Zeller review: attractive EFTPOS terminal, low rate and online account

How Zeller works

Only just launched in May 2021, Zeller is a new company with a mature EFTPOS product that already ranks highly in the Australian market.

Zeller’s product is simple: for a one-off price, you get a cutting-edge EFTPOS terminal that can be used anywhere with WiFi or mobile connectivity. It comes in a box with a Mastercard linked to an online transactions account where payouts land the same day. Alternatively, you can receive transactions in your bank account at any Australian bank.

Zeller pricing

Zeller charges $259 including GST for Zeller Terminal, which includes a 12-month product warranty. If you change your mind about the purchase, it can be returned for a full refund through free shipping within a limited period of time.

There is no monthly fee, no contractual commitment or other ongoing charges, as you own the EFTPOS machine outright.

The main cost is then a fixed 1.4% rate (incl. GST) for all card transactions accepted through the terminal, no matter the type of card. This EFTPOS rate is lower than any other pay-as-you-go solution in Australia. Businesses with an annual card turnover of more than $250K can negotiate lower rates.

Keyed card payments for remote transactions are accepted for 1.7% per transaction.

If preferred, the terminal can at any time be set to a “fee-free” mode that passes on the transaction fee to customers, either in full or partially. It is essentially a surcharge enabling you to avoid ongoing fees completely – if your customers are willing to pay the fee.

A complimentary Mastercard linked with a free Zeller Transaction account is included in every package. These do not have a monthly fee or transaction charges – only a foreign transaction fee for international purchases with the card.

There’s no cost to closing the Zeller account, which can be done any time. Refunds and chargebacks are free to process, and so are payouts to either the Zeller account or your bank account.

If you need mobile connectivity, you must buy a SIM card, though. Zeller sells its own SIM card for $15 upfront, whereafter you pay $15 monthly from the following month onwards for unlimited data on the Optus network. So despite the lack of ongoing fees for Zeller Terminal, mobile data does come at a monthly cost.

That said, you may choose a different SIM deal elsewhere – any standard SIM card will do. A typical transaction only requires about 1kB-2kB data to process, so that should give you an indication of how much SIM data you need.

Terminal and POS features

Zeller Terminal is a custom-designed, portable EFTPOS machine with a large touchscreen display, built-in receipt printer and long-lasting battery.

It works with WiFi, but connects with 3G through an optional SIM card. The SIM card enables you to use GPRS, 3G or 4G as a backup connection if WiFi fails, and it’s essential for on-the-road merchants where WiFi is not an option.

The Android-based card machine software allows you to enter a payment amount – with or without a surcharge and/or tip – and accept cards via chip, swipe or tap. It also accepts digital wallets through its contactless function, and keyed card payments.

With its built-in camera, Zeller Terminal will eventually be able to scan QR codes for payments via e.g. Alipay (not available yet).

If you’re not printing receipts, you can send email or SMS receipts after each transaction. Employees can have their own login and permissions so the same EFTPOS machine can be shared between a manager, staff and anyone in between.

Moreover, you can process refunds and view transactions in real time all from the terminal screen.

The included battery can last a whole day from a full charge. We’ve even seen 24 hours quoted, but this totally depends on who often it is used – for example, a full charge should be good for 250-300 transactions during a day shift. It uses battery every time it accepts a transaction, is on standby etc. so a busy merchant will need to charge it more frequently than someone who only uses it occasionally.

Optionally, you can purchase a charging cradle for $39, which is ideal for keeping the EFTPOS terminal stationed on a counter while it is being charged.

Zeller card and online account

Unlike other EFTPOS terminals in Australia, Zeller comes with a free Transaction Account online. This is not the same as a full-fledged bank account, but it acts in place of one.

How so? The account receives your EFTPOS transactions the same business day and you can spend this money immediately with the included Zeller Mastercard, just like you would through any other business card. Alternatively, transactions can settle directly in a bank account, typically the following business day.

The account is accessed through the browser-based Zeller Dashboard. Here, you can monitor expenses, categorise transactions, oversee sales, manage account settings as well as terminal fleets. It is now also possible to send email invoices from there that clients can pay online.

There are not that many features yet, but it does connect with Xero accounting software for advanced bookkeeping features.

The Zeller Mastercard can be added to your Google Pay or Apple Pay wallets, but you cannot withdraw cash with the card at ATMs. The card can be used in online stores and at physical stores in an EFTPOS machine, and you can pay invoices and transfer money to other people, e.g. employee bank accounts, from the dashboard.

However, it is not possible to receive payments from other people or companies in the account apart from the transactions coming from Zeller Terminal.

Customer service and Zeller reviews

Despite the low-cost nature of the Zeller offering, you still get Australia-based customer support every day of the week (Monday to Sunday) between 9 am and 1 am Australian Eastern Time (AET). You can call the team on a helpline, message them on social media or try to find an answer in a help section on the website.

If there’s a fault with the EFTPOS terminal, you can get express terminal replacement the same day if based in a city. Otherwise, it might take a bit longer to receive a replacement terminal, but Zeller makes an effort to be fast at resolving technical issues.

There are few Zeller reviews from real users, since it is a relatively new product. This means we can’t accurately judge how good the service is, but initial Facebook reviews show a general enthusiasm for the product.

Our own experience with the company has been positive so far. It is our strong impression that Zeller really is trying to remove the usual barriers that merchants in Australia face when setting up a payment system.

Getting started

Zeller accepts most Australian sole traders, companies, trusts, partnerships and incorporated associations. This even includes certain individuals, schools and other entities that may not have an ABN number, and certain business types others deem as high-risk such as vape shops. Some of these (not all) business entities require specific proof in order to be accepted as a Zeller merchant.

On top of this, you’ll need to attach two types of proof of identity in the form of a passport, Medicare card or driver’s licence. If you only have one proof of ID, Zeller can verify you anyway through additional questions.

To get started, you first need to complete a short online registration form with basic contact information – no phone call is required. This creates the account, but you won’t be able to use it until the next step is completed: adding your business information and accompanying proof (if relevant).

The whole application takes about five minutes to complete, after which Zeller works on verifying it.

If your business is one of the simple ones to confirm, you may be verified immediately so you can use the account straight away. More complicated businesses may take a few hours, sometimes more than a day, to process. It’s best to complete the sign-up before purchasing the terminal to be sure you can use it.

Our verdict

Zeller is a worthy new EFTPOS solution that will appeal to many small businesses and sole traders in Australia. It is particularly useful for retailers, food and drink, professional services and beauty businesses, even with teams of staff and multiple locations.

You get everything for taking card payments in one package: a terminal, online business account and debit card. No bank account is required, nor is there any contractual commitment.

Such a solution stands in stark contrast with many Australian banks with EFTPOS machines on a long-term contract, monthly fees and steep exit fees. Moreover, Zeller’s low card rate for all types of card payments is a good deal compared with alternative fixed-rate providers such as Square and Mint.

The only real barrier is Zeller Terminal’s upfront cost of $259 that not everyone can fork up. However, this price is lower than its direct competitor, Square Terminal, which costs $329.

A possible hindrance is the lack of integrations with ecommerce software. Although ideal as a portable all-in-one EFTPOS terminal for those who don’t need more than card payments and quick access to cash flow, it also works with external POS systems (though not all POS systems).

New terminal features and integrations are currently being developed, so it might not be long until Zeller is an even more versatile solution.