Credit Card Readers To Make a Splash at CES 2010

[Michael Essany]

The 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show officially kicks off next Thursday January 7, in Las Vegas. And a host of unlikely gadgets could steal the show from some of the more traditional home entertainment attractions that usually leave the majority of people in awe. One genre of gadgets in particular is getting a lot of digital ink this weekend - iPhone credit card readers, the latest of which will be on display at CES next week.

When Jack Dorsey, (who co-founded Twitter) unveiled to the world his new venture dubbed the "Square," we all witnessed a sneak peak at a device that would enable mobile payments with a physical card reader designed for the iPhone and iPod Touch. At the time, such a breakthrough was certainly attention worthy. But now, Dorsey's endeavors have been joined (or emulated) by others, and not longer will the emergent business of mobile credit card readers be "owned" by one offering.

As hyped in myriad online and print publications this holiday weekend, Mophie is also now poised and ready to unveil their very own credit card reader at CES 2010 next week. From the Inquisitor:

The Mophie Credit Card scanner may just be the perfect solution for mobile business users looking to charge cards on the spot, without the need for very much additional hardware or for users to scan their cards on mobile sites.

Much like the Square's initial introduction, we don't know all that much about the new offering from Mophie. The photo, however, suggests many of the details that, while not confirmed, seem obvious. Similarly, the Square connects through the audio jack and draws power from the swipe. The signature is likely obtained from a good old-fashioned finger-traced outline. No word if the Mophie device will mimic the Square in providing the customer with a confirmation email of the transaction.

It appears that the unit will feature a hardware scanner built for iPhones that protrudes from the bottom of the users phone, cards can then be scanned and used in whatever fashion Mophie comes up with (iPhone API restrictions considered).

On the surface, it appears that the Mophie Credit Card Reader closely models the Square with the basic exception that Mophie's device looks a lot sleeker and better customized to fit an iPhone or iPod. The Square looks, dare I say, a bit more amateur in its design and appearance where Mophie's looks like a professional extension of the iPhone itself.

Want more info on the Mophie Credit Card Reader? If you can make it to Vegas for the start of CES 2010, all the info you could want and then some will be revealed about the credit card readers that may initially dominate the mobile payments industry... at least until something cooler likely comes along next month.

Image via The Inquisitor

[squaresoft]

Nice!

would prefer if it's chip and pin rather than the swipe

[confucious]

Without Chip'n'Pin it's fairly useless.

[plcrules]

looks a lil big like an extra inch and a half

[ecd5000]

yea i wouldnt want to use this since iphones been getting hacked and 2010 is the year for more malicious behavior with iphone hackers not a good time for this.

[politicalslug]

How is this anything new? Have any of you been to an Apple Store in the last few months? They replaced all of their pocketPC devices with iPod Touches in a case about an inch thick that not only allows for credit card swiping, but also includes an IR barcode reader (for scanning the items being sold), and all of it is handled through WiFi to a server in the backroom where transactions are processed allowing for instantaneous emailing of sales receipts. This is an Apple website; How can you guys not know that? This "square" thing isn't even patentable because there's far too much prior art that's already been in production and wide spread use for quite some time.

[iLaw-One]

As long as whatever it is doesn't store my card details on it, then it may just be fine!

[emtee25]

id use it for my business

[DrMod]

A load of rubbish.. surely technology has advanced beyound even needing a real card... let alone swiping one through your phone.. ridiculous!!! This has to be ajoke!!!

I have an electronic visa card, which runs on your pc, when you use it, it generated a 1 time only credit card number... surely something like this would be preferable than swiping your card through your phone.. what dumbass came up with that idea!!!! You'd be better of using paypal, or doing a money transfer from your online bank account!!!!

How primitive!!

[rwin84]

its a good idea. the one for sprint/nextel did well with the blue collar/construction crowd

[Mira30]

not impressed by this

[starjar]

not impressed by this

Well I'm impress because credit card companies can benefit from this. Easy swipe easy money for them.

[rhekt]

home buisnesses could benefit