ePay Wireless - Cellular Data Coverage With very few exceptions, the most important variable to consider when choosing a wireless payment processing solution is cellular data coverage. With a focus on customer satisfaction it is crucial that we match the best possible solution to fit each merchant's individual needs. To do this we must consider a number of variables.  Geographic Location Does your business process transactions primarily on the east coast? west coast? Is your need for a wireless solution primarily in a single metropolitan area or do you travel across the country? Do you conduct business in remote locations? All of these questions should be considered.  Immediate Environment Merchants that process transactions in outdoor areas such as stadiums, craft fairs, taxi cabs and limousines will typically experience better coverage than those merchants who process transactions indoors such as mall kiosks, convention centers and indoor arenas. Fortunately, cellular data coverage keeps improving. The major cellular carriers are adding more towers and increasing coverage areas at an impressive rate. It is still important, however to understand the limitations of cellular data coverage so we can be better prepared for those instances when signal strength is less than adequate. For quite some time the majority of all wireless payment processing solutions utilized CDPD and analog networks. Coverage was poor and the airtime and equipment was expensive. The addition of processing units utilizing Motient and Mobitex modems was a relief to the mobile retail and commercial markets, however, data coverage is primarily limited to major metropolitan areas and indoor coverage is usually inadequate. Today, with the inception of wireless payment processing applications for cellular phones and PDA devices data coverage is better than ever, allowing merchants to process live transactions from locations where there previosly was no data coverage available through a point-of-sale device. Nextel, Verizon, Sprint and Alltel all have very solid packet data networks. AT&T, T-Mobile &Cingular utilize the GPRS data network which is also very good. The market for the stand-alone integrated wireless credit card terminal utilizing Motient or Mobitex is non-existent. Recent models now have built-in modems for GPRS, CDPD, WiFi, etc. and the introduction of "swipe-certified" internet virtual terminals (IVT) allows for wireless transactions to be processed through any broad-band connection. Before making a final decision on what solution best fits your business needs, researching coverage with the individual carriers is highly recommended. If you have any questions or concerns regarding wireless payment processing please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-877-493-3729.