First Look: Transactions for iPhone

Seems interesting but for my money, it's got a few critical flaws if you intend to use this for retail, which is what this app wants to be: a low-cost way of replacing those portable receipt printer/card readers. Too bad it's pretty much pointless if you can't print a receipt on spot.

Also, in a card-present transaction, you usually capture the magnetic strip of the card—which vastly reduces the chance of a customer chargeback. It appears this app uses authorize.net and paypal's less expensive internet card-not-present gateways so if you're not careful, weeks (or even months later) these customers could potentially chargeback.

I also find it counterintuitive having to end up importing data back into your bookkeeping application of choice. I would develop something custom to hook back into whatever e-commerce shop you're running. This really could be a web app. I mean, why do extra work of importing the sales data back in when you can charge the card and handle inventory control right away, on your own server, where you can control the whole process?

For $50, that's less than what you'd pay a developer to develop something for you but of course, you get what you pay for.

Sadly it looks like it only works with US credit cards, and the app is only downloadable via the US iTunes store.

"Hey Customer...

Excuse me whilst I enter your Credit card details on my iPone..."


LMFAO

It's a sad state of affairs when users are outraged of a well done niche application for $50. $50 is a LOW price for niche applications, try to do some math - there are only a few categories you can sell for $1-$10 profitable.

A little more expensive, but there's another solution that's been out for a while and is really slick: http://www.innerfence.com/apps/credit-card-terminal

(Looks like they're offering some free copies in March if you sign up through them for an authorize.net account.)

Handshake didn't wow me. It dismayed me. It was a solution to a feature that every phone on the planet has EXCEPT the iPhone. Instead we have to jump through hoops to send a vCard.

Transactions on the other hand is a fabulous idea and it looks well implemented too.

It just a pity these two apps from the same developer highlight both what is so, so terribly wrong with the iPhone and what is so, so right.

This looks like an awesome solution for us, we've been looking for a way to charge credit cards in person without having to get one of those bulky and expensive machines. Has anyone used PayPal Website Payments Pro? It's kind of expensive ($30/month) but might be worth it.