Intuit GoPayment's got a brand new card reader for its trip to Canada (Update: hands-on pictures!)
Intuit GoPayment is kicking off 2012 in style with a new free card reader and the beginning of a plan for global domination: first starting in Canada. The swipe card reader will sit atop any iDevice for the small business looking to become a card-friendly empire and comes free when you sign up with the service. The reader and the northward expansion will be available in "early 2012" with much-hyped encryption for your nervous consumers. We're gonna be swinging by the company's booth at Pepcom this night where we're gonna try to get hands-on with the gear, but in the meantime, head on past the break for the press release.
Dana Murph contributed to this report.
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GoPayment Goes Global – First Stop Canada;
Unveils Newly Designed, Free Credit Card Reader
Canadians Will Be Able to Easily Accept Credit Cards on Mobile Devices;
Innovative Card Reader Improves Sales, Protects Data
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Jan. 10, 2012 – Canadians and new GoPayment users in the U.S. can soon easily accept credit cards on a mobile device with the GoPayment app and a newly-designed, free credit card reader.
Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU) today announced that it plans to take its free GoPayment mobile credit card app and card reader hardware global, with the first implementation in Canada. GoPayment will provide Canadian small businesses and anyone who sells products or services with one of the first ways to easily and affordably accept credit card payments on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device. Canada's mobile-savvy population coupled with Intuit's 18 years experience in Canada made the country a natural choice for Intuit's first international expansion of GoPayment.
In addition to this news, Intuit will soon begin shipping a free, newly-designed GoPayment Card Reader in both the U.S and Canada. This innovative card reader is a compact, cylinder-shaped device that helps maximize sales with new features that increase the accuracy of each card swipe. Providing greater security than available on other devices, it includes best-in-class, end-to-end encryption that protects a customer's sensitive credit card data from the moment a card is swiped.
GoPayment for Canada and the new GoPayment card reader will both be available in early 2012.
"We're taking two big steps forward today: announcing GoPayment in Canada, and releasing a new and improved card reader," said Chris Hylen, vice president and general manager of Intuit's Payment Solutions division. "This is part of our strategy to offer GoPayment internationally and to innovate in ways that make it easier for our customers, in all markets, to never miss a sale."
GoPayment in Canada
In Canada, GoPayment will initially be compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Intuit will be first to market with mobile payments that require no start-up or equipment costs, no long-term contracts and no monthly fees. Users simply a pay small fee per transaction. Small business owners who are interested in learning more about GoPayment, including how it works, the benefits for their business and specific information around availability, can receive updates at www.gopayment.ca.
New GoPayment Card Reader
The GoPayment card reader will be available in both the U.S. and Canada. It attaches to the audio jack of most popular iOS and Android devices. It is designed for use on the go and addresses many of the problems and challenges that users confront when using competitors' card readers. It features a silicone sleeve that conforms to the phone or tablet to provide stability support to keep the reader from moving or spinning when swiping a card. Similar products typically spin on the audio jack, causing misreads of the credit card and requiring the user to awkwardly hold the product in place while swiping.
In addition, Intuit improved the swipe channel to read cards accurately the first time by putting it on an angle, beveling it and making it longer. These features help ensure an accurate read so a business owner doesn't have to swipe the card multiple times and potentially lose a sale and look unprofessional.
