PayPal discontinues its Here POS service

PayPal Here
(Image credit: PayPal)

PayPal has announced the end of the line for its Here POS services, urging users to instead migrate to its Zettle range of products announced late last year.

The change went live on April 3, when both the Here card reader devices and the company’s PayPal Here app lost support for accepting payments, marking the end of 11 years on sale.

Users are now being told to buy new Zettle-branded hardware following PayPal’s acquisition of Zettle (previously iZettle) in 2018, and anybody who purchased a PayPal Here device from February 1 has received a full refund in order to invest in a new machine.

PayPal Zettle POS

The news may come as a blow to businesses that have recently purchased a PayPal Here devic, but missed the February deadline to receive a refund. In a move that practically enforces a full hardware upgrade, the company states:

“After April 3, 2023, all elements of the PayPal Here product including devices, the app, and SDK will no longer be supported in the US and will stop working.”

A card reader will set users back $29 for the first device and $79 thereafter, while a full terminal will cost $199 with a $40 supplement for the barcode scanner.

Card-present and QR code transactions call for a 9-cent charge plus 2.29%, while invoices and manual entries raise that percentage to 3.49%. In some circumstances, this can work out to be more costly for small businesses making it a great opportunity to continue other POS services like Square, spelling out a potential disaster for PayPal.

PayPal advises that the now deprecated devices should be disposed of according to local e-waste regulations, however they can be sent to the company’s address for disposal too: PayPal, Inc., Attn:  Hardware Operations, 2211 North First St., San Jose, CA  95131.

Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!