AnywhereCommerce Nomad m2 Review

Formerly the Nomad CXR, the AnywhereCommerce Nomad m2 is the card reader that takes all modern payment types: traditional magnetic strip cards, EMV chip and PIN cards, EMV chip and signature cards, and contactless payments like Apple Pay.

What the Nomad m2 does not do is connect via headphone jack, so you’ll need a smartphone or tablet with Bluetooth capabilities or a micro USB port.

The Nomad m2 is one of six mobile credit card readers currently available from AnywhereCommerce. Here’s a quick chart to reference as you’re considering which option is right for you.

AnywhereCommerce Nomad m2 chart

Using the Nomad m2

You can integrate the Nomad m2 with your POS system and payment apps using AnywhereCommerce’s SDK toolkit or you can use it as part of Anywhere Commerce’s mobile commerce solution. Like all AnywhereCommerce readers, the Nomad m2 is not proprietary, meaning you can use it with a wide range of processors.

Features

As mentioned, the Nomad m2 provides the ability to accept magnetic stripe, EMV (both chip/PIN and chip/signature) and contactless payments. The integration with POS systems and apps allows you to tailor the solution to your needs, and remote support allows for troubleshooting from afar.

Hardware and Battery

The Nomad m2 measures 102 x 55.6 x 15.9 mm. It weighs 105 grams, has 5MB flash and 128KB SRAM memory. The device has a monochrome 128 x 64 pixel LED display.

This card reader runs on a rechargeable lithium polymer battery. You can connect it to a power source with a mini-USB cable. AnywhereCommerce claims you can process over 200 transactions per battery charge, helping ensure minimal need to constantly find a power source while on the road or at a tradeshow.

As mentioned earlier, the Nomad m2 connects to a mobile device either through a Bluetooth connection or through a micro USB cable. It’s a bi-directional card reader, so there’s no “wrong” way to swipe a card. There’s also a slot to insert (or “dip”) EMV chip cards.

This device has a lifetime of 100,000 EMV card insertions or 500,000 magnetic card swipes and comes with a 1-year warranty.

Security

The Nomad m2 is PCI compliant. It relies upon secure reading and exchange of data technology to keep your customers safe. Moreover, the Nomad m2 features end-to-end encryption, so credit card data travels safely over networks. The card reader doesn’t store data, reducing your PCI compliance burden.

Reporting

Because you have the option to integrate the Nomad m2 into your POS system or mobile payment app, the reporting options are dependent on your current software options.

Pricing

AnywhereCommerce doesn’t list pricing for the reader itself, as the cost will depend on where you purchase it. Additionally, since AnywhereCommerce isn’t a credit card processing company, it doesn’t set the pricing for transactions. The processor you choose will set those costs. If you need assistance locating a low-cost processor that can support the Nomad m2, this free quote request tool provides private, no-obligation quotes tailored to your business.