Telephone payment terminal as a business. How to build a business by installing a payment acceptance terminal? Other people's opinions

Payment terminals have long become an integral part of the interior of shopping centers, underground passages, train stations, airports and other crowded places. The payment terminal business has been growing rapidly over the past decade. In 2015, the total volume of payments exceeded 1.2 trillion. rubles The profit from this type of business amounted to more than 25 billion rubles. Payment terminals as a business are especially interesting because it does not require large investments or permits to start, and it is accessible to small groups of people and even individuals. Earnings of $1000-1500 per month are realistic even in Not big cities

and small network sizes.

What do you need to start a business on payment terminals?

Register as an individual entrepreneur. If you are not starting a business alone, then any form of doing business is suitable - LLC, OJSC, etc. You should carefully consider the choice of OKVED code (business classification code). Your deductions depend on this code social funds . Most often it is recommended to use code 72.60 - other activities related to the use computer technology

and information technology.

Purchase 1-5 payment terminals (they are also called touch kiosks). The price for new equipment is in the range of 80-160 thousand rubles. Used devices will cost about half as much. You can also lease a new terminal for 1-2 years (the initial payment is usually 30% of its cost).

Make a deposit in a bank. The approximate minimum deposit amount for operating one kiosk is 40-150 thousand rubles. This is the amount you will be able to receive payments for. Once this amount has been exhausted, client payment will not be possible until you replenish the deposit with funds contributed by payers.

Conclude a lease agreement to install the terminal. The cost of such a contract depends very much on the location. In large cities, the cost of rent in crowded places reaches 8,000 rubles per month. But even in big cities you can find places with high traffic and rental costs of 1000-2000 rubles. per month.

How much can you earn in business using payment terminals?

Earnings in this type of business very much depend on the location of the “point” and can reach 30-40 thousand rubles. on one terminal. Income grows as the number of “points” increases, since the poor location of some is easily compensated by the income of others. The mobility of this business allows you to quickly change the location of “points” and minimize losses from failures.

Read also: Vending machines as a business

Let's consider typical situations (rounded amounts, indicated in rubles).

Situation one

1. Average starting investment (cost of one terminal is 120,000 rubles and a deposit of 200,000 rubles) and three points in places with average traffic (medium-sized supermarket).
2. The average payment is 300 rubles. (the average in Russia is 270 rubles, but has a tendency to increase).
3. Number of payers per day – 30.
4. Commission -5%.
5. Working days per month – 30.

Total turnover per month is 810,000. Income of the owner of payment terminals is 40,500.

1. Rental price - 7500.
2. Additional expenses (printer paper, communication fees, insurance, etc.) - 5000.
3. Additional income (remuneration from the payment system for making payments, advertising, etc.) - 4000.
4. Taxes - 2500.

Net profit from business at the payment terminal per month is 29,500 rubles. With the cost of new equipment being 120,000 rubles. the payback period will be about one year.

Situation two

1. Average starting investment (the cost of one terminal is 120,000 rubles and a deposit of 300,000 rubles) and three points in places with high traffic (a large supermarket or a train station).
2. The average payment is 300.
3. Number of payers per day – 60.
4. Commission - 5%.
5. Days of work per month - 30

Total turnover per month is 1,620,000. Income of the owner of payment terminals is 81,000.

1. Rental cost: 15,000.
2. Additional expenses (printer paper, communication fees, insurance, etc.) - 8000.
3. Additional income (remuneration from the payment system for making payments, advertising, etc.) - 8000.
4. Taxes - 4000.

Net profit from business on payment terminals per month is 62,000 rubles. With the cost of new equipment being 120,000 rubles. the payback period will be less than six months.

Advantages of business on payment terminals.

In addition to small initial investments, a payment terminal as a business is interesting because it is mobile and, as a rule, does not require systematic Maintenance and the involvement of support staff. A network of 3-7 installations can be maintained independently. The income from this type of business is quite stable and is not seasonal.

An idea from an “experienced businessman”: “I live in the suburbs. At the end of 2014, I installed a payment acceptance terminal near the gate of my house. I entered the coordinates of all public utilities in our area and set a commission for payment of housing and communal services at 2% (for mobile communications and the Internet 6%). It's very convenient for old people. Now my income is more than 10 thousand per month. At the same time, more than half of the payment for housing and communal services. Not God knows what, but enough for gasoline. I don’t sweat and count my money.”

"Pitfalls" in business at payment terminals.

You should be very careful when choosing where to install the equipment. As a rule, there are already such devices in crowded places. See how many clients one “point” serves per hour. It is good to take measurements in different time days. If possible, estimate the average payment amount. The same should be done if there are no payment terminals in the location you choose (check a similar point). Rate the quality mobile communications at your chosen location. Inquire about the rental price. The easiest way is to install the stand on the street, but taking into account the climatic conditions of Russia and the danger of vandalism, such a solution is rarely successful. The installation of equipment in student dormitories and universities is considered quite successful. Young people are the target group for business on payment terminals. If possible, you should avoid installing a terminal next to the equipment of large banks, since payers, as a rule, prefer to pay to “their bank.”

We were unwittingly taught to use payment terminals. For example, in order to pay for cellular communication, we resort to their service. You can, of course, use the cash desk of a bank branch, but this causes certain inconveniences caused by the need to provide the recipient’s full details. You can find a branch of the operator providing the service and buy a card for replenishment, but it will be easier and faster to use a terminal to pay, which today can be found at every step. Let's figure out how this system works and where to start making money from it.

Payment terminals as a business can be implemented anywhere. The main thing is that there is a steady flow of people floating past it.

Most often we meet them in hypermarkets and near educational institutions, markets, public transport stops, and entertainment venues. A street payment machine is less important, since not every person is ready to take out a wallet on the street, so there is a chance that it will sit in vain.

The payment terminal makes money by accepting payments with a commission for transferring funds. In addition to the commission from customers who used the machine, you can count on an additional reward from the payee. The companies to whom the payment is sent usually return about 1% of the amount paid. About 98% of transactions through payment terminals are for account replenishment mobile operators. Payments for fines, rent and electronic communications are popular. The continuity of the circulation cycle of the money supply is very important. It is necessary to regularly monitor working capital V electronic machine, collect it in a timely manner. Otherwise, there will be no trust in your device, and it will not bring you profit. The profitability of such a business depends on its location. The proposed types of payment purposes are also important. Where to start a business? With cost calculation, including everything important points for its organization.

Business service

The business plan for organizing a payment terminal should include renting a place, purchasing the machine itself, crediting a certain circulating amount to its account, organizing collection, registration necessary documents, expenses for advertising campaign. You can purchase the device for 50,000-100,000 rubles. Then you need to take care of the amount that will have to be frozen in the account for a long time, since it will be in constant circulation to ensure uninterrupted operation. It should be taken into account that the greater the traffic, the more funds need to be frozen. Collection will be needed a couple of times a week. At small retail outlets, they usually charge from 2,000 to 3,000 rubles for renting space. In large shopping centers they will charge from 10,000 to 20,000 rubles.

The costs of servicing the terminal itself will not be much: cash on a SIM card for connecting to electronic networks and a cash register tape. An additional thousand rubles per month will be spent on collection of one device. At the same time, you can earn on average 5000-7000 rubles per month. And if your machine is installed in a place with a large crowd of people, you can count on 10,000-15,000 rubles. But we should also take into account widespread competition, which disperses the flows potential clients and brings small income to the owners. That is why the payback on your payment terminal can range from six months to a year. Customer reviews play a very important role in the promotion of such a service point.

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Organization of payment business

According to rough estimates, the minimum required amount to enter the terminal business is from 15,000 to 30,000 US dollars. Let's look at a plan for a simplified procedure for organizing a terminal business, starting with selecting and purchasing a payment terminal and ending with financial settlements with operators, payment systems and banks.

1. The owner of the terminal (entrepreneur) buys the terminal - there is a need to conclude an agreement with the organizers of payment systems.
2. An entrepreneur places a payment machine on his own or rented space, determines the commission percentage for each payment, for example, 1-3%, or a fixed fee of 7-10 rubles.
3. The organizer of the payment system opens a separate deposit for the entrepreneur.
4. The owner makes an advance payment to this account and receives permission (access) to information system to control current operations and the status of the deposit at the terminal.
5. Now the owner can accept payments from clients within the amount of open account. Information about the completed payment is sent to the server of the system organizer. The amount of the accepted payment is withdrawn from the entrepreneur’s deposit and transferred to the specified details of the service provider.
6. The owner needs to check the actual amount on deposit and, if necessary, top up his personal account. When crediting and recalculating funds to the account, the bank withholds about 0.1% of the credited amount.
7. Based on the results of the month, the entrepreneur receives a remuneration from service providers in addition to a commission from each payment.
8. From the income received, the owner pays taxes to the state. Tax is imposed on the profit received from transactions using a payment terminal.

Where you should start is by becoming familiar with the technical side of the issue of organizing a terminal business.

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Expenses necessary to organize a business

Spending plan:

• one-time: the cost of a payment terminal with software and connection to the payment system will be from 80,000 to 300,000 rubles;

Monthly:

• payment for rent of space up to 1 sq. m - 4000-8000 rubles (depending on location);
• payment for GPRS communication - 600-900 rubles;
• payment to the bank for crediting the account and recalculating funds - 0.1% of the payment amount;
• collection costs;
• terminal maintenance costs - 3900 rubles: paper replacement - 1000 rubles, box repair - 2000 rubles, communication fee - 900 rubles;
• income tax.

The income plan consists of:

• fee charged to clients by the owner for using the terminal - about 4% of each payment or a fixed amount of 10 rubles;
• the remuneration paid by the service provider monthly is 1-3%.

After this, it is easy to calculate profitability. Let’s assume that the payment terminal accepts on average 150 payments per transaction day, with an average payment amount of 150 rubles. Let's calculate the approximate payback period if we start operating the terminal in a fairly busy place. Counting plan: average amount payment is 150 rubles, the average number of payments per day is 150 rubles, the average commission of the service provider is 2%, average fee for using the terminal - 3%, our profit per month will be:

150 rubles * (2+3%) *150 *30 days = 33,750 rubles.

At the same time, monthly expenses: rent - 6,000 rubles, collection - 2,000 rubles, technical maintenance - 3,900 rubles and deductions to the bank for servicing funds in the account - 0.1% of turnover (in our case, turnover is 150 * 150 * 30 days = 675 000 rubles). Thus we get:

6000 + 2000 + 3900 + 675 = 12,575 rubles.

The costs will also include payment of income tax, that is, 33,750 * 6% = 2,025 rubles. The income will be 31,725 ​​rubles. Then the net profit will be 19,150 rubles per month. Thus, with average indicators and the average cost of the terminal, it will pay for itself in more than 5 months.

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Fiscal terminal registrars

It will be impossible to start a business without an accounting system - a fiscal registrar for terminals. Came into force on April 1, 2010 the federal law No. 103 dated June 03, 2009. According to this Federal Law, today any terminal activity can be carried out only using an established fiscal registrar. All entrepreneurs must annually purchase an EKLZ (electronic control tape).

This block was created to store information for supervising tax authorities. It stores information about completed operations in encrypted form. And the cost of such a block varies from 7,000 to 8,000 rubles. The entrepreneur must now include the maintenance of such fiscal registrars in the work plan. This can be done at service centers (CSC), and therefore incur additional costs. Fines for activities without fiscal registrars range from 3,000 to 4,000 rubles for individuals- entrepreneurs and 30,000-40,000 rubles - for legal entities. The check must indicate your actual address or the address of your office.

It's hard to imagine life modern people without terminals. Today, for many, this is a reliable and convenient device that helps them quickly pay necessary bills, transfer money, and top up their phone balance. There are no queues, and the operating algorithm is quite simple. In this regard, business on payment terminals is a fairly profitable type of private income.

To receive stable monetary benefits, you only need to purchase a terminal and place it in a public place. For each payment made, a commission is charged, which constitutes your revenue. Next, we will find out how to still make money on payment terminals and what equipment will be needed to open this type of business.

Step-by-step plan for making money on payment terminals

As a rule, to make money on payments, you should perform several standard manipulations:

1. Buy necessary equipment. We'll look at which one a little later.
2. Register as entity(IP, JSC).
3. Choose a suitable place (a very important point, since the amount of your earnings directly depends on the choice of place). This could be a supermarket or shopping center, universities and colleges, entertainment centers, cinemas, train stations, etc. In general, you should choose a location where the terminal is easy to see and use. The payment terminal will not take up more than 1 square meter of space. meter, but still this site must be rented from the person who owns it.
4. Choose a payment system and agree on further cooperation. Sign the agreement and open an account. It is worth remembering that the payment system you choose is an intermediary between you and the companies to which the payments will be sent. cash. The range of services offered by your terminal depends entirely on the number of partners with whom the payment system works. You don’t have to do the work yourself, such as concluding multiple contracts with operators.

What equipment should I choose and how much does maintenance cost?

Before you can earn money, you will have to pay rent for the site for your device. The average cost of monthly rent ranges from 10-15 thousand rubles. depending on where it is installed. It is important to roughly calculate your monthly income so that it covers the cost of rent.

The most big investment is, in fact, the purchase of the payment terminal itself. It will cost $3000 (±$200). The price directly depends on the parameters of the device. For example, street terminals will cost more, as they are equipped with anti-vandal coating.

Insurance will cost RUB 4,500 monthly. with the cost of the device itself being 120 thousand rubles. and its filling is 50-60 thousand rubles. Next, you can’t forget about the monthly Internet payment and account replenishment (the amount of payment depends on the number of payment points for one individual entrepreneur), otherwise you won’t be able to earn money. You will need support from your client audience.

The installation itself also needs maintenance, so be prepared for costs such as: cleaning the bill acceptor, updating receipt tape, other renovation work. The most important operation in terminal maintenance is collection once every 3-4 days. Such service costs 4000-5000 rubles per month.

How to expand your terminal business?

Here are several basic techniques that will allow you to expand your business and make money by increasing financial flows. Main methods:

• Increasing the number of payment acceptance points or renting several terminals in high-traffic areas;
• Expanding the circle of cooperation with companies in whose favor the payment is made;
• Tracking the traffic of a place with your terminal. The most common reason for failure in this type of business is poor choice of location. Therefore, if there are fewer and fewer people, it is better to move your payment terminals or rent them out to others.
• Improving the quality of service, which does not directly relate to business expansion, but is an important component in the strategy for the development and prosperity of any business.

Open private business on payment terminals is not so difficult: it will only take you about 2 months to open it. High income indicators will ensure quick payback. You can, of course, avoid all of the above costs and rent the device. But in this case, the amount of income will depend on the owner’s desires to change the location of the terminal or the payment system. If you decide to take everything into your own hands, then you can make money very quickly and recoup your investment. We wish you good luck in your business!

How much can you earn

The main income of an entrepreneur is the commission for carrying out payment transactions, it amounts to 3% -5% of the payments made. Quite often, payment systems also assign additional bonuses. The profitability of one terminal is 30,000-60,000 rubles. per month. If the terminal operates successfully, its payback period occurs in 6 months.

How much money do you need to start a business?

Costs include:

• rent of space for a terminal, its cost depends on the location of the terminal and the region;
• purchase of the terminal itself and equipment, its cost is from 100,000 rubles. up to 250,000 rubles;
• payment to the payment system for services provided;
• payment of commission to the bank for withdrawing money;
• payment for electricity;
• for GPS connection;
• payment of taxes.

Which OKVED code should I indicate when registering?

OKVED 66.19 – other auxiliary activities in the field financial services, except for insurance and pensions.

What documents are needed

First you need to register as an individual entrepreneur (IP). Documents are submitted to the Federal Tax Service at the place of residence. The list of documents includes: passport, identification code and a statement from the entrepreneur. After receiving the certificate, you must register with the Pension Fund and the Social and Health Insurance Fund.

Which tax system to choose for registration

Do I need permission to open?

This type of activity does not require licenses or special permits.

Technology of payment terminals

Using a payment terminal, you can quickly pay utility bills, transfer money or top up your phone. To receive a permanent income, you need to purchase a terminal and place it in public places. A commission is charged from each payment, which is the income of the entrepreneur.

Choosing a favorable location will ensure stable income to your business. After this, you must conclude a lease agreement. Then you need to choose a payment system and conclude an agreement. By choosing a payment system, you get a huge number of new partners with whom this system works.

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Payment terminals have become a part of the lives of modern people. They can be found in educational institutions, shopping centers, on the street, that is, in all public places. Many businessmen earn good money from such devices. In this article, we will look at reviews from owners about payment terminals as a business and figure out how profitable this line of business is for beginning entrepreneurs.

What are payment devices used for?

These machines are designed to accept various payments.

With their help you can pay:

• Cellular communications;
• Cable TV;
• Public utilities:
• Internet and more.

Such a device operates independently, without operator participation. The payment apparatus consists of the following elements:

• Modem that accepts payments;
• Bill acceptor;
• Screen;
• Printer for printing receipts.

Using this device, the subscriber can quickly pay bills anywhere in the city.

Buy or rent?

If you are interested in a payment terminal as a business, in order for it to generate decent income, you need to create an entire system of instant payments. Experts believe that for a successful start, you should purchase at least 10 devices. Entrepreneurs who do not have a large starting capital to purchase equipment, they can rent devices. Over time, when the business begins to generate good profits, you can purchase the equipment as your own.

Registration

Before installing a payment terminal, you must officially register your activity. First of all, you need to open an LLC in order to be able to enter into agreements with operators of vending payment systems. In addition, you must register with tax office so that in the future there will be no problems from regulatory authorities.

Business Features

Let's figure out how the business with payment terminals works. Its success is ensured by various factors. First of all, it is competition. In addition, the location of the equipment plays an important role in this matter. Another factor worth noting is wear and tear. If you install the device in a public place, for example, in a shopping center, it will be used more often. Accordingly, the device will fail faster.

The next factor is the average bill. For example, you have chosen a place with high traffic, but here the device is used mainly to make payments for the apartment. Since the interest on rent is too low, you will make little profit. On the other hand, on minimum payments in some educational institution you can get 30–40% income.

If you cannot decide where to install the payment terminal, ready business will become the most the best option to start. In this case, you will receive installed in good location and a completely ready-to-use payment terminal.

We offer step-by-step instructions for those who are interested in how to start a business using payment terminals:

• Find an equipment supplier and order devices from them. Experienced entrepreneurs who have been working in this field for a long time recommend buying second-hand equipment at the start. Thanks to this, you can save a lot and open more retail outlets. Before purchasing equipment, read consumer reviews of specific models. Thanks to this, you can avoid problems in the future;
• Choosing a location. So that your business brings good income, you need to choose the right place to install the equipment. In this matter, you should be guided by cross-country ability. The more people pass by, the better;
• Installation and configuration. After you choose a location and sign a lease agreement, you can begin installing the equipment. You can do this work yourself, following the instructions, or seek help from professionals.

Payment terminal operation diagram

Financial part

When drawing up a business plan for payment terminals, you must first calculate all costs. First of all, this is rent. The amount of monthly payments largely depends on the ability to negotiate with the owners of the premises, as well as on an individual approach. If you can convince management shopping center or a hypermarket is that installing a payment device will help them attract more customers, they will offer you a minimum rent. In addition, you need to find out how much the payment terminal costs and what payment system you will connect it to.

Initial costs:

• Purchase and connection of equipment – ​​2.4-9 thousand dollars;
• Monthly expenses:
• Rent of space for the device – 4–8 thousand rubles;
• Internet fee – 600–900 rubles;
• Deductions to the bank – 0.1–0.15% of turnover;
• Maintenance – 4 thousand rubles;
• Collection – 2 thousand rubles;
• Income tax.

Now let’s try to determine how much profit the payment terminal brings:

• Remuneration from the service provider – 1–3%;
• The fee for using the device, which is charged to customers, is 3–5%.

One machine accepts approximately 150 payments per day. The average bill is 150 rubles. In this case, the monthly income is approximately 30 thousand rubles per month. If you subtract maintenance costs, you will get a net profit of approximately 18 thousand rubles. With average returns, your initial investment will pay off in about 5-6 months. In areas with high traffic, payback periods are significantly reduced.

They bring in a good income. They can be installed next to payment terminals to generate additional income.

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To ensure a good profit you need to work hard and constantly expand your network.

Pay special attention to the following points:

• Part of the profit should be invested in the purchase and installation of new equipment;
• Search for new partners. In this matter, success largely depends on the chosen payment system. If it does not attract new partners, look for a more successful operator;
• Constantly monitor the traffic flow of points where payment devices are installed. Many entrepreneurs suffer losses because they chose the wrong place to install their equipment. If you see that the device is not profitable, move it to another, more crowded place;
• Constantly improve the quality of service. Thanks to this, you can increase the profitability of the enterprise.

conclusions

Now you know how to make money on payment terminals. This is a fairly attractive and promising source of income. It's perfect for those interested in . According to analysts, the payment terminal market will show positive dynamics for a long time, since it is not completely saturated, so you can safely enter this business.

At the beginning of their advent, payment terminals looked like a gold mine. They multiplied and filled free niches. The times of easy profits are over, but the business remains and is growing. Those who are not lazy and are willing to spend money at the start to launch 3-4 terminals can count on a refund within six months. Terminal owners face intense competition. It is necessary to monitor trends in the service market and respond to client requests. Technologies for online payments and Internet banking are constantly evolving. New models of equipment and technologies are emerging. The ability to keep up with progress is the key to a profitable business.

Is it possible to make money on payment terminals: how profitable is the business?

Payment terminals have become commonplace. You will notice them everywhere, they are everywhere. Even in sparsely populated corners, in a village store or at a stop where passengers are waiting for the train, you meet indispensable remote payment assistants. Looking at them, you understand that if they stand, it means there is a benefit. The illusion of easy money arises. I bought a terminal, signed an agreement, connected to the system, began providing services and calculating commissions.

The scheme is correct, but there are relatively nuances and pitfalls. Many disappointed entrepreneurs wander from forum to forum and talk about failure, losses and complain about the complexity of the business. Meanwhile, their successful colleagues keep quiet and buy new equipment to develop a range of services. The example of the latter is inspiring, but when taking the first step, you should assess the risks and decide for yourself how profitable this venture is.

Possible risks

There are many risks, as in any business project:

1. Terminals are a complex electronic device that contains mechanical components and computer hardware with software. The failure of one element leads to the failure of the entire system.
2. The operation of the terminal depends on uninterrupted power supply, reliability of the cellular operator and Internet provider.
3. Terminals are targets of attacks by vandals, scammers and hackers. Some try to make payments without paying, others try to open bill acceptors, others, out of hooligan motives, break equipment, break screens, and stuff garbage and foreign objects into slots for accepting money and bank cards.
4. Terminals require maintenance: cash collection, refueling cash register tape, sanitary cleaning, scheduled and technological checks of mechanical components and reliability software.
5. A busy place where the terminal regularly generated income may eventually turn out to be sparsely populated.
6. The owner of the premises with whom the site rental agreement has been concluded may not renew the agreement or may impose additional requirements.
7. Terminals become obsolete before they reach the end of their lifespan. Every year new models with better characteristics appear.
8. Unfair competition from entrepreneurs with administrative resources.

Advantages

There is no business without risk. You need to be prepared for this. Hundreds of terminal owners cope with the difficulties and difficulties that come their way. When you know what risks await, they can be anticipated and managed. The benefits of doing business with payment terminals significantly outweigh the risks because:

• Modern terminals are reliable. The main costs go towards purchase and installation, after which the terminal generates a stable income at minimal costs.
• The terminal can be rented or purchased through leasing.
• The population is accustomed to using terminals and prefers to go to them rather than to the bank’s cash desk.
• If necessary, the terminal can be moved to another convenient location or sold. There is a steady demand for used terminals.
• Managing a network of 4–5 terminals is not difficult for an inexperienced entrepreneur taking his first steps in business.

Having returned the initial investment, which will happen in about six months, the entrepreneur will gain invaluable experience and will be able to determine to what extent he can expand his business or decide to diversify. For example, it will begin to develop related service markets in vending machines, coffee machines and so on.

Where to start: required documents

Legal entity or individual entrepreneur taking the first step is easy. Installation of terminals does not require licensing. An individual will have to spend part of his time registering a business. If you plan to install no more than 5 terminals, then an individual entrepreneur is quite suitable for this purpose, especially since such enterprises have various forms of taxation: 6% on imputed income (“imputed”), 15% on profit (“simplified”), purchase of a patent for a year.

Attention! Do you want to know how to minimize risks when starting a business? We'll tell you the main points -

Any of three options allows you to optimize taxes to a level below 13%, which is charged on the income of individuals. So, the following stages lie ahead:

1. Registration of an individual entrepreneur (apply with a passport and an application to the tax service and pay 800 rubles in state fees).
2. Renting a place.
3. Purchase and adjustment of equipment.
4. Concluding agreements with payment systems, cellular operators and Internet providers.
5. Drawing up partnership agreements with organizations in whose favor payments will be accepted.
6. Conclusion of a collection agreement.
7. Organization of terminal maintenance.
8. Organizing customer feedback to resolve controversial issues.

The last two points are very important. There are many payment terminals, reputation in the service market is the key to stable operation. Customers will not return to the terminal where the payment failed. Or they will simply pass by if the terminal looks unkempt in appearance.

Equipment selection

The demand for terminals stimulated manufacturers. My eyes widen at the proposals. Common sense suggests a choice in favor the latest equipment. But it will cost more, and it is difficult to find reviews for it, because it has only recently been used. There are no ideal models, just as there are no absolutely bad ones among those that have served their intended purpose for many years. The minimum set of components in a payment terminal is as follows:

• banknote acceptance device;
• screen with touch control and anti-vandal coating;
• a cash register printer with a fiscal registrar function that prints and issues payment receipts;
• modems providing cellular communications and Internet connections;
• alarm and emergency signaling;
• slot with a bank card reader;
• Barcode Scanner.

More advanced terminals provide display of advertising or television images, information and legal assistance in the form of text and voice guidance, communication with an operator and other useful customer service functions. But the more complex the device, the more demanding it is in terms of care and maintenance.

On thematic forums and classifieds sites there are many offers for the purchase of used equipment. Almost new terminals that have been in service for several months are sold several times cheaper compared to prices in catalogs from manufacturers and distributors. There is no single rule on this matter. The purchase may turn out to be successful or, conversely, a waste of money. A beginner should be careful and not spend money without consulting with experts.

How to choose a location for the terminal

The terminal is designed to serve customers; its profitability depends on how many times and for what amount payments are made. The more often it is used, the more money he will bring it to the owner. In Moscow, there are an average of 1,000 people per terminal; figures vary in regions. There is cunning and deceit in the average numbers, but you can focus on them. If, for example, at the place of residence of an entrepreneur there are 4,000 residents per terminal, this is a clear sign that the payment services market has not been developed and there are empty niches.

Even if it seems that all the convenient places are occupied by other entrepreneurs, you can always find an unoccupied area. You should go around and look at the flow of people in crowded places:

• shopping and business centers;
• train stations, airports, bus and railway stations;
• educational institutions, leisure facilities for the population;
• medical institutions;
• underground passages and public transport stops;
• places of traditional holding of public events.

What are the benefits of terminals? With your mobility. They can be transported and installed at another point if the need arises. By being flexible, an entrepreneur can move terminals to areas where the number of potential customers is expected to increase.

Cooperation with the payment system

Choosing a payment system is akin to choosing a business partner. So that a beginner does not feel insecure, as if at a crossroads, he should study the payment system market even at the stage of purchasing a terminal. There are several dozen of them, they actively compete with each other, each is good in its own way and is not without its shortcomings. The terminal owner can:

• enter into a direct agreement with one or more payment systems;
• connect to payment systems through the head agent;
• make payments through aggregator companies that work with several payment systems;
• use Internet banking services.

Direct payments are the most profitable, from them the terminal will receive the maximum reward, but the entrepreneur’s opportunities for carrying out such operations are limited. The more terminals it has and the wider the coverage of organizations for whose benefit payments are accepted, the more intermediaries will appear.

• You need to prepare for this inevitability in advance by studying offers on the payment system market. Experts advise paying attention to the following criteria:
• reputation, fame and reliability;
• stability of the payment processing server;
• quality of the software, its compatibility with the payment terminal;
• the amount of remuneration from the payment system to the agent;
• compatibility with the interface of local service providers;
• the ability of the terminal itself to flexibly customize the interface to suit the requests of the payment system;
• the system's interest in new agents, benefits and promotions.

Among the payment systems that have been operating on the market for many years and have won the trust of customers are the following: CyberPlat, QIWI Wallet (Qiwi Wallet), JV Quickpay, DeltaPay, Comepay, SkySend.

The list is far from complete; there are many more of them. Each system has its own corporate website, where you can familiarize yourself with the features of the work, obtain the necessary information, technical support and conclude an agency agreement.

Terminal Maintenance Terminals should not be left unattended even in the most crowded places. Once a day you should check its condition and performance. The place where the terminal is installed should attract customers. This means that this area should be clean. It is necessary to install bins with garbage bags, which are changed regularly. The touch screen is free of dirt and grease marks. Eat sanitary standards

and basic disgust of clients. Very often, payment terminals are located in groups of several and belong to different owners. You can't miss out on customers just because the terminal next door looks clean and tidy. Each terminal comes with documentation, which will necessarily include operating instructions. Maintenance cannot be left to chance; a breakdown or failure is not only a loss of time, lost profits and additional costs for calling service workers, but also a decline in reputation. We also need to understand the psychology of people who use terminals. They develop something similar to a conditioned reflex. Having become accustomed to making payments at one terminal, these people automatically return to it.

terminals

• The service is inferior to specialists, but ongoing care is within the power of the owner himself or the person appointed. The list of responsibilities should include:
• daily inspection and inspection, cleaning of contaminants, cleaning of the area directly adjacent to the terminal; checking the tape cash register
• , replacement if necessary;
• removing debris and foreign objects from the bill acceptor and from the bank card slot;

Communication and Internet connection problems are resolved through technical support from the operator and provider. It is not difficult to collect small amounts yourself if security issues have been resolved. But, as a rule, collection is carried out by specialized companies with which an agreement is concluded.

If during the inspection an attempt to tamper with the terminal, vandal damage, or malfunctions are revealed, the terminal should be turned off and a warning sign should be placed for customers. Then they report to the police and insurance company about the incident and then act according to their instructions.

Video: how the terminal works and what to do in case of breakdown

Cost calculation

The initial investment depends on many factors, but the market is established, which makes it easier to calculate investments. The biggest expense is the purchase of a terminal. Let's leave second-hand ones aside and take into account only new models. In manufacturers' catalogs, prices range from 125,000 to 305,000 rubles. for calculation we will take 215,000 rubles. 1 sq.m. is rented for one terminal. area. For the remaining positions we will take the average values.

Table: initial investment

In total, installing a network of 4 terminals will require 900,000 rubles. Why 4? Because, according to reviews from entrepreneurs who have been in this business for a long time, installing 1–3 terminals does not provide a profit sufficient to maintain and develop the business.

900,000 rub. The amount is not small, but comparable to what banks give for a consumer loan. In this case, the loan is not consumer, but for a business that is considered profitable by default. You can get a loan from an interested bank at a favorable, preferential interest rate, and supplement your monthly expenses table with loan payments.

By the way, payments can be made through your terminal. Scale current expenses

small, only a few positions, mostly repeating the original ones.

Table: monthly expenses

Total 33,000 rub. when hiring an employee who will monitor the operation of the terminals. Without it, 23,000 rubles, if the owner can handle it himself. Will the income cover the initial investment and current expenses? Answer: yes! The main components of the revenue part (averaged monthly indicators for 1 terminal) are presented in the table below.

An entrepreneur can count on (107,000 – 33,000) = 74,000 rubles per month. This means that in about 9–10 months it will fully compensate for the initial investment. During this time, 190,000 current expenses will accrue, which will be covered in 3-4 months and the business will reach monthly net income. It is not recommended to spend all profits on personal needs and consumption. Part of it must certainly go towards expanding and developing the business.

The approximate payback period for a business under ideal conditions is 3–4 months.

Possible difficulties and solutions

An entrepreneur who conducts business legally with open reporting and complies with the laws is under the protection of the state. Therefore, all contracts are concluded in writing, signed and strictly implemented. This practice allows you to defend your interests in court if partners or control authorities have caused damage to the enterprise through illegal actions.

In the relationship between the terminal owner and clients, the most problematic situation is when the terminal accepted money, but the payment was made for a smaller amount or did not go through at all. For successful business