BlackBerry users now have a secure way to quickly capture credit card transactions on their handsets. The newly-announced Roam attachment is “the world’s first encrypted audio coupled card reader for BlackBerry devices,” according to the company’s press release.
The “swiper,” as it’s called, connects to the headphone jack of any compatible BlackBerry and securely communicates credit card details to a special software application on the phone. The company has a similar setup that’s compatible with iPhones and certain Android handsets, too.
The BlackBerry compatibility is interesting, as a large majority of BlackBerry handsets are used by businesses and the company still holds about a 30% market smartphone share. So while competing efforts from the likes of Square (for iPhone) and even Roam’s own iPhone and Android products provide simplified ways to handle credit card transactions, similar functionality may enjoy much more widespread adoption with BlackBerry’s business class.
More on Techland:
Square: Your iPhone Now Takes Credit Cards
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Want Phones to Replace Credit Cards