High speed internet protocol (IP) credit card terminals provide key benefits to business owners.· Such benefits include;

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1. Faster transaction time (4 seconds with IP versus 15 seconds or more with dial-up)

2. With internet service at most businesses, there is no need for a dedicated phone line and therefore a monthly phone line expense can be eliminated from a company's bottom line

3. Usually, IP devices have more memory than their dial-up cousins and can therefore run multiple applications (multiple merchant IDs, gift cards, loyalty cards and prepaid).

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However, with this benefit comes extra responsibility placed with the merchant.· Because the merchant is processing over the internet, they must have their computer system and server scanned to make sure that their system is not vulnerable to a cyber attack where credit card and other sensitive information is compromised.· This measure is one of many PCI security steps that must be taken by merchants to attain PCI compliance status.