best credit card processor for side gig selling widgets?

[Jack]

My wife has started constructing jewelry and operating a booth at neighborhood festivals to sell it. Of the various newfangled credit card readers that attach to a smartphone (e.g. Square, PayAnywhere, Verifone SAIL, Intuit GoPayment, PayPal Here, etc.), which is best and why?

[Hotstreak]

Almost every processor can sell you something to plug into you phone for running cards.  I can't recommend a specific product, but I want to point out that this is an industry where you really need to read the small print.  Understand your liability for charge backs or stolen information (for instance if using an open network to transmit card data) and the potential of violating compliance regulations.  Not intentionally of course, but there are many many rules.. it is a highly regulated industry and please be careful!  I have worked in financial services for many years and have seen horror stories.. especially with some of the new "free" devices.

[savingtofreedom]

I did this 5 or 6 years ago using the old school credit card swipe machine and my computer.  I know technology has changed dramatically since then.  I also made and sold jewelry - would love to hear how it is working out for your wife - I personally found it very difficult to make any money.

I remember reading an article about square that sounded interesting in Bloomberg news. 

Paypal can be good too as then she can create a website as well to sell items.

Good luck to your wife!

[gecko10x]

Square is very easy, and I doubt you'd regret choosing it. My understanding is that the intuit product is very similar, as is the Paypal product, but I haven't used either of those, and don't know anything about the rest.