PayTrace Go Review

The PayTrace Go mobile payment processing app can be downloaded for free and used to take credit card payments on Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. Optional card readers are available, though they are not manufactured by PayTrace.

If your business is on the road or at clients’ homes regularly, read on to see if the PayTrace Go mobile processing solution can help make taking payments more convenient.

Using PayTrace Go

PayTrace Go lets you take card payments on the road, and sends transactions securely to your PayTrace Professional account. (You must have a current PayTrace account to use the PayTrace Go app.)

PayTrace Go’s Android and iOS apps work with Magtek credit card readers so you can swipe cards, which may qualify you for lower transaction costs. Additionally, the app supports Level 1 and Level 2 card payments, such as government and corporate cards. (By providing the additional information requested for Level 2 and Level 3 transactions, you may be able to lower their processing rates.)

Features

On the payment acceptance side of things, PayTrace Go allows acceptance of the major credit and debit cards, lets you process voids and refunds, and allows for capturing electronic signatures directly on touchscreen devices for payments made with signature-based debit cards.

A convenient and environmentally-friendly email receipt option allows you to send transaction receipts to customers at the time of payment.

PayTrace automatically settles transactions at 8:00p.m. Pacific Time and emails batch reports for every settled batch. If you prefer settling transactions manually, PayTrace offers that option.

Hardware

There are three Magtek credit card readers that are compatible with PayTrace Go: two are compatible with the iOS version of the app, and one is compatible with the Android app. The Android-compatible card reader runs on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and can swipe 300 cards on a single charge. In order to use the Android-compatible card reader, you must turn on your device’s microphone.

The credit card readers only accept magnetic credit cards, not EMV chip cards. As of October 2015, businesses that take EMV chip cards but run them as magnetic strip cards will be liable for any fraudulent activity. There are mobile processing solutions available that allow for “dipping” EMV chip cards and avoiding liability. If you need more information, see this article on How to Take Chip Cards with Your Smartphone.

Security

PayTrace is Level 1 PCI compliant. The company’s servers are housed in a Tier 3 data center. The term “Tier 3 data center” means that the facility is built with sophisticated cooling and power distribution technology to ensure that the center experiences nearly 100% uptime.

The compatible card readers are all encrypted, so no one will be able to see your customer’s data when you swipe their cards.

Reporting

PayTrace Go offers a web application so that you and your office staff can see what transactions are being processed from salespeople’s mobile devices. However, the company’s website doesn’t specify what reporting functions you can access through the web application.

Pricing for PayTrace Go App and Equipment

As mentioned, the PayTrace Go payment app itself is available free of charge. The Magtek readers will vary in price depending on where you purchase one. Finally, the actual costs to accept credit card transactions will be set by PayTrace.