Credit Card Terminal
A credit card terminal is a hardware device or software application used by merchants to process electronic payments from customers via credit, debit, or gift cards. It securely captures card information, transmits it to payment processors for authorization, and completes transactions, often printing receipts or sending digital confirmations. Modern terminals may include features like contactless payments (NFC), EMV chip reading, and integration with point-of-sale (POS) systems.
Developers should learn about credit card terminals when building or maintaining payment processing systems for retail, e-commerce, or mobile applications, as they are essential for handling secure transactions in compliance with standards like PCI DSS. This knowledge is crucial for roles involving POS integration, payment gateway APIs, or IoT devices in industries like hospitality, healthcare, or finance, where reliable and secure payment handling is required.