Mobile Readers vs. Standard Terminals

this article will cover the differences between the two types of card readers that we offer for use with ludus and help you decide which is correct for your group while both of these readers will accept chip cards and apple / google pay they have different requirements for use both devices run on rechargeable battery or ac power require internet access are for taking payment with ludus only they cannot be used for accepting a charge outside of ludus mobile readers mobile readers are portable units which makes them great for use if you have events in different locations where you will need to sell tickets mobile readers are flexible as they only need wifi access and do not need to be on the same network as the selling device mobile readers require a 2nd device that is separate from the selling computer the 2nd device provides wifi access and runs the ludus terminal app (android) or ludus box office app (ios) standard terminals there is a screen on the terminal standard terminals are stand alone units, and they do not require a 2nd device or app to interface with the standard terminal communicates directly with your selling device faq's what is the main difference between a mobile reader and a standard terminal? mobile reader ($79) needs a mobile device like an ipad/iphone or android phone/tablet set to the side, plus a computer (laptop/desktop) to run the device the mobile device acts as the middleman since the reader can't connect directly to your computer once the mobile device is on with the mobile reader app open, you do not need to interact with it and can simply send payments from your computer to the mobile reader standard terminal ($299) does not need an additional mobile device and just works over wifi or ethernet it'll need to be on the same secure private wifi/ethernet network as the computer you're selling tickets on the wifi network must use wpa personal or wpa2 personal encryption and be password protected wifi is not supported for non password protected networks or enterprise networks (networks that require a username and password) what is the benefit of a mobile reader? the mobile reader can work with any mobile device that has the ludus mobile terminal app downloaded, which means it can work over wifi or cellular whereas the standard terminal always has to be on the exact same network as the computer you're selling can i sell tickets directly on the standard terminal or mobile reader app? no — to sell tickets, you'll always need to use a laptop or desktop to build your cart via your admin panel and send the payment request to the payment device is a payment device required to sell tickets in person? nope! if you prefer to manually enter card information, you can do so however, payment devices with drastically speed up your box office lines you can also easily sell tickets using cash or check via your box office tools can one payment device be used with multiple ludus accounts? absolutely — while both the mobile reader and standard terminal are specific to ludus, you can use the same payment device with multiple ludus accounts so if you're with a school or organization that has multiple ludus accounts for different things, you can all share the same payment devices no need to buy a new device for each ludus account what are the steps to process an in person sale with a payment device? to read more about processing a sale with the mobile reader, check out the following article suggested articles collect payment with mobile reader docid\ wnj24qsnoqg2247ghjeiq does ludus support usb swipers? we do not, here's why bye bye stripes — starting in 2024, card brands will begin removing magnetic stripes from cards, meaning swiping will be impossible not allowing usb swiping means we can ensure all accounts are ready to go when magnetic strips disappear security and liability — with increased compliance regulations by card companies and the requirement to continue building secure applications, usb card swipers create security challenges we cannot support removing support for usb swipers allows us to offer the best secure interfaces for handling your patrons' card information, removing threats such as key logging and browser based attacks through extensions that make you liable for breaches our payment devices completely remove liability from you and your organization patrons — patrons are demanding new ways to pay and prefer the ability to tap or use apple/google pay this will allow you to stay on top of your patrons' needs and take your box office to the next level