How to be totally Square at the comics convention
September 25, 2017 4:41 PM Subscribe
I'm looking into setting up a Wifi hotspot at a table at the NYCC to take credit card payments over Square. There will be multiple people taking orders, some with UK phones, so we want to use a dedicated device for this purpose. Oh, and it needs to work well in the Javits Center, and be pay as you go...
The intent is to pack this thing away and bring it out to use at cons once every six months or so, so pay as you go will make more sense than a monthly service charge. Ideally if we could make one off payments without setting up any kind of account we have to manage that would be best, if that's not available being to re-assigning ownership of the account easily would be a plus.
Obviously if its tied to a provider we want one that will work well in Javits. Last time I was there Verizon seemed to do okay, would that be the one to go for? Does anyone have experience with anything like this, and if you do what advice do you have?
The intent is to pack this thing away and bring it out to use at cons once every six months or so, so pay as you go will make more sense than a monthly service charge. Ideally if we could make one off payments without setting up any kind of account we have to manage that would be best, if that's not available being to re-assigning ownership of the account easily would be a plus.
Obviously if its tied to a provider we want one that will work well in Javits. Last time I was there Verizon seemed to do okay, would that be the one to go for? Does anyone have experience with anything like this, and if you do what advice do you have?
Why not just turn one person's phone into a hotspot with a password, and give the password only to the handful of people you need to process transactions?
posted by DarlingBri at 5:41 PM on September 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 5:41 PM on September 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: The concern is the center provided wifi might be a bit spotty, and someone with a phone might wander off. Also most of the people present may be using UK phones.
posted by Artw at 6:58 PM on September 25, 2017
posted by Artw at 6:58 PM on September 25, 2017
Response by poster: A "burner" phone might be an option though, though it would likewise need to be pay-as-you go - also wouldn't the tethering be restricted to one device at a time?
posted by Artw at 7:00 PM on September 25, 2017
posted by Artw at 7:00 PM on September 25, 2017
As far as I have seen prepaid phones generally don't include tethering options. Of course, I am also a product of the greedy American cell industry.
posted by Samizdata at 8:13 PM on September 25, 2017
posted by Samizdata at 8:13 PM on September 25, 2017
Get a Ting GSM SIM card ($10). Have someone bring a burner smartphone. Can't speak for Android but an iPhone can do a wifi hotspot that multiple devices can connect to. Sign up for Ting, at the end of the month pay the $6 for the line plus whatever you used in data. If people are tethered to it to process Square payments (and not, like stream Netflix), expect a bill under $50. Then cancel the Ting account. Done. (Or leave it open and eat the $6/month cost when not in use.)
That said, the Javits Center wifi has always been fine in my experience (two tech conferences).
posted by caek at 9:56 PM on September 25, 2017
That said, the Javits Center wifi has always been fine in my experience (two tech conferences).
posted by caek at 9:56 PM on September 25, 2017
Some good advice above, but check your exhibitor terms. I've seen “no outside wifi” clauses in some trade shows I've been to. If the hall is a union shop, breaches of terms can result in removal of tables or service.
posted by scruss at 6:11 AM on September 26, 2017
posted by scruss at 6:11 AM on September 26, 2017
The concern is the center provided wifi might be a bit spotty, and someone with a phone might wander off. Also most of the people present may be using UK phones.
What? Get a Pay-as-you-go phone with a reasonable data plan, open it as a password protected WiFi hotspot connected to , leave it on the stand, and give the password to everyone on your team. This means you can skip the Javitz WiFi if necessary. It will make zero difference if some of the phones are UK phones.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:53 AM on September 26, 2017
What? Get a Pay-as-you-go phone with a reasonable data plan, open it as a password protected WiFi hotspot connected to , leave it on the stand, and give the password to everyone on your team. This means you can skip the Javitz WiFi if necessary. It will make zero difference if some of the phones are UK phones.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:53 AM on September 26, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
When you say a dedicated device, do you mean a dedicated wifi hotspot, or a dedicated device that you would connect the Square reader to? If the latter, I would just look around for a cheap used smartphone and don't worry about the service, just connect it to the wifi and you're good to go. We do this at my mom's shows and it works great; we just plug in the square reader to the phone of whoever happens to be manning the booth, but a dedicated old smartphone would work just as well. We just pay the 10 bucks a day or so for the wifi.
posted by SquidLips at 5:39 PM on September 25, 2017 [1 favorite]