Is it Best to Rent or Buy Your EFTPOS

Should I Rent or Buy my EFTPOS?(Case Study for Business Owners)

That is a question that we get asked on a daily basis here at Positive Systems. We are one of the few EFTPOS companies that gives you a choice to rent a machine or buy one.

A common sales pitch that we told about is:-

• "It is best to rent you machine because EFTPOS machines are always changing".

The truth is that EFTPOS machines (Hardware) do not change that often. There are two elements to an EFTPOS machine, these are
• Software - Changes frequently as new features and security measures come into play. Software upgrades are done automatically on new eftpos machines.
• Hardware - Changes are rare.  We don't know for sure when the new eftpos machines will need to be replaced but we envisage that the hardware will be compliant until at least April 2029 and in some cases April 2033.

• "Eftpos machines are always break down"

The actual failure rate of EFTPOS machines is actually very low (less than 1% for our machines), it is just that you really notice it when you can't take money from customers! Most EFTPOS failures happen because of external factors such as lost internet, power spikes and customers dropping machines.
Whether you rent or purchase a machine from us you will get the same great service. If in the rare occasion that your machine needs to be swapped out we will send a replacement loaded with your merchant number ready to go on an overnight courier. Purchased machines come with a one year RTB warranty but even after the year is up we will still lend you a replacement EFTPOS machine while yours is getting fixed. If you rent or buy, damage caused by physical force, liquid, insect infestations or power spikes is not usually covered by manufacturers warranties.

• "If you rent your machine you can claim back the tax"

Rental costs for EFTPOS machines are 100% claimable for NZ tax purposes. If you buy your EFTPOS machine you can claim back 100%  for NZ tax purposes as if its cost is less than $1000 you can claim it as an expense in the year that it was bought as they are now classed as being a low value asset.

• "Renting an EFTPOS smooths cash flow"

Renting is a great option if you don't have the money up front to buy a machine. It allows you to know what your ongoing costs are and it is easier to plan for knowing that a set amount of money is coming out each month. A lot of our customers choose to rent for this fact alone.

• "Software upgrades can be expensive"

If you rent a machine we look after the cost of the software upgrades for you. If you buy a machine we will invoice you $71+GST per year for a software license fee.  We have recently heard several cases of customers being charged to upgrade the software on machines that they rent from other companies.  In one case a customer was asked to pay almost $400 for an upgrade on a machine that they were renting.