Fear of credit-card fraud has not only made merchant accounts more difficult to get, it has also changed the equipment merchants use to record transactions. In the "old" days, the merchant would place the credit card on a special tray, lay the triplicate transaction receipt on top, and run the imprinter over them both. Today, most merchants simply swipe the credit card through a scanner. While that has helped combat fraud, it has also increased costs for merchants because the scanners are more expensive than the imprinters.

If you still need the imprinter, you can get one for about $25. You might need the imprinter, for example, if you sell goods some place where you don't have access to a telephone line, such as at a neighborhood art fair.

The scanner terminal, on the other hand, is much more expensive. A four-year lease will usually run about $50-$70 a month. You can purchase the equipment, but be careful if you do. Before you purchase the equipment, find out what your bank will charge you to connect your equipment to their system. The extra costs may make renting less expensive than buying.

You may also need a second piece of equipment: a receipt printer. Whether you need one depends upon whether you have face-to-face sales. If you do, you'll probably need one. You can expect to pay about the same for a receipt printer that you have to pay for a scanner terminal.

There is a less expensive option available. If you have a computer, you can buy software that is less expensive than the hardware you would have to buy, but performs all of the functions you'll need. Make sure before you buy the software that it is compatible with your bank's system.