Small business owners looking for a card reader are increasingly looking for smart options. That makes sense.
Android card terminals offer apps, marketplaces, and ease of use unparalleled in old fashioned models. And, with the same security, that doesn’t come at a cost to keeping customers or your funds safe.
The Pax a920 Pro is one of the first of those smart card readers on the UK market. It’s also made by one of the biggest brands. That means it’s affordable, accessible, and easy to get your hands on whether you’re buying it outright or looking to hire.
Here are some of the reasons you might want to or not to get a Pax a920 Pro.
What Is The Pax a920 Pro?
The Pax a920 Pro is an Android-based touchscreen card machine. This card reader is one of the first of the new generation of card terminals, which deliver apps, integrated cameras, and high-capacity batteries.
Here, you get everything you need to accept payments on location or on the go, wrapped in a phone-like interface for easy navigation.
For most business owners, that means making a switch from a clunky interface you have to learn, to a simple Android interface. If you can use your smartphone, you can use an Android card machine.
Features and Offerings
The Pax a920 Pro delivers a phone-like interface and everything you need to charge cards, digital wallets, and even QR codes.
Let’s take a look at the specs:
- Android 5.1 PayBiz operating system
- Cortex A7 + ARM processor
- 8GB storage + 1GB memory (Optional 16GB storage/2GB memory)
- MicroSD card slot up to 32GB
- PCI PTS 5.x
- 5” HD Touchscreen Display
- Dual Cameras
- Chip & Pin, Contactless, MagStripe
- 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- 5,250mAh battery (8-15 hours)
- Dual SIM/SAM
- GPS positioning
- 3-keys + PIN on Glass
- Buzzer/Speaker/Microphone
- Micro USB or 6 PIN charging
- Suitable for indoor use
- Certified for EMV, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JBC, Interac, CE, Atex, and digital wallets
- Integrated printer
Benefits
The Pax a920 has a lot to offer over a standard card terminal. For example:
- Modern Interface – You get a modern interface with an Android operating system, meaning you likely won’t have a learning curve. Just pick it up and go. Plus, with a touchscreen interface, you won’t have to memorize number combos to change settings, you can just tap a screen. That also makes this a top choice for temporary use and events, because you don’t have to worry about upfront training.
- Sleek Design – Android card terminals are small, lightweight, and often fit in your pocket. This one almost does, except for the printer.
- Print Receipts – Accept contactless and digital wallet payments and print receipts where needed. Your a920 Pro comes with an integrated printer.
- Portable – With a battery that lasts up to 12 hours, you can use this card terminal all day – or return it to the dock during the day. That makes it perfect for nearly any type of business use.
- App Marketplace – The Android PayBiz interface means you can download apps and seamlessly integrate your Pont of Sale, meaning you can load products and make sales seamlessly. Plus, the app marketplace offers inventory management, CRM, and more.
- Cameras – The onboard cameras mean you can issue receipts, vouchers, and more with QR and barcodes and then read them from the scanner. That also means you can directly scan products from the store to automatically load pricing and do-away with a separate barcode scanner.
In short, the Pax a920 Pro has a lot to offer for stores, events, and businesses of all sizes.
How Much Does The Pax a920 Pro Cost?
The Pax a920 Pro is available for sale and for hire. In most cases, you’ll want to get it through your merchant account services provider. Why? They’ll deliver you a machine that’s ready to use with their services. All you’ll have to do is plug it in.
If you buy your own separately, you’ll have to do a lot of work and probably hire a technician from the merchant account services.
Price to Buy the Pax a920 Pro: £375-£495
We’ve seen it as low as £315 on discount, but you can’t count on those prices.
Short-Term Hire: £75 per week, perfect for events.
Hire Price: Varies per merchant account service.
| Merchant Account Service | Hire Rate (Monthly) | Contract Duration |
|---|---|---|
| PayaCard Services | £29.95 | 18-month |
| PinDirect | £20 | 12 to 24-month |
| Card Roll | £26 | 12-month+ |
| Silkpay | £49 | NA |
| Perfect POS | £15.59 | 30-day |
| Novus Pay | £35 | 12 months |
| Take Payments | Custom | Custom |
| EVO Payments | Custom | Custom |
| Worldpay | £1+ for first 12 months | 18 months |
Essentially, the rate can vary quite a bit depending on your merchant account service. In addition, you’ll also want to pay attention to card transaction fees and other services attached to the account.
Pax a920 Pro vs Alternatives
The Pax a920 Pro is just one of a suite of modern Android card terminals. Here, the biggest competitors to Pax are Castles, the Tide Card Reader, Clover, and Square Terminal. Other alternatives like Takepayments actually offer you a choice of options like Pax and Castles card machines.
| Card Machine | Pax a920 Pro | Tide Card Reader Plus | Clover Flex | Square Terminal | Castles S1F4 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 5.1 | Android 9.0 | Clover Android | Square Android | Android 13 |
| Touchscreen | 5” | 5.5” | 6” | 5.5” | 6.7” |
| App Store | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Printer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payments Accepted | Chip & Pin, Contactless, MagStripe | Chip & Pin, Contactless | Chip & Pin, Contactless, MagStripe | Chip & Pin, Contactless, MagStripe | Chip & Pin, Contactless, MagStripe |
| Battery | Rated for 12+ hours | Rated for one day | Rated for 8+ hours | Rated for 12 hours | Rated for 8+ hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G | Wi-Fi, 4G | Wi-Fi, 4G | Wi-Fi, Ethernet | 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Camera/Barcode Scanning | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Price | £375-£495 | £79-£199 | £20+ per month | £149 + VAT | £240-£350 |
| Best For | SMEs | Micro to midsize business | Micro to midsize business | Micro to mid-size businesses | SMEs |
Essentially, the Pax a920 Pro compares very well to competitors in terms of battery life and features. It is slightly more expensive than the nearest competing option, the Castles S1F4 Pro. However, it’s significantly more expensive than options like the Clover Flex, which also offers a barcode scanner.
Other cheaper options don’t offer barcode scanning, which means you might have to add that as an additional cost if you’re selling retail.
Customer Reviews & Feedback
The Pax a920 Pro is extremely well reviewed by customers, with average ratings hovering at 4.7 stars. Users share ease of use, friendly customer service, and fast setup as its top features.
- Ease of Use – the Pax a920 pro has very little learning curve. The interface is built on Android, so it’s easy for most people to use.
- Fast Onboarding – Setting up the Pax is a matter of setting up an account, downloading apps, and getting started.
- Customer Service – While you’ll likely receive customer service from the individual provider you source your Pax card terminal from; you can still reach out to Pax directly for support.
- Fast Processing – The a920 Pro uses 4G and Wi-Fi, features an onboard printer, and accepts contactless payments, making it extremely easy process payments quickly.
The only real con for the Pax a920 we can find is that it’s more expensive than most competing models, although it does offer more than most of them.
Why Choose The Pax a920 Pro?
The Pax a920 Pro stands out as a high-end modern card reader. It’s also an all-in-one solution. That makes it the perfect fit for retail or anywhere you want to scan barcodes.
For example, while it does cost £300 or more, you won’t have to buy a separate printer, barcode scanner, etc., meaning it’s more cost-effective than it looks at first glance.
However, if you don’t need the barcode scanner, you might be better off with a cheaper alternative.
What if you’re paying a monthly hire rate? In most cases, you won’t see much difference in price between an Android card reader like the Pax a920 Pro and a more traditional model without a touchscreen. In that case, choosing for ease of use and an all-in-one terminal might be the best way to go!
Choosing The Best Card Terminal For Your Business
In most cases, the best card terminal for your business is one that meets your needs and is offered by your merchant account service provider. It doesn’t make sense to buy your own card terminal, because you’ll normally have to pay to have it programmed to work with your merchant account service.
However, you might want to create a features list like whether or not you want a touchscreen or an Android interface. That will help you choose between models like the Pax a920 pro that offer both and more traditional card readers like an Ingenico Moby 8500 or similar.
If you’re ready to choose a merchant account service and card reader, use the form below to request a quote. We’ll compare top models and offerings, including transaction and monthly charges and then send you a list of the top options that offer the card readers you’re interested in.