Find the Right Solution for Your Business

A payment terminal is the physical device a merchant uses to accept card and mobile payments from customers. In Canada, modern terminals must handle credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), Interac debit, contactless tap payments, and mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay — all through a single piece of hardware.

Canadian businesses have access to several categories of payment terminals. Traditional terminals are single-function devices that process payments and print receipts. Smart terminals, like the PAX terminals Tap2Pay provides, run on an operating system that supports business apps, inventory tools, and loyalty programs alongside payment processing. The shift toward smart terminals means a single device can increasingly serve as the operational hub for a small business.

When choosing a terminal, Canadian merchants should consider which payment methods their customers use, how and where the terminal will be used (counter, portable, or mobile), connectivity options available at the business location, and whether the terminal can grow with the business through software updates and app installations.

A single PAX terminal from Tap2Pay accepts every payment method a Canadian customer is likely to carry:

• Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover
• Interac debit: Canadian bank card transactions processed through the Interac network
• Contactless tap payments: for quick transactions under the contactless limit
• Apple Pay: contactless payments from iPhone and Apple Watch
• Google Pay: contactless payments from Android devices
• Samsung Pay: contactless payments from Samsung devices
• Chip-and-PIN: secure credit and debit transactions with card insertion and PIN entry
• Magnetic stripe: for older cards that still use a swipe strip

Accepting all of these methods through one terminal means a merchant does not need separate devices for different payment types, and customers can pay the way they prefer.

Tap2Pay offers two primary PAX terminal models. The right choice depends on how and where the terminal will be used:

PAX A920

A portable Android-based smart terminal with a touchscreen display, built-in receipt printing, and tap, chip, and swipe payment acceptance. It is well suited for small retailers, salons, professional offices, and shops that need a reliable terminal at the counter or carried to the customer.

PAX A920 MAX

A premium large-screen smart terminal with a built-in barcode scanner, all-day battery life, and the same payment capabilities as the A920. The larger display and scanner make it ideal for restaurants, cafés, delivery services, retail with inventory scanning, and mobile service businesses that process many transactions away from a counter.

Both terminals include the same payment acceptance, security certifications, and MAXSTORE app ecosystem. The choice comes down to screen size, barcode scanning needs, and battery requirements.

For businesses that sell online, Tap2Pay provides an e-commerce payment gateway that processes payments through a website or online store. The gateway integrates with major e-commerce platforms and allows merchants to accept the same payment methods online that they accept in person — credit cards, Interac online, and mobile wallet payments where supported.

The gateway handles payment security, tokenization, and transaction routing, so the merchant’s website never stores sensitive card data directly. This simplifies PCI compliance for online merchants and reduces the security burden of running an online store.

For businesses that operate both a physical location and an online store, Tap2Pay provides a single payment processing relationship that covers both channels, with unified reporting and reconciliation.

Payment processing in Canada is subject to strict security standards. Tap2Pay’s terminals and payment infrastructure meet the following requirements:

• PCI-DSS certification: the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard applies to all organizations that process card payments, and Tap2Pay’s terminals and platform are certified to this standard.
• EMV compliance: the global standard for chip-based card transactions, which protects against counterfeit card fraud through chip authentication.
• Point-to-point encryption: card data is encrypted from the moment it enters the terminal until it reaches the payment processor, reducing exposure if a terminal is compromised.
• Tokenization: for online and recurring payments, card details are replaced with a token that has no value if intercepted.

These security measures are not optional — they are required by Canadian financial regulations and the card networks. Working with a processor that handles compliance reduces the burden on the merchant, who would otherwise need to manage PCI compliance independently.

When evaluating payment terminals in Canada, consider these factors:

1. 1Payment methods: Does the terminal accept every method your customers use, including Interac, credit, contactless, and mobile wallets?
2. 2Connectivity: Does it support both 4G and Wi-Fi so you are not dependent on a single connection?
3. 3Smart platform: Can the terminal run business apps, or is it limited to payment processing only?
4. 4Security certification: Is the terminal PCI-DSS certified and EMV compliant?
5. 5Hardware warranty: What happens if the terminal breaks — is there a free replacement, or do you pay?
6. 6Contract terms: Is the terminal included with the service, or are you locked into an equipment lease?
7. 7Support: Is support available in both English and French, and is the team based in Canada?