How to Start a Food Truck Business in Australia

Can you take contactless card payments with just your mobile phone? Yes! Until last year, accepting contactless card payments on your phone required you to have a mobile credit card reader either plugged into your phone or connected via Bluetooth. Now, thanks to the latest smartphone technology, you don’t need any extra hardware, all you need is a mobile app that's enabled with Tap to Pay technology, that allows you to accept card payments directly from your phone. What is it called when you take contactless card payments on your mobile phone? The process of accepting a contactless payment on your phone (using its inbuilt technology, not a mobile card reader) is known as ‘ Tap to Pay ’. This term applies to both iPhone and Android devices that are using a financial services app – such as  Zeller App  – to accept contactless credit and debit cards and digital wallets. Can you use any smartphone as an EFTPOS terminal? Only selected iPhone and Android smartphones, with built-in  NFC technology  will support Tap to Pay. What app lets you take EFTPOS payments on your phone? There are a number of different payment apps that can be downloaded from the  App Store  or  Google Play Store  that support Tap to Pay. Zeller App is a great option for Australian businesses looking for a simple, affordable, and scalable platform to accept EFTPOS payments and manage their finances as they grow. Merchants wishing to take payments on their phone will simply need to download their selected app, and follow the steps to configure their device. Once configured, they can then start accepting EFTPOS payments immediately. Is it safe to take EFTPOS payments on your mobile phone? Taking contactless payments on your mobile phone relies on ‘ Near Field Communication ’, or NFC – the same technology that is used for making payments with a mobile wallet. Account information is transmitted from a customer’s card or mobile wallet to the payment processor via radio waves within a very close range, and once received, the processor uses the information to complete the transaction. By virtue of the fact that NFC only works within a couple of centimetres, it makes it incredibly difficult for a potential fraudster to intercept the transaction and steal sensitive information. Tap to Pay on both Android and iPhone via the Zeller App offers highly secure contactless payments that adhere to global security standards. Both platforms support various card types, regularly verify device security, include secure PIN processes and use advanced technology to ensure every transaction is not only convenient but also protected, maintaining the privacy and safety of user information. Additionally, Tap to Pay on iPhone ensures secure transactions through Apple's unique features, such as issuing decryption keys after thorough validation and leveraging the iPhone's built-in security element. How much does it cost to take contactless card payment on your mobile phone? Tap to Pay technology is facilitated by payment apps, each of which have their own pricing structures. The cost of taking card payments on your phone will therefore depend on which app you choose to process these payments. Zeller, for example, offers one low flat transaction fee of 1.4% for all cards, including American Express. The advantage of Zeller is that it is one of the few payment apps that also lets you pass the transaction fee onto your customer through surcharging . If you choose to surcharge, you will incur no fee whatsoever for accepting contactless payments on your phone. I need to take contactless card payments immediately, what should I do? If you want to be able to use your phone like an EFTPOS terminal within a few hours, it’s important that you choose a payment app that has a simple, online sign-up process. All the payment apps will require you to have an account with them first, and in the case of the banks, this will mean  opening a business bank account  which may take several days and an in-person branch visit. With Zeller, you can open an account online, within a matter of minutes – no paperwork required. Once your Zeller Account is up and running, you simply need to download Zeller App, enable Tap to Pay on your device, and you’re ready to start taking card payments on your smartphone. What are the advantages of accepting contactless card payments on your mobile phone? It’s affordable Not all businesses can justify the upfront cost of an EFTPOS terminal, especially if they are not processing a large volume of in-person payments. Being able to use hardware that you already own is therefore a much more cost-effective solution. It allows new businesses or very small businesses to get up and running without the outlay of having to purchase an EFTPOS terminal. It’s mobile For mobile businesses that take in-person payments, having to carry a bulky EFTPOS machine around with you is inconvenient. Using your mobile phone as a payment terminal means you can keep it in your pocket and enjoy being hands-free. It’s great for emergencies For businesses that use a traditional EFTPOS machine, having an app installed and configured to take payments on your phone means that if there’s ever a day when your terminal lets you down or when you have a surge in customers, you won’t miss a beat. In the case of an outage or damaged EFTPOS machine, rather than having to revert to cash-only payments – which will almost certainly lead to lost sales in this day and age – you can keep trading as per usual by simply using your phone. Are there any other hardware-free payment options? In addition to Tap to Pay, there’s another simple solution for taking card payments instantly with no hardware required: Virtual Terminal. If you need a way to charge customers, but in-person payments aren’t possible, this is a great alternative.  Zeller Virtual Terminal  is a web-based tool that lets you take payments over the phone (as well as mail order, fax, or email) by manually entering a customer’s card details into your browser. Alternatively, merchants have the option of sending customers a secure payment link via email or SMS, where they can enter their card details themselves from their own device. Meet Zeller: an all-in-one financial services provider. When you  sign up for a free Zeller Account  today, not only will you be able to start taking card payments on your phone, you will also gain access to a suite of financial services, from a Zeller Transaction Account to debit cards, invoicing, virtual terminal and more. It only takes a few minutes to sign up, and it’s all done online – no paperwork or branch-visits required.

Meet your newest recruit: a sleek, reliable multitasker that takes payments, processes sales, cuts costs, grows tips, splits bills, and boosts your brand. Once upon a time,  EFTPOS terminals did one thing: accept card payments. In 2024, they have become the beating heart of a business’s finances, incorporating myriad tools and features to help merchants not only deal with the increasing volume of card payments, but also make informed business decisions, deliver premium and branded customer service, and get you paid faster. Zeller Terminal is one such device that’s leading the way in payment technology in Australia. Integrated into Zeller’s financial ecosystem, which offers a  point-of-sale system ,  transaction account  and  savings account ,  debit cards  and  corporate cards , a  contact directory  and  mobile app , Zeller EFTPOS Terminal is a key component of an all-in-one system that gives businesses real-time visibility of their cash position, important sales insights, and near-instant access to their funds. So much more than an EFTPOS machine, Zeller Terminal is a key growth driver for your business, and below, we explain twelve reasons why. Top 12 benefits of Zeller Terminal 1. It saves your business money. Zeller Terminal is yours to own outright for the low cost of $99, or $199 if you choose Zeller Terminal 2, which comes with a built-in point-of-sale system. There are no monthly rental fees, no lock-in contracts, and no hidden costs. Once you start taking payments, you will only ever incur a 1.4% transaction fee for all card types – including AMEX – or 1.7% for over-the-phone transactions. Plus, with Zeller Terminal’s flexible surcharging capability, you can choose to pass on all or part of your merchant fee to the customer. Unlike many merchant services providers which lock you into surcharging for an added fee, Zeller’s zero-cost EFTPOS  option can be turned on, off, or customised at the press of a button. 2. It accepts every payment method. Zeller Terminal gives your customers the option to pay however is most convenient for them. To make payment, a customer can: tap their smartphone, watch, or other  NFC-enabled device  to the terminal tap their contactless debit and credit cards to the terminal insert a chip card into Zeller Terminal and, if needed, securely enter their PIN swipe their card and enter their PIN, or sign directly on the screen (available on Zeller Terminal 1 only) call you and read their card details over the phone 3. It simplifies checkout with a free, built-in point-of-sale system. Traditional point-of-sale software can be costly to growing businesses, which is why Zeller Terminal 2 incorporates a simple POS solution right into the hardware, for free:  Zeller POS Lite . Designed for micro, small, and mobile businesses, this easy-to-use POS solution records sales and delivers a fast and secure customer checkout experience. With Zeller POS Lite, you can: Manage a library of items directly on the terminal or via Zeller Dashboard or App Customise your product offering with modifiers and variants Design your home screen grid to allow quick access to frequently used items Generate itemised receipts which customers can receive via email, SMS, or QR code View detailed sales reports to understand what you are selling and when Create and manage discounts Get set up instantly – Zeller POS Lite comes automatically installed on Zeller Terminal 2 4. It boosts your brand with customisable receipts and screensavers. Zeller ensures your brand is central to the payment process by allowing you to customise both your receipts and your machine’s screensaver. Whether they’re printed or sent digitally as an email or SMS, Zeller receipts can incorporate a custom image at the top of the receipt, as well as business details, social media handles, a brief message or returns policy. Similarly, Zeller Terminal’s large digital screen can be customised with an image of your choice, allowing you to engage your customers with your brand while you scan their items or pull up their order on your point-of-sale. Much more than a simple payment device, Zeller Terminal is an innovative marketing tool that can be leveraged to instil your brand messaging. Customise your Terminal screensaver and your receipt to align with your brand. 5. It splits payments. Gone are the days of making your customers get out their phone calculator to figure out who owes what after a group meal. Zeller Terminal’s  Split Payments  functionality gives customers the option of splitting by custom value or by number of people. Not only is this more convenient for your patrons, but it speeds up the payment process, freeing up the EFTPOS terminal for it to be used by other staff. Additionally, by giving each individual customer the option to pay their share, it gives them all the opportunity to provide a tip. Everyone tips differently, so by giving more power to each customer, it is not only a more democratic process, it's likely to result in cumulatively greater tips for your business. 6. It settles the bill, tableside. Zeller Terminal’s  Pay at Table  feature is revolutionising the dining experience. Where before waitstaff would have to jostle between the diner’s table and the point-of-sale machine to settle a bill, Zeller Terminal now allows you to see total outstanding bills, take payments and close tables — all on one device. Rather than the customer paying at the counter or finalising the bill in the traditional, time-consuming manner, waitstaff can deliver the bill and the mobile payment device, all at the same time. The status of a table is updated in real time and synced across all machines, reducing human error and optimising the whole operation. 7. It makes processing refunds easy. Zeller Terminal supports both complete and partial refunds – and you, as a business owner, have the ability to restrict who can provide a customer with a refund. It’s an added level of protection for your business. Refunding a payment doesn’t cost your business anything; Zeller doesn’t charge any additional fees for refunding a customer. 7. It gives you real-time insights. Track key metrics from your Zeller Terminal in your own Zeller Dashboard or on  Zeller App . By providing powerful real-time data and a searchable transaction history, Zeller equips you with the tools you need to better manage cash flow, identify cost-saving opportunities and sales patterns. With most payment services providers, daily transaction information is unavailable until totals are tallied up at close of business — and important business information can only be found in a monthly merchant services statement. Having the ability to see how your business is performing at a glance enables you to quickly understand your short-term cash flow, progress sales targets to meet (and outperform) business objectives, and ultimately make smarter business decisions. 9. It gets you paid faster with same-day settlements. When you settle your funds into a Zeller Transaction Account, your day’s takings from Zeller Terminal will be deposited into your account the very same night, 365 days a year. If you choose to settle your funds into a third-party bank account, you will receive them the next business day. Speeding up the settlement process means you have access to your funds faster, helping to keep your cash flow healthy, and helping to avoid delays to wage payments or supply orders. 10. It can be controlled remotely. If your business operates across multiple locations, you need an easy way to manage your EFTPOS payment terminals. Every one of your Zeller Terminals can be controlled from your Zeller account, ensuring consistency across your entire operation. Update your staff permissions, enable and disable surcharging, update the information on your receipts, and more from one easy, online location. 11. It increases your tips. Zeller Terminal makes it easy for customers to leave a tip. This is particularly useful for hospitality businesses — you don’t have to enable the feature, but the functionality is there. You can configure your Zeller Terminal to provide a range of tipping options, either prompting a customer to leave a tip calculated on a percentage of their purchase or allowing them to enter a custom amount. This is a proven tactic, designed to grow tips for your business. 12. It reduces paper with digital and QR code receipts. A recent study* revealed that Australia produces 10.6 billion paper receipts annually, but because of their chemical coating, none of them can be recycled. With consumers and businesses becoming increasingly aware of their environmental footprint, many are choosing digital receipts as a convenient and sustainable alternative. Zeller Terminal embraces this step forward by offering customers the choice to have their receipts sent via email or SMS (available on both terminal models), or they can quickly scan a QR code which appears on-screen after the payment has been processed and download their receipt directly to their smartphone (Zeller Terminal 2 only). *‘Life Journey of an Average Receipt’ report, commissioned by Slyp, undertaken by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Plus protection for your business. Zeller uses end-to-end encryption and industry best practices to protect transactions from the time they are taken at the terminal to the time your money is received. Whether you choose to use an open or secured Wi-Fi connection or a mobile broadband-based connection, all the information Zeller processes is encrypted to our servers. Our team adheres to industry best practices in cybersecurity and threat management, constantly monitoring transactions for suspicious activity and blocking fraudulent transactions. When payment disputes occur, our team of experts deals with the bank for you, helping you avoid costly chargebacks. We’re always looking ahead. Our team of developers are hard at work, continuously building new functionality to give your business an edge. That's why, when you sign up for Zeller, there are no lock-in contracts or commitments. We know you’ll love our solution enough to never want to leave. Learn more about how  Zeller Terminal  can help your business grow by accepting every card payment, quickly and securely, for one low rate. By sharing your details with us, we may contact you from time to time. 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With hundreds of point-of-sale (POS) providers in Australia, selecting the right one can be an overwhelming task. In this article, we outline the key factors to consider when choosing a POS, and recommend some of the best providers for your industry. If you’re a new or existing business owner, by now, you probably know  what a point-of-sale system is and how it works . The next step is choosing a solution that is appropriate to your business size and industry. To help make the right decision, read our list of considerations below and make note of which ones are the most (and least) important to your business, so that when you’re in conversation with a POS provider, you can be well equipped to ask the right questions. Then, learn which POS providers are the most popular among cafes, quick-service restaurants, dine-in restaurants, retail businesses, and bars and clubs. Important considerations when choosing the best POS system for your business. Hardware POS hardware refers to the physical devices that make up your POS system. This could include any or all of: a computer or display unit, a receipt printer, a barcode scanner, a cash drawer, and an EFTPOS machine. While large businesses may require a full suite of hardware, many smaller businesses can get away with little more than a tablet or smartphone. Portable devices like Zeller Terminal 2 (which has a POS system built-in) are often referred to as mobile POS or ‘ mPOS ’, and they provide excellent functionality, allowing merchants to do everything from managing their inventory to taking payments all from the one machine. Software The functionality of the POS software will arguably be the biggest factor in determining your final choice. If you are a retail business, you may want to prioritise a robust inventory management system – this will allow you to easily track stock levels, anticipate when popular items will run out, and stay on budget. For hospitality businesses, a floor management system may also be required to manage table seating and reservations. Additional functionality includes sales reporting, for managing cash flow; employee management, for automatically logging hours and tracking performance; and customer relationship management (CRM), for collecting customer data and implementing targeted marketing campaigns. While these are the most common and basic features of POS systems, those designed for individual industries will offer even more specialised features. Ease of use Think about who will be using the POS system on a day-to-day basis. Do you have a high turnover rate of employees? If so, consider how easy it will be to train new staff to use the software. A simple, intuitive interface will greatly reduce human error, which, in a fast-paced environment, could be critical. Integration For most businesses, their POS provider cannot just work alone, it will need to be able to integrate into a number of different systems. The accounting software,  payments provider , and/or e-commerce platform you use (or are planning to use) should ideally integrate with your POS system. By enabling information to flow easily between systems, you will greatly increase the efficiency of your operations, saving you and your team time and money. Take note of what platforms a POS provider integrates with before making a decision, as this can become a frustrating roadblock later on if it is neglected. Customer support How quickly and easily you can contact your POS provider is something that can be easily overlooked – but it’s extremely important. If you decide to go with a POS system that offers all the bells and whistles, but doesn’t have anyone to pick up the phone when you need help, this will quickly lead to frustration and potentially lost revenue. Check the provider’s website and LinkedIn: are their offices based in Australia? What are their customer service hours? Do they have a robust support centre with help articles and troubleshooting resources? Will you be assigned an account manager? Additionally, how quickly you need to get up and running is an important consideration. Many traditional POS providers require a technician to come out and set up the hardware and software, whereas newer web-based systems are often self-service and can be entirely set up remotely. Multi-location Do you run a multi-location operation or are you planning on scaling in the future? If so, it’s important to be sure that the POS software is equipped to deal with multi-venue requirements. Being able to push updates to machines at several venues at once, aggregating reporting from all venues, and monitoring stock transfers between locations, are just some of the features you’ll want to ensure your POS provider can support. Cost With varying pieces of equipment, features, minimum requirements, and pricing models, understanding exactly how much you’re going to pay for a POS service is not easy. To avoid bill-shock later on, make sure you understand exactly how each aspect of the service is priced. Are you buying the hardware outright or will you access it on a rental agreement? Is the software licence a one-time purchase or a monthly/annual subscription? Is there a cost associated with ongoing support and maintenance? Will you pay a fee each time a transaction is processed through the POS? Ensure you ask any potential POS provider all these questions before signing a contract. Best POS providers by industry The table below presents some of the best POS providers available to Australian business owners, organised by industry, with some of their noteworthy features listed on the right hand side. For a comprehensive list of features, be sure to contact the POS provider directly and request a demo before signing up. Let Zeller manage your payments. No matter how you prefer to manage your checkout process, Zeller is Australia’s leading payments provider, tailored to meet your business needs. For smaller or mobile businesses with a limited inventory, Zeller offers Zeller POS Lite, built into Zeller Terminal 2 at no extra cost. Larger, more established businesses can benefit from Zeller Terminal’s seamless integration with over 600 different POS platforms. Whether you’re looking for a simple, cost-effective mobile solution or a fully integrated EFTPOS machine with advanced features like tipping, bill-splitting, and custom screensavers, Zeller’s platform is designed to evolve with your business. Chat with our sales team today to set up Zeller POS Lite, or explore our Zeller Partner Hub to find the perfect POS integration for your business.