What is Zettle and Its Key Features Explained

Zettle is a mobile point-of-sale (POS) system designed for small businesses and independent retailers. It's a user-friendly solution that helps streamline transactions and manage sales data.

The key features of Zettle include a card reader that can be used with a smartphone or tablet, allowing for fast and secure transactions.

Zettle's card reader is EMV-certified, which ensures that transactions are secure and compliant with industry standards.

Zettle is a mobile payment processing system that offers a range of features to help businesses accept payments on-the-go.

Its mobile processing capabilities are made possible by affordable payment readers, such as the Zettle Reader 2 and Zettle Terminal.

You can also use the free mobile POS app to manage your inventory, offer discounts, and create invoices.

With Zettle, you can expect inexpensive flat-rate payment processing, making it a cost-effective option for businesses.

The Zettle Terminal is a handheld device that combines point-of-sale and payment functions, allowing you to manage your inventory and automatically calculate prices for multiple items.

With the Zettle Terminal, customers can pay by swiping, tapping, or inserting their cards, and the money will be collated at the end of each business day and wired to your bank account in 2 to 3 days.

The Zettle Reader 2 is a separate card reader that works with the Zettle mobile app, allowing customers to pay by swiping, tapping, or inserting their cards.

You can also use a barcode scanner to add products to your product library and scan them directly when it's time for payment, getting accurate prices for each item and summing them up for customers to pay.

The Zettle mobile app allows you to easily add products, set prices, and check stock levels from one app, and when it's time to pay, you can select the products the customer has chosen and the total price will be calculated automatically.

Here are some of the key features of the Zettle mobile app:

In April 2010, Jacob de Geer and Magnus Nilsson founded iZettle and launched its first app and chip card reader in 2011.

iZettle is de Geer's fourth start-up. He was the first employee of TradeDoubler in 1999 and Ameibo and Tre Kronor Media in 2007.

The name "iZettle" derives from the expression "settling a debt." This name was chosen because it described what the company would do.

iZettle launched its mobile app for iOS in Sweden in August 2011 to meet the local demands of a market dominated by smart card technology.

The company launched the full version of the service in Sweden later that year, and was soon listed as one of Tech Europe's Pick of Stockholm Start-ups.

In August 2012, the iZettle mobile app for Android was released.

iZettle entered a partnership with Banco Santander in June 2013, who invested more than €5M in the company and helped provide access to Santander's customers in Europe and other regions.

In June 2013, Visa signed iZettle to its Visa Ready Program, giving the startup access to tools for further developing mag stripe and mobile acceptance systems.

iZettle's solution achieved a MasterCard Best Practices certification in February 2013.

In September 2017, iZettle raised $36 million funding from the European Investment Bank.

In May 2018, PayPal would be buying iZettle for $2.2 billion, cancelling the impending IPO.

The U.K. regulator granted preliminary approval for the acquisition in April 2019.

In February 2021, iZettle updated their name to Zettle by PayPal.

Zettle by PayPal made card readers available to Big Issue vendors across the UK in May 2021, allowing customers to purchase the magazine from the vendors via a contactless QR code payment.

The card readers were made available to vendors across the country for a reduced price, with a per-transaction fee "significantly lower" than the standard rate.

Zettle by PayPal offers financial and other services to meet the needs of small businesses within four core areas.

These core areas include payments, inventory management, customer management, and management tools. Zettle has a card acceptance service that enables small businesses to take credit and debit card payments, including all major credit cards like MasterCard, American Express, and Visa.

Zettle's inventory software is simple but has several features that can make it a powerful tool. You can load, assign categories, and delete items in bulk, and track items to issue low-stock alerts.

The Zettle mobile app makes it easy to accept payments and run your business. You can easily add products, set prices, and check stock levels from one app.

Zettle offers a range of hardware, including the Zettle Terminal, a handheld device that accepts payments and runs your business. The Zettle Terminal has a battery life of about 12 hours with average use and accepts all major credit cards and digital wallets.

Zettle also offers a card reader, the Zettle Reader 2, which can be used with the Zettle mobile app to manage your payments. The card reader connects through Bluetooth and integrates both Chip and PIN and contactless payments.

Here are the key features of Zettle's hardware:

Zettle's management tools include a serviceable inventory management system, on-hand counting, basic reporting, and employee management tools. However, some features are missing, such as purchase order and vendor management, multilocation management, and marketing.

You can export your reports or data in PDF or Excel format, and Zettle's reports are mobile-optimized so they can be read on smartphones.

Zettle offers two main hardware options: the Terminal and the Card Reader. The Terminal is an all-in-one system that lets you manage your inventory, charge customers' cards, and print their receipts for $199 one-time or $239 with an in-built scanner.

The Card Reader is a less sophisticated device that costs $29 for the first one and $79 for every additional card reader. You can also buy a charging dock for the device for $49.

Zettle takes a commission on every transaction facilitated by its software, charging 2.29% + $0.09 for every in-person card transaction. If you enter the card details manually, the fee rises to 3.49% + $0.09.

Small business loans can provide a much-needed boost to your cash flow, and some services even offer repayment tied to your sales history.

Zettle Advance, for instance, uses transaction data gathered at the point of sale to determine its offer, making it a unique financing option.

This service is available in Europe, and its repayment is directly linked to your sales with Zettle, making it a potentially attractive option for businesses with fluctuating cash flows.

The offer is based on the user's sales history with Zettle, so your business's financial health will play a significant role in determining the terms of the loan.

Zettle's pricing is straightforward and cost-effective. They offer a one-time cost for their hardware, starting at just $29 for a handheld card reader.

The Terminal, an all-in-one system, costs $199 one-time, or $239 if you want the version with an in-built scanner. Additional card readers cost $79 each, with a charging dock available for $49.

There are no monthly fees with Zettle, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes. However, you will pay a fee for each transaction, which starts at 2.29% plus nine cents.

For in-person card transactions, the fee is 2.29% + $0.09. If you enter the card details manually, the fee rises to 3.49% + $0.09. QR code transactions also cost 2.29% + $0.09.

Here's a breakdown of the pricing for each hardware bundle:

Zettle's pricing is competitive, especially for small businesses or pop-up stores that only need one card reader.

Zettle offers a range of hardware options to help you get started with mobile payments.

The card readers start at $29, and while they require a tablet or smartphone to work, they're a great option if you're already invested in one of these devices.

Terminals, on the other hand, are standalone devices with a preloaded SIM card and 3G/4G network that take over when the Wi-Fi is down. They start at $199.

Some of the higher-end terminals come with a built-in barcode scanner, which can be a time-saver when processing transactions.

Here's a breakdown of the hardware costs:

The terminals are compact, measuring 5.4 by 3 by 0.6 inches, but that does mean the display is a bit smaller than what you might be used to.

Zettle's user reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with an average rating of 4.6/5 stars on the Apple App Store and 3.5/5 stars on the Google Play Store.

Merchants praise the app's ease of use, with many small business owners finding it simple to navigate and use for quick-serve and mobile retail businesses. The app does everything business owners want it to do without being unnecessarily complicated.

The Zettle card reader is also highly rated, with users praising its quick and reliable connection, good battery life, and support for contactless payments. One user even mentioned that the battery life is sufficient to last the entire weekend.

Zettle's flat-rate pricing is another major perk, with many merchants appreciating the lower costs compared to other mobile processing services. There's no monthly fee or cancellation fee, making it a great option for occasional mobile use.

While some users have experienced issues with the card reader connecting on Android devices and with customer support, the majority of merchants praise the quality of customer service and their ability to resolve problems.

Here are some key ratings to keep in mind:

Zettle is a strong mobile payments competitor to Square, the industry leader, and its simple interface makes it a good option for solo entrepreneurs and hobbyists. Square offers a free plan that's a better option for a wider range of businesses, with top-notch pricing and great hardware.

Zettle charges higher fees than Wix but lower fees than Stripe, making it a viable alternative for businesses that need a user-friendly interface. Square's free plan is a major advantage, especially for smaller retailers who prioritize usability and value for money.

Our researchers found that Zettle's feature selection and support limitations held it back in comparison to many of the best competing POS systems, including Square, Clover, and SpotOn. These systems offer more features and better support, making them a better choice for businesses with complex inventory needs.

Here's a comparison of Zettle with other top POS systems:

Ultimately, the choice between Zettle and other POS systems depends on your business needs and priorities. If you're looking for a simple, affordable solution with PayPal's affordable processing rates, Zettle may be a good option. However, if you need more features and better support, you may want to consider Square, Clover, or SpotOn.

Zettle is a great option for businesses across Europe and the U.S. It makes collecting payments from customers as seamless as possible.

Zettle's payment flow works better for chip-and-pin payments than some other point-of-sale systems. This is a significant advantage for businesses that rely heavily on these types of transactions.

Zettle gives you everything you need to run a business and accept credit cards. It's an all-in-one solution to receive payments from customers and run your business operations with ease.

While Zettle doesn't offer offline processing or a free eCommerce website like some other services, it's still a high-quality service with honest marketing and a capable mobile app.