VeriFone Nurit 8020 – An Updated Platform For Wireless Merchant Credit Card Processing

The VeriFone Nurit 8020 was dropped off unceremoniously in our lab today, by a UPS driver who had no idea what was in the box. We had been looking forward to checking out the 8020, which replaces the older Nurit 8000s in VeriFone’s wireless lineup.

Un-boxing the unit revealed a securely packed 8020, along with a number of peripheral items- a battery, an RS-232 modem dongle, an AC adapter, a touch screen stylus, a roll of paper and spindle combination, and a PIN privacy shield. The included documentation is light, but touches the important points, with sections on installing accessories, loading paper and care and maintenance.

The 8020 is built for mobile merchants, and some of the design points show it. The terminal is both light (1.3 pounds) and small. The dimensions of the unit are geared towards palmtop operation, but the bottom of the unit has been designed to also sit securely on a flat surface.

The three track card reader is mid-mounted on the 8020 – card swipes are across the unit as opposed to the more standard right side format. Holding the terminal and swiping is easy, but unfamiliar to those of us that have been swiping along the right for so many years. Users quickly become adjusted although it feels a bit awkward at first.

The terminal is built around a 32-bit ARM RISC processor, which should be more then capable of running the terminal operating system and a few programs. The purple-grey ABS casing is strong and should stand up to standard wear and tear. 8020 terminals have a good-sized 128x128 touch screen display as the user interface, mounted directly below the swipe reader. The screen is the area which is most likely to need protections from bumps and bruises, and it may be prudent to buy a screen protector early on in the terminal’s life.

It is no surprise that the 8020 uses a thermal roll printer, as this is the industry standard. Paper loads are easy, with a drop in clamshell designed paper holder. The clamshell features a clear blue acrylic lid with an interesting latch integrated into the top. While easy to open manually, chances are it won’t open by accident, sending the user chasing a roll of paper down the hall while trying to complete a card transaction.

The Nurit 8020 has a read compartment that houses the battery and two easily accessible slots – one for SD/MMC memory and another for a SIM chip. This is the only user-accessible point of entry into the terminal. Battery charge time is minimal, but for long shows, merchants may feel more comfortable purchasing a second battery to have as a standby backup.

The NURIT 8020 can be programmed to handle the usual variety of credit, debit and EBT applications. The ability to handle gift and loyalty cards, phone cards and other stored value scenarios is also available, depending on the capabilities of the acquiring network. The menu-driven screens are easy to follow along with, and are well laid out. VeriFone has included a number of hard buttons for the user as well, and was considerate enough to put nubs on the center 5 button. Merchants who work in the dark, at outdoor events and concerts, or in dimly lit environments appreciate these small touches. The virtual keyboard is responsive and well implemented, and the signature capture works well.

Overall, the VeriFone Nurit 8020 is a solid replacement for the now retired 8000. The most critical issue with the 8000 (non PCI compliance) is resolved in this model, and the updated look is much improved. With VeriFone’s buyout of Lipman, they have positioned themselves to produce excellent card processing equipment, and the 8020 is a reflection of that position.