If you are using the integrated credit card processing within Silent Auction Pro you may want credit card readers to expedite check-in and check-out at your in-person event, especially if using one of our Bidsheet packages. Though they are not required (you can hand enter credit card numbers) they definitely speed up check-in and check-out for people who don't already have a card on file, or for people who want to use a different card at check-out. With the commonality of online and virtual events since COVID in 2020, most groups no longer have need for card swipers as they are only convenient for card present transactions.
How many readers should you have at an in-person event?The table below shows the number of check-in / check-out stations we would recommend where each station is a laptop computer, credit card reader, mouse and a trained staff member.
Recommended Number of Stations | ||
---|---|---|
Number of Attendees |
Number of Stations |
|
< 100 | 2-3 | |
100 - 150 | 3 | |
150 - 250 | 4 | |
250 - 400 | 5 | |
400 - 600 | 6 | |
600+ | 7+ |
If you are using the integrated credit card processing through Silent Auction Pro™ and our CardConnect or Worldpay partners, you must use the appropriate card reader device as described here. For either processor, a USB card reader is required. Mobile phone plug-in devices do not work. Chip readers do not work.
Readers for mobile devices will not work within Silent Auction Pro™. Worldpay card readersWorldpay requires credit card readers that are encrypted with a Worldpay key. You may purchase these readers from Silent Auction Pro for $75.00 per reader or may rent them from Silent Auction Pro™ for $12.00 per reader including shipping if they are reserved in advance. Readers requested for rental from Silent Auction Pro™ within 8 days of your event incur additional shipping and handling fees.
You must be a Group Administrator level member to request credit card readers. Reserve your credit card readers by completing the Credit Card Reader Request Form. Mouse over the
menu item and choose . The form contains the following fields:After verifying your information, click
to view the card reader contract. Review the contract, scroll to the bottom, check the "I agree..." checkbox then click the button. This will email your card reader request to our Customer Service department and they will respond with a confirmation email and credit card receipt within 24 hrs. A confirmation of the request will also be sent to the email address you provided. Please don't wait until the last minute as we have a limited number of readers and may not be able to accommodate your needs. Note that card readers that are not encrypted with the Worldpay key WILL NOT WORK with the integrated merchant account.Please email the Silent Auction Pro™ support team for information on purchasing an encrypted Worldpay card reader directly from Silent Auction Pro.
CardConnect card readersCardConnect offers the ability to either rent or purchase their encrypted secuRED wedge card reader device.
The secuRED wedge device can be loaned from CardConnect for $10/month, all shipping included. The secuRED wedge device can be purchased for $115/device.
Contact CardConnect customer service at 877.828.0720, to either loan or purchase the required device. Only the wedge device will work to process cards through Silent Auction Pro™.
It is critical that you test the reader you rent or purchase well before your event on the computers that you will be using at the event.Test the card readers as soon as you receive them. Plug the card reader into the USB port of your computer. Log in to your group and run a $1 donation on your credit card.
A few notes about credit card processing, associated fees, and supported credit cards
While you can process credit cards through Silent Auction Pro™ using a different payment vendor certain functionality is disabled, such as support for online ticket sales, online bidding, and express check-out (placing cards on file). See the FAQ topic: Can I use my own credit card processing company?
Any type of credit card can be processed through Silent Auction Pro™ depending upon the arrangements a group makes with your processor choice, however, rates vary. These rates are not set by Silent Auction Pro™.
Signatures are not required for credit card purchases though having a signature helps should a payer dispute a charge. Billing address need not be provided.
How to get your iMac or MacBook to talk to the encrypted Worldpay card readers
Worldpay encrypted readers are "keyboard emulators" - and your Mac needs to identify the reader as a new kind of keyboard to be used with your machine. Follow the steps below to use a Worldpay credit card reader/swiper with an iMac/MacBook device.