The cost of a payment terminal usually consists of the following fees: 1) a monthly rental fee, 2) a transaction fee.

The monthly rental fee usually ranges between CZK 180 and 500. Some providers offer free payment terminal rental if the monthly volume of transactions on the terminal exceeds a certain limit, for example CZK 50,000.

The transaction fee usually makes a significant part of the costs associated with the operation of the payment terminal, it typically consists of two parts – one is set as a certain percentage of the transaction amount, the other is an absolute amount regardless of the amount of the payment.

For card payments, there is a wide range in the percentage and fixed part of the transaction cost, depending on the type of payment card. The lowest fees are set for cards issued to natural persons, EU citizens. Significantly higher for cards issued to entrepreneurs and companies. The highest fees apply to cards issued outside the EU, especially business and corporate cards.

When choosing a payment terminal, we recommend focusing on several parameters: 1) assess whether you need a portable payment terminal or whether a stationary model would be better for you, 2) the price, that is the cost of monthly rental and the amount of transaction fees, 3) the possibility of easy export transaction data to accounting.

Another important selection criterion is the method of communication of the payment terminal provider. The one that transparently communicates the price of their services, including the full price list, presents contractual documentation on their website, is more trustworthy than the one that only provides this information on request.

Providers also differ in terms of contractual obligations: some require a fixed-term contract (even for several years), while others allow the contract to be cancelled at any time without penalty or fees.

Customer support should be preferably in the form of an electronic online self-service portal as well as e-mail and telephone support in the local language.

Payment at the terminal is performed in such a way that the merchant enters the amount to be paid and the buyer makes the payment using a payment card. For amounts over CZK 500, you are usually asked to enter your PIN.

The merchant can enter the payment amount into the terminal manually or automatically by transferring data from his cash register system. The second case requires the terminal to be connected to the cash register system, in which case the payment confirmation information will also be automatically transferred.

Card data can be entered into the payment terminal using a plastic payment card, or using the Google Pay or Apple Pay service on a mobile phone, watch or other device.

The payment terminal can be obtained from payment terminal providers. Some present all the necessary information on their website, including a full price list as well as contractual documents and terms and conditions. For others, you will not find this information on the website and you need to request it by phone or by filling out a form on their website.

When choosing a payment terminal, it is good to take into account the specific needs of the merchant and choose between a counter payment terminal or a portable model, with different methods of connecting to the Internet (via cable, WiFi or SIM card). The difference is also in the length of the contractual commitment - it can be concluded for one year, three years, some providers offer a contract without any commitment.

The price offers also differ. Not every provider offers a clear and comprehensible price list, sometimes you need to ask about the full terms and conditions of the service.

You can buy a payment terminal, but it is more common to conclude a contract for its rental. The payment terminal (physical device) is tightly linked to the payment service provider's systems. If you decide to change providers, for example due to an increase in fees, you will not be able to use the purchased terminal in connection with the new service.

To pay by Google Pay, you must have a device (e.g. mobile phone or smart watch). It is the same with the Apple Pay service, but it can only be activated here on Apple devices.

NFC must be enabled at the time of payment on the phone or other device.

The payment itself takes place by 1) unlocking the device, for example a mobile phone, 2) placing the back of the device against the payment terminal, 3) after paying, a blue payment symbol will appear on the screen.

If the device prompts you, for example for a PIN, you must follow the on-screen instructions

The payment terminal enables the payment to be returned to the payment card. This function is useful in cases where an incorrect payment amount has been entered by mistake, or when the buyer returns the goods. Due to the risk of misuse of this function, for example by the operator, the refund function to the payment card is protected by a password.

It is possible to enter a tip at the payment terminal. For most payment terminals, it is entered as an increase of the payment amount to the required value. For example, with an amount of CZK 418, a satisfied customer can request an increase to CZK 500. The restaurant employee uses the tip function to increase the value of the payment from CZK 418 to CZK 500, and the customer makes a payment in the total value of CZK 500 at the payment terminal.

Activation of the payment terminal is free with most providers. It is also common that after exceeding a certain monthly transaction volume, for example CZK 50,000, rental of the payment terminal is also free.

Beginning merchants can get discounts from most providers as part of the Česko platí kartou event. Card payments of up to CZK 50,000 per month can be made free of charge for the first six months of operation of the payment terminal. This applies to merchants who have not yet accepted card payments.

You can also accept meal voucher cards at the payment terminal, e.g. Ticket Restaurant (Edenred), Chèque Déjeuner (Up Czech Republic), Naše stravenka (Lidl), Benefit Plus, GastroCard (Sodexo) or Gusto Karta. At the same time, it is also necessary to conclude a separate contract with each of the meal card providers.

With some meal cards, the fee is deducted from the payment by the payment terminal provider, with others you will receive a bill directly from the meal card operator.