Apex Reader vs Viva.com

Apex Reader is a pocket-sized Bluetooth card reader for in-person payments away from a counter. It pairs with an iPhone or Android phone and accepts NFC contactless payments, EMV chip cards, and magnetic-stripe swipes, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. Bluetooth LE connectivity requires iOS 14 or later or Android 10 or later, and no separate data plan is required. The reader provides up to 12 hours of active use and charges through micro-USB. The Apexonepayments app can start a sale or retrieve one from an invoice, process refunds and voids, and add optional tax and tips. It sends branded receipts by SMS or email, while sales synchronize to the dashboard in real time. Reader transactions share a ledger with Apex Flex and Mini. Account activation takes under two minutes, with no setup fees or monthly minimums. Pricing is on request.

Viva.com is a business payments and financial-services platform covering in-person, online, remote and marketplace transactions. Its Terminal app turns supported Android and iOS devices into contactless payment points. Smart Checkout handles more than 40 payment methods, including cards, digital wallets, local methods and direct debit, with saved cards, multicurrency payments and decline recovery. Businesses without an online store can request payment by email, use a virtual terminal or share Quick Pay links. Plugins are available for Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Magento and Shopware 6. The developer portal documents Basic Auth, OAuth 2.0, testing environments, responses and error debugging. Viva.com lists recurring and marketplace payments, eight supported currencies and payment acceptance in 30 countries. It offers Android, iOS, web and API access. UK plans start at £3.99/mo, with Omnichannel Default, Standard and Premium plans providing different limits for terminals, websites, transfers and users. The service lists PCI DSS Level 1 status, SCA/3DS support and machine-learning fraud protection.