Pick the type before the brand
The device type matters more than the badge. Decide between wireless, mobile, countertop, integrated and unattended first. A cafe that walks a terminal to a table and a grocery lane that already has the basket on a POS are different jobs: a portable Android terminal, or an integrated PIN pad that takes the total from the POS. See credit card terminals, then choose a model. PAX, Dejavoo, Verifone, Newland, Ingenico, Axium, and Castles sit inside those types. All Armour terminals support chip, tap, Interac and wallets, so that line does not separate them. Browse in-person payments once you can name where the card comes out. Canadian merchants comparing payment terminal models can use that order before they choose a brand.
Smart terminals
For all-in-one Android smart terminals, the payment runs on the device rather than on a PIN pad fed by a POS. See the PAX A920 review, the Dejavoo QD series, Axium smart terminals, and the Verifone T650 guide. Use this group when the terminal itself is the till: a table the staff walk to, a counter that stays put, or a premium checkout that is either fixed or carried across the floor. Start from where the card is presented, then open the review that matches that spot. A multi-lane belt that must take the total from the POS is a PIN pad job, not this list.
Mobile and integrated
For portable handhelds see Newland terminals, the device you keep in a hand at a market stall or another sale that never had a fixed till. For fast multi-lane retail see Ingenico Lane PIN pads, which connect so the POS sends the basket total and the cashier does not re-key it. Our PIN pad vs smart terminal comparison is that split. A handheld on a grocery belt gives up the automatic total. A lane pad at a folding table has nothing to integrate with. Pick the portable when the sale moves. Pick the integrated pad when the POS already owns the ticket.
Unattended and choosing well
For self-serve and kiosks see Dejavoo and Castles unattended terminals. That hardware lives in a vending cabinet, a parking lane, or another machine that must take a card when nobody is working, including the middle of the night. A countertop left in that housing is the wrong shape. To make a confident pick once the type is clear, read our smart terminal buyer’s guide and write down connectivity, whether you need a receipt from the device, and whether the unit stays on a till, rides in a hand, or lives inside a machine. Or just book a demo and we will recommend a model from that list.
A cafe table and a grocery lane are different jobs
A cafe that walks a device to a table and a grocery lane that already has the basket on a POS are not choosing a good brand against a bad brand. They are choosing a portable Android terminal against an integrated PIN pad. Start with the type: wireless, mobile, countertop, integrated, or unattended. PAX, Dejavoo, Verifone, Newland, Ingenico, Axium, and Castles sit inside those types, and each family is stronger in some of them. Every Armour terminal in this set takes chip, tap, Interac, and wallets, so that line on the brochure does not separate them. Read credit card terminals for the types, then the PAX A920 review, the Dejavoo QD series, or Ingenico Lane PIN pads for the job itself. Browse in-person payments once the type is settled.
Five answers before a model name
Write these in order, then say a model. Does the device stay on a till, ride in a hand, or live inside a machine? A market stall, a fixed counter, and a vending cabinet are three answers. Does the total start on the terminal or on a POS? Multi-lane retail usually wants the POS to send the amount, which points to a Lane-style PIN pad. Is Wi-Fi missing where the card comes out? Cellular is a requirement in that spot. Is anyone working at 2 a.m.? If the answer is no, look at Dejavoo and Castles unattended terminals. Do you need the receipt from the device itself? The smart terminal buyer's guide walks those specs. Book a demo with the list filled in. Pricing is easier to read after the type is chosen.