VERIZON INTRODUCES GOPAYMENT CREDIT CARD READER FOR TABLETS AND PHONES

In partnership with Intuit, Verizon Wireless introduced a mobile payment solution for small and medium businesses called GoPayment. The service will provide customers with a small credit card reader and a mobile application that allows businesses to charge credit cards using a smartphone or tablet. Here’s how it works: a business simply needs to plug the card reader into the 3.5mm audio jack of a tablet or smartphone. Cards can then be swiped and payments are processed immediately. Verizon Wireless says the credit card reader and application are supported on Android, iOS and BlackBerry. The GoPayment credit card reader is free with a GoPayment account and after a $29.97 mail-in rebate. Intuit takes a 2.7% cut of swiped transactions on free GoPayment accounts but customers who sign up for a $12.95 monthly option can pay a lower 1.7% per-transaction rate.

GIRL SCOUTS IN OHIO TAKING MOBILE PAYMENTS FOR COOKIES

Short on cash but wishing you could stock up on Girl Scout cookies? Then you no longer have an excuse -- at least if you're in Northeast Ohio -- as the local Girl Scout group there has teamed up with Intuit to accept credit cards using the company's GoPayment app (and accompanying card reader) for iOS and Android. What's more, while the Ohio group is the first to sign up, Intuit is now also extending the same offer (which includes reduced transaction fees) to Girl Scout organizations across the US.

IPHONE BECAMES CREDIT CARD PROCESSOR THANKS TO MOPHIE AND INTUIT

Credit card processing is becoming the hot app for the iPhone.  Thanks to Mophie and Intuit there is now a competitor to Square.  Using the Mophie created app and reader device you can except credit card payments for an initial set-up fee of $179 and $0.30-$0.34 per transaction through the Intuit's GoPayment system.  This transaction fee is double that of Square who only charges $0.15 per transaction.

However, the Mophie/Intuit system will charge a smaller total overall payment fee of 1.7% - 3.7% depending on the type of card being used.  Square is charging 2.75%-3.5% comparatively.

Currently, this only works on the iPhone 3G/GS, but an iPhone 4 app is in the works.