Free Card Readers: Get Paid Anywhere with Paypal Here, Square & GoPayment

Now that Paypal has finally gotten their act together and actually put out their Card Reader for your smart phone, Square has got some competition.

All of the Card Reader options, Paypal Here,  Square and Intuit GoPayment, will send you a small credit card scanner for free when you sign up for a new account. Each scanner simply plugs into your smartphone’s audio jack and is easy to set up . Just remember that Paypal's card Reader  
Each service offers apps for Apple Products , like iPhone as well as for Android...though for for those of you who are addicted to the "crackberry" ,  Intuit’s GoPayment also supports some BlackBerry phones.

Each has a system of "items" to which you can add pictures, descriptions, and prices for the things you sell. The items appear on the main screen, and a simple tap will add an item to the invoice. Square makes entering custom amounts much faster with an easy-to-access keypad; in GoPayment, you have to create an item for the special amount you want to charge.

Once you have the items and charges ready, simply tap the Charge button to proceed to swiping the card. You do have the option of manual card entry in place of swiping, and Square will allow you to record a transaction as cash.
The next step is the signature, if one is required. (Square has added the option to skip the signature for transactions under $25.)
Receipts from Square say they're from Square, while receipts from Intuit say they're from the email address you have registered with Intuit.

All the services transfer money automatically into your registered bank account. Intuit takes that information at sign-up and treats each credit card transaction as a bank transfer, promising funds in your account within two or three business days. Square pulls money into your Square account, and, after verifying your bank account, pays out every evening. Paypal Here puts the money into your linked Paypal account immediately, after verifying the account when upon the initial sign up.

Square is easier to track when it comes to fees. If you swipe a card, you're charged a flat 2.75 percent with no transaction fee. If you manually enter the numbers, it's 3.5 percent with a transaction fee of 15 cents.But we careful, there are some hidden cost/restrictions.

For no monthly fee, Intuit GoPayment charges swipes at 2.7 percent with no transaction fee except on American Express cards, and at 3.7 percent if you key the number in. For higher-volume businesses, Intuit offers a plan that takes only 1.7 percent swiped and 2.7 percent keyed in, for a $13 monthly fee; if you do more than $1300 in sales a month, you'll prefer this plan

Paypal Here charges a flat  2.70 percent and  no transcaction fee. There is no check processing fee and there is an easy way to contact customer service. The advantages of Paypal Here is that it also utilizes eBay's technology so that merchants can scan items they sell into their "item lists" . This allows for a "fast checkout experience" for customers. In addition, Paypal is available in Canada, Hong Kong and Australia . Plus, alot of major merchants are now taking Paypal as payment, so it is just easier to integrate your buisness with them.

To find the best payment option for your business really just depends on several things.

1. If your business is already using Paypal for check-out, then Paypal Here is the best option for you. Easy linking, to your existing account, ability to issue refunds and straightforward to use, this is definately the best option for you.
2.  If your business is already a popular accounting software,  if you're currently using other Intuit merchant-services products, or if you frequently run over $1300 in sales monthly, then GoPayment is a good choice.
3. If you're looking for somthing simple . straight forward and easy to use , but can deal with restrictions and fine print, then the Square system is a good option. .

What option do you think is the best?