I've been in pursuit of the perfect credit card system for about 6 months. I wanted one that would enable me to give the customer a receipt. I already had a free device that plugged into my computer where I could swipe the card, but the only way I could generate a receipt would be to have a printer available. I started doing research on portable printers. The only one on the market, that didn't cost a million dollars, was by HP and it got terrible customer reviews.
So, we're in the Apple Store and the sales person checks us out using his I-Phone and a small portable printer. We're like all up in his grill ... as my son would say ... asking about the system. More research was needed. We came across Merchant on the Move where you use your smart phone, in our case, a Droid X to make the transaction. The printer/card swipe and phone are not physically connected ... it is Bluetooth enabled. Swipe the card, key in the sales amount, print one receipt or more. The customer can sign on your phone or on the receipt. $300 for the set up ... much less than other options that generate a receipt. I used the set-up on Saturday at a workshop and it was a dream to work with. If you're interested, contact Tony Salvaggio at Merchant on the Move ... he is super to work with. He'll set you up and do over-the-phone training. Even a blue-haired lady like me can get it ... although much more slowly than my 25 y/o son! :-)