when compared with the more normal comments of Giz).
Anyway, Engadget's appeal is more for the drama-queen interest.
@HighestRanked
"Anyway, Engadget's appeal is more for the drama-queen interest."
Oh great then this is right up your alley.
I also read Gizmodo and they are just as good, but not better. Gizmodo is very liberal and i made a point of this a couple of months ago to some douche. I wont argue about the quality of the articles because i have seen some poorly written articles on engadget.
I'm trying to be fair here, but you definitely seem like some fanboy or troll of some sort... OR just another douche bag. From the looks of your comments just on this post, youre possibly a combination of both douche/troll.
The mockup foto shows outdated technology! Most of the world outside the US uses credit cards with built in chips for better card security.
Make the case so that it can also utilize these chips and it might be useful in 2010 and beyond.
@isverige
Right on. The US is waaay behind with the buit-in chip on credit/debit cards as we have in Europe. I also think that an RFID reader might be worthwhile too.
@(Unverified)
RFID= sooo pwnable
RFID reader $20
software to read CC:free
ticket on the subway:$2.25
all the credit info you get to steal on the train by waving ur hands : priceless
yea, there's an app for that
@isverige
Maybe but depending on what part of the world you are in they may not really use credit cards. Look at most of Europe, at least most outside of the NW part of Europe. I would say most stores don't accept credit cards and a vast amount of people don't have them.
@(Unverified) "The US is waaay behind with the buit-in chip on credit/debit cards as we have in Europe. I also think that an RFID reader might be worthwhile too."
Well try going to Japan. No restaurant nor supermarket nor convenience shop will take any kind of credit card/debit card. It's cash only baby. And when you go to an ATM to withdraw cash, sorry, local Japanese banks only. Your foreign card gets rejected. Only retail shops take card.
So when going to Japan, stuff your pockets with Yen.
@hexideciml
The chip used in credit card isn't RFID but a contactless EMV.
@Brian
As an American, living in Europe for the past 11 years, I can tell you that most of Europe does in fact use credit/debit cards.
Here in Sweden we don't have fees for using debit cards, banks won't let you overcharge just so they can make more money on fees... but I suppose we are just "behind" the US here by a few years. :)
Where's Steve Jobs and good ol Bill Gates on this?
(looks both ways...nothing but a dust ball)
@albinomexi they both must be guzzling the spiked eggnog
So will it read my chip card?
@trek Your chip card also has a mag strip, so yes - it will.
"The decidedly cube-shaped Square system has a less ergonomic design, but we suspect that the winner (if either of these two succeeds) will be primarily determined by the usability of the app and affordability of the service."
I dunno. It IS an apple (related) product. The aesthetics may just be enough, especially if priced right.
Card skimmers everywhere, rejoice. Now you can just carry your regular phone and steal credit card numbers at the same time!
@Dreamscape86
let's slap an RFID reader on it too and just make it fantastic
@Dreamscape86 And how would they do that, exactly? walk up to random people and just ask them to swipe their cards for fun? Sneak into the locker rooms of gyms and go through peoples bags and lockers looking for cards to swipe?
I don's see the problem here. The credit card numbers arent going to magically jump across from someone's card to a card reader. You'd still have to convince people that you are a legitimate busness or a human ATM in order to get them to swipe their cards.
what good is this if there is no service, really because if it does not go through you have to call it in and you can't call it in cause you have no service........
Cool!! I hope my drug dealer starts accepting credit cards soon!!! lmao =)
@naterio
LOL. Saves the hassle of carrying all that cash around.
Terrific - now an easier way for some rogue waitress to steal my credit card number with an innocent jailbroken iphone app.
@PEZ
Because writing down the number would be WAY too hard....
god this will be used to skim credit card numbers and the like(don't question that because it will be sued for that purpose)....hey there's an app for that :) . but seriously people how dumb do you have to b to not realize any person with 20 bucks and the jail broken iphone momma bought em can now take all ur nice credit card information down. i mean shit lets add an rfid reader while we're at it and just make it a thiefs dream phone.