Credit Card Reader Options

[rlbjrcpa]

I have a 5 bay (no automatic) Dilling Harris/Ginsan wash and am interested in adding credit card readers to the bays. Due to the size / layout of the meter boxes, it will not be possible to have the readers built in so I need to go with separate boxes for the readers.

After pricing the WashGear, D.A.N. and WashCard systems, I am leaning towards WashGear. It is a good bit cheaper than the other two and does not have some of the features that I don't need. Can I please get some input on this subject? I did a search and read the posts I could find, but would like more details if possible.

Thanks
Robert

 

[acbruno]

If you have some networking knowledge, Washgear will be your best bet. You just supply a PC (it doesn't have to be very fast) and the network components and your up running. They just released new software that provides card pre-authorizations so that is good. I've had mine for a year. I could not justify buying all the hardware Hamilton wanted you to buy when all you really need is a working computer and internet connection. I have had a couple of the Washgear readers go bad, but the company sent me replacements and they have been working fine.

 

[Parker]

we have had wash gear card readers in our s.s bays and their retrofit for the gold line and haven?t had any problems with them once they were up and running?. They are also coming out with a multi-function card reader soon that would work on combo vacs and other fragrancers and such

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I've had Washgear for several years and have had no problems with how the machines work.
A couple of years ago my bank changed some coding, they said it had to be done because of fed. rule changes or something like that.
They charged me $125 and told me that I had to have Washgear change the codes.
I talked to Jennifer, explained what they wanted. She changed the codes and her bank wanted to charge her too and in turn she would have to charge me.
She talked Washgear's bank into only charging me 1/2 the cost.
Also she talked to my bank and told them that in no way have they had to do this to any of their other accounts and that I should not have to pay my bank anything.
My bank agreed and gave me back the money they charged me and the money that Washgears bank charged me to have to make the change.
That's what I call customer service.

 

[pitzerwm]

WashGear & Hamilton are both supports of the forum, that should make your choice a little easier.

 

[MEP001]

Robert, even if you have the Weben-style doors you can still mount credit card acceptance in them. The Hamilton D.A.N. display can be mounted remotely of the large DTI box, and there's plenty of room for the display and the card reader on the door.

That said, Hamilton's D.A.N. is expensive and ends up costing you more fees than WashGear's.

 

[rlbjrcpa]

Thanks for the feedback - this is all making the decision much easier.

 

[Eric H]

did you look at the Etowah Valley CC system? Jim was showing a version that had the timer seperate from the display so that it could fit into hulls that did not have the depth to fit his standard system.

 

[kabak]

did you look at the Etowah Valley CC system? Jim was showing a version that had the timer seperate from the display so that it could fit into hulls that did not have the depth to fit his standard system.

on ebay several etowah cc units for sale

 

[soapy]

I could not find any etowah valley readers on Ebay. I do think that Wash Gear makes a good product. I also think that etowah valley readers are a good product. For value pricing I think these 2 companies are the way to go.

 

[MEP001]

http://cgi.ebay.com/QuickPay-Car-Wash-Credit-Card-Systems_W0QQitemZ170233515128QQihZ007QQcategoryZ11892QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I'm sure that the other cc companies probably do this too.
I was having problems with what I thought was my computer that my cc are connected to.
Because of the cc connection I didn't want to call someone in to try to fix it so I called Washgear.
It ended up being my dialup modem.
Because Visa is changing the way they do things, Visa will only accept DSL connections in a few months.
So I had to go out and buy a network card, 1 gig ram and CAT 5 line so I could connect it with my other computer that does have DSL.
Since I'm not the smartest person in the world when using computers Dave helped me with it. Then he had to remotely installed the new software and got all my cc terminals working again. All told it took about an hour.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Do you clear through a merchant or go directly to Visa? How can they dictate what type of connection you have? I just got the EV system and the last thing I want to do is have to add some type of DSL service.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I clear through the bank but this has something to do with visanet I think and users with dialup vs. dsl.
I think Jennifer said if I had a new system it wouldn't be an issue but my system is 4-5 yrs. old.
If you just have a new system I don't think you will have the problem that I had.

 

[MEP001]

JMMUSTANG, are you sure it's Visa that's going broadband only and not your merchant processor?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I think MEP is right, it sounds to me like your merchant processor is going the dsl route.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

It had nothing to do with my bank.
It has to do with Washgear and Visanet.
You can call Washgear but my understanding was that Visa was changing over in the very near future to accepting dsl only and will not accept a dialup connection.

 

[MEP001]

You can call Washgear but my understanding was that Visa was changing over in the very near future to accepting dsl only and will not accept a dialup connection.

That would suck, especiall for Bubbles Galore who just began the installation of a dial-up only in-bay CC system. In any case, I searched quite a lot and was never able to confirm this, nor have I heard about it from our merchant processor who we use for dial-up access on the auto cashier.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

For me I needed to buy 1 gig Ram since my computer was older and needed more ram, another network card (I needed 2 network cards), and 50 ft. of Cat 5 line (so I could connect to another computer in my room that already had dsl and a router).
Toatl cost was around $200.
After I had all that I called Washgear and Dave was able to adjust my software online.
As far as their cost I'm not sure they even will charge me. They've been very good about helping me and have never charged me before.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I talked to Amanda at Bluepay (my merchant processor) and she isn't aware of anything that would affect me directly. Has anyone else heard from their processor about this whole thing?