Not an Iphone fan...yet but this app is sick!

[Mark]

https://squareup.com/features

Stumbled upon this interesting concept and device the other day, and have been intrigued. Can just anyone accept a credit card payment using their iPhone and a mini-credit-card reader device plugged into the jack?

This is the scenario: I want to buy a homecoming dress for my daughter from a local seller on Craigslist. I don’t want to have to go get $100 in cash from the ATM, then drive to get the dress. What if I just went to get the dress, let the seller run my check card via her iPhone or Droid, and be done with the transaction and walk away with the dress?

A similar need fueled the development of SquareUp, a San Francisco-based startup that developed not only an App for taking credit card payments via the iPhone, but the tiny “card reader” hardware device to go with it. The result? Anyone could potentially take a credit or debit card payment from you on the fly, as long as they had an internet connection.

...and its' FREE

[Arinoth]

With all the security leaks and the fact its the least secure smartphone out there i would not trust any kind of confidential information such as my banking or credit card being used with an iphone.

[CTA]

do you read security policy at that website... it seems safe...

[Desiato]

letting "some guy" swipe your bank/credit card with their smartphone = dumb.

[lowfat]

I am confused. It is plugged in to the headphone jack.. How the eff can that work?

EDIT: And it isn't free. 2.75% + 15 cent fee for each transaction.

[Andy]

Its been around for a while ... and has never really worked all that well. Kevin Rose from digg is involved in it's development and they always talk about it on diggnation. It seems incredibly stupid to me. As mentioned the last thing I would want is some stranger swiping my credit card with his phone...

[Sagath]

Originally Posted by lowfat

I am confused. It is plugged in to the headphone jack.. How the eff can that work?

EDIT: And it isn't free. 2.75% + 15 cent fee for each transaction.

Actually, from the picture, its not plugged into the headphone jack. Notice the 'home' button is next to the white thingy. The headphone jack would be up by his thumb, near the left of the picture.

I'm not sure what its plugged into. Its not the data/charge cable port, its not the headphone jack...

Something is fishy?

[Spikemaul]

Originally Posted by Sagath

Actually, from the picture, its not plugged into the headphone jack. Notice the 'home' button is next to the white thingy. The headphone jack would be up by his thumb, near the left of the picture.

I'm not sure what its plugged into. Its not the data/charge cable port, its not the headphone jack...

Something is fishy?

It looks more like an iPod Touch instead of the iPhone.

[Sagath]

Originally Posted by Spikemaul

It looks more like an iPod Touch instead of the iPhone.

That would explain it. I wasnt aware iPT had the jack at the bottom. Thanks

Still dont think I'm going to let some dude swipe my visa through his phone. Hell, store based machines are suspect enough...

[Mark]

All very good points. I will admit that I'm resisting the purchase of the iphone but I have the good fortune to wait this out until my term ending in June; by then I will have a better idea on which platform/phone to dive into. I will tell you though that Blackberry has turned me off since the latest software will not be released for the Storm phone ( a piece of junt ).