Choosing the perfect card machine for your business is a decision you shouldn’t take lightly, but you also shouldn’t let it keep you up at night. If you’re here to research which card machine is going to change the game, we’re happy to have you.
The Shaker Solo is our only standalone card machine, which means you don’t need a smartphone to use it. It is fast, reliable and helps high-volume businesses create a seamless payment process for themselves and their customers.
But of course, we would say that.
Nepotism aside, the Shaker Solo is a pivotal tool for growing business whilst making business easier. Combined with some of South Africa’s most competitive transaction fees, app-based technology and next-level service, take a look at the fantastic features Shaker Solo owners have at their disposal.
Shaker Solo Features
Apart from conveniently being able to tap, swipe and insert credit or debit cards, your Shaker Solo also includes,
- Built-in printer
- 4G SIM card
- WIFI enabled
- No monthly rental fees
- No smartphone needed
Card Machines for South African Buyers
Being a business owner in South Africa comes with its own set of challenges and since recently moving to an alert level 4 for the third wave of the Coronavirus, these barriers are only seeming harder to get past.
That’s why we believe it’s so important to have the right tools in your arsenal to ensure you are saving time, saving money and building customer loyalty. One of these tools should be a wireless card machine, like the Shaker Solo.
Card machines are popular amongst South African consumers – nearly everybody owns a credit or debit card, and they want to be able to use them!
What Can the Shaker Solo do for Your Businesses?
When you’re choosing a card machine, you need to know what value the device is going to add to your business. Let’s take a look into where the Shaker Solo will improve your day-to-day and long-term operations.
Cut the costs
We are not a bank, and we never will be. At iKhokha, we don’t operate in the same way as traditional financial institutions. We don’t ask for exorbitant fees and we make it easier for you to get your hands on a card machine.
Our card machines cost significantly less than traditional providers, like banks. The key difference is that banks charge a monthly rental fee for their devices. We don’t. At iKhokha, we charge a once off fee and it’s yours for life. The Shaker Solo is our top of the range card machine and still comes in at R1999, which – when you look at the bigger picture – is a steal.
Cut the Cash (and Cut the Risk)
Everybody knows that carrying cash comes with associated risks. Your responsibility is to make sure your place of business is safe for you, your customers and your employees. Limiting the amount of cash lessens your chances of being a criminal target.
Cash also carries hundreds of germs and is a potential transmitter of COVID-19. You want to do everything you can to keep your business open and keeping the virus at bay is a good start. A card machine is easy to wipe down and sanitise between each use. Plus, with Tap & Go you can minimise contact between your card machine and your customers.
Cut the Inconvenience
Okay, so let’s set the scene. Your customer has spent a fair amount of time in your store – they’ve “uhm-ed” and “ah-ed” and finally know what they would like to take home. They come to pay. They pull out their card. You tell them, sorry, we only accept cash.
Well, it doesn’t sound good, does it?
Now the two options you are giving your customer are 1) go and draw cash from a nearby ATM or 2) go home and come back when you have cash. The 3rd option they have is to head directly to another store that does accept cards (this one usually wins).
With a card machine, you never have to lose a sale because of inconvenience.
Lights off, Business On
Earlier we mentioned that the Shaker Solo comes with a pre-installed 3G SIM card that is ready to go when you are!
Take in this harrowing statistic: “Load-shedding costs South Africa almost R1 billion per stage every day that the blackouts are in place.” Now in an economy that is trying desperately hard to get back on its feet, we wanted to offer solutions that would help small businesses overcome barriers like load-shedding and inefficient municipalities.
So, when the lights go off (when you expect them to and when you don’t), you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that all of your card machines are still online.
You can carry on with business as usual with a card machine that doesn’t rely on old-school electricity!
What Comes With Your Shaker Solo?
Did you know your iKhokha card machine gets delivered straight to your home or business? From there, it’s pretty much ready to go. We’ll talk about how to get things started in a bit.
When you unbox your Shaker Solo, you’ll have everything you need to get the ball rolling. You’ll find a unique referral code that you can give to family or friends who want to grow their business too. When your family or friends buy any card machine and use the unique referral code, you will receive R500 in rewards. You’ll also get a charger to keep you powered up all day long.
To let your customers know you accept cards, we pop in a validation sticker and tent card display.
As we mentioned earlier, your 3G SIM card will be pre-installed into the card machine. Then you’re ready to get set up! Just a simple FICA process is all you need to start trading with us!
READ THIS: Find out what’s in the box when you buy a Shaker Solo.
Visualise Getting Your Shaker Solo Started
You may have heard that visualisation is key if you want your goals to come to fruition, so let us make it easier for you to picture having your Shaker Solo in your hands and getting started!
Switch on your Shaker Solo by holding down the power button and follow these steps:
- Your device will read “press any key to start”
- Press on the green button
- It will then read “purchase”
- Press the green button
- Enter the desired amount
- Press the green button
- Tap, insert or swipe card & enter the pin
- Press the green button
- The transaction will either be approved or declined
- The customer receipt will print automatically. You will also have the option to print a merchant receipt.
It’s as easy as that, and you have next-level support to guide you through the whole process should you need it.
READ THIS: Take a look at the new navigation setup to get to grips with the Shaker Solo.
Using the iKhokha App
If you aren’t connected to the iKhokha App, you aren’t making the most out of your Shaker Solo. You don’t need a smartphone to operate a Shaker Solo like you would if you were purchasing our other mobile card machines, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have full access to the iKhokha App.
Put your business into your own hands by getting familiar with what the app has to offer. Every merchant has full access to all our iKhokha App features. These include:
- Getting an iK Cash Advance
- Accepting card payments
- Managing products & staff
- Accessing real-time reporting
- Tracking your sales history
- Processing refunds
- Active fraud prevention
- Free accredited security
When your card machine works side-by-side with app-based technology, you know that you’re on your way to growing your business in a major way.
If you want to read more about getting a cash advance with the iKhokha App, hop into this article about getting a small business loan in 2021.
Next-level Support
We pride ourselves on being the best in the business when it comes to supporting our clients. We offer tech support 7 days a week (you can reach us on 087 222 7000 for assistance). If you’re having any trouble, you can count on our team to get you up and running.
Keep an eye on our socials to keep up to date with how you can take your business to the next level – we have a few ideas up our sleeve.
