Commidea: Ocius for PCs chip and pin solution

Commidea's Ocius for PCs is the only Commidea product I use these days. Although I have a long and somewhat varied experience using Commidea products , I have found Ocius for PCs to be, in the main, reliable and well suited to small retailers who need an integrated chip and pin solution.

How does Ocius work on a PC?

Ocius for PCs consists of two parts. First there is the handset. This is usually a verifone product consisting of the keypad for the customer to enter their pin, and the card reader itself. The product does not contain a receipt printer - the printing is done from the PC. The unit is connected to the PC via an RS232 serial COM port connector. Often you need to use a Serial to USB converter to make the solution work on modern PCs.

On the PC you run the Ocius software. The Ocius software talks via the serial connection to the handset, and it also talks, via the internet, to Commidea's servers to get authorisation for payments.

Although you can use the Ocius software to initiate chip and pin card payments, certain third party EPOS software can then interface with the Ocius software running on the same PC. This means that when the EPOS software requires a chip and pin payment, the EPOS software tells the Ocius software the required amount, and the Ocius window then pops up over the EPOS software and takes the till user through the process of completing the transaction.

Ideally the PC also needs to have a receipt printer connected to it. The Ocius software will then connect to this printer to produce the required paperwork to give to the customer - usually the customer copy and the merchant copy. During the process Ocius will connect via the internet to gain authorisations. This removes the need for a dedicated phone line or ISDN line.

How much does Ocius Cost?

The standard contract for Ocius for PCs is usually 4 or 5 years. Commidea do not require you to buy the handsets, they rent you the chip and pin handset. This is good, because if the handset breaks down, which they do, Ocius replace the handset.

The only cost is a small setup fee and a monthly cost - usually about £20. The exact amount depends on two things.

First, it is vital to pay a small extra amount to get the 24 hour swap-out option. This isn't really 24 hours, what it actually means is if you report the fault before 3pm on a working day, they will get a replacement handset to you the next working day. Obviously if you have a fault on a friday afternoon you might not see a new handset before tuesday morning, which can be a problem!

Secondly, if you a buying the ocius for PCs chip and pin solution from your EPOS system provider, they are acting as a reseller and as such are free to set their own monthly costs. They take a cut of the monthly rental fee - usually around £5 per terminal per month.

Therefore there is always room for negotiation on the monthly price!

I strongly recommend Ocius for PCs as a chip and pin solution for small retailers. The most attractive feature is the 24 hour swap out. Chip and pin units are prone to breaking down and it is expensive if you have to buy the units yourself. Just make sure that your EPOS system provider is not taking you for a ride on the monthly fee.