[Asterisk-Users] Asterisk and Credit Card Machines

[snacktime]

On 5/17/05, Chris Coulthurst <asterisk at shuksan.com> wrote:
> I am planning to deploy an Asterisk server at a local restaurant and was
> thinking:  I hear a lot of troubles using fax machines with IP trunks.
> What about using Credit Card readers?  Same basic technology right?  A
> slow modem to negotiate the transaction.  Does anyone have any caveats?
> Suggestions?


Two main problems with this.  First off, it's against Visa/Mastercard
security regulations to transmit card numbers unencrypted over the
internet, while the same is not true for sending them over the pstn.

Secondly, your failure rate will probably be high.  The protocols used
for clearing credit cards over modems have quite a bit of back and
forth communication for error checking.

For the price of a single POTS line it's not worth it.

Chris