The PAX A920 terminal has penetrated the British market thanks to more payment providers recommending it.
With an ergonomic design and the latest technology, this smart POS terminal is a viable competitor to the popular models from Ingenico and Verifone.
Mobile Transaction has tested the device to review how it can meet your expectations.
Let’s have a close look at what it looks like, how it works, and where you can get it.
A smart terminal with Android system
The A920 terminal is manufactured by PAX Technology, a Chinese firm known globally for developing payment devices. The company is present in the UK with offices in Woking and Horsham.
PAX A920 in particular is a “smart POS” terminal because of its touchscreen interface and software with versatile features to make it a self-sufficient, portable checkout.
It is made for entrepreneurs, sole traders and small businesses looking for a solution that combines design and practicality. To sum up, it:
A big advantage is the Android operating system hardcoded on the PAX A920 terminal. This allows you to install and use PAX-based applications relevant to your business, similar to how you customise a personal smartphone or tablet through apps.
This makes it not just a point of sale (POS) terminal that simply accepts card payments, but a smart device with expandable functions such as reporting and customer loyalty features.
Photo: Emmanuel Charpentier (EC), Mobile Transaction
A visually pleasing and easy-to-use terminal.
Compared to Ingenico Move 5000, PAX A920 also leads on design. Instead of physical buttons, a touchscreen dominates the front surface of the terminal.
It accepts all the latest payment methods: chip and PIN, contactless, magnetic stripe, NFC (contactless) and QR code payments.
It also has an integrated printer for paper receipts and works both in a store and on the move, thanks to WiFi and 4G connectivity. The built-in SIM card will be able to connect with relevant mobile networks, usually with data provided by your payment company.
Tech specs
Underpinning the operating system is a powerful processor that manages to avoid rapid battery consumption. PAX opted for an ARM Cortex A7, the equivalent of the low-power version of the Cortex A9 (present on Verifone terminals).
A 5” IPS display ensures a good image quality regardless of the viewing angle. It doesn’t require a stylus, but responds to the simple touch of your finger.
Specifications of PAX A920
| Operating system |
Paydroid (Android 7) |
| Processor | Cortex A7 by ARM |
| Memory | 8GB flash memory + 1GB DDR RAM (extendable to 2GB) Up to 128GB extendable storage memory with micro SD |
| Dimensions and weight |
176 x 75 x 57 mm 458 g incl. battery |
| Battery | 5250 mAh |
| Card reader | Chip, NFC and magnetic stripe PCI PTS 5.x certified EMV 1 and 2 |
| Screen | 5” tactile colour IPS 720 x 1280 pixels (WXGA) |
| Audio | Buzzer, speaker and microphone |
| Camera | Front: 0.3 Mpx Back: 5 Mpx |
| Connectivity | 4G (LTE) and WiFi 2.4 GHz |
| Geolocation | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| Printer | Roll: 57 x 40 mm Speed: 40 mm/s |
| Ports | Micro USB and POGO |
Specifications of PAX A920
| Operating system |
Paydroid (Android 7) |
| Processor | Cortex A7 by ARM |
| Memory | 8GB flash memory + 1GB DDR RAM (extendable to 2GB) Up to 128GB extendable storage memory with micro SD |
| Dimensions and weight |
176 x 75 x 57 mm 458 g incl. battery |
| Battery | 5250 mAh |
| Card reader | Chip, NFC and magnetic stripe PCI PTS 5.x certified EMV 1 and 2 |
| Screen | 5” tactile colour IPS 720 x 1280 pixels (WXGA) |
| Audio | Buzzer, speaker and microphone |
| Camera | Front: 0.3 Mpx Back: 5 Mpx |
| Connectivity | 4G (LTE) and WiFi 2.4 GHz |
| Geolocation | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| Printer | Roll 57 x 40 mm Speed 40 mm/s |
| Ports | Micro USB and POGO |
The 5250 mAh battery guarantees 5-7 hours of use in normal environments, while it performs less well in low temperatures. The PAX A920 can operate in the temperature range -10°C to + 50°C. In other words, you can use it outside or leave it in a hot car, but it works best in average temperatures – and you still need to keep it dry.
The terminal is equipped with GPS for geolocation, which is necessary for some applications to work. Other localisation systems (GLONASS and BeiDou) are used in the Russian and Chinese markets.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The terminal comes in standard, protective packaging.
To be honest, the manufacturer didn’t put much effort into making the packaging, so it’s not up to par with the contents.
Although irrelevant to the quality of the product itself, the packaging material does not help to strengthen the brand image.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
Opening the box is easy.
Despite this, the terminal distributors will add additional packaging so you don’t have to worry about the product being damaged during the delivery.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The USB cable, printer roll and adapter are located inside the box in a separate compartment.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The display is protected by transparent film to be removed before use.
The charging base is purchased separately, but some suppliers may include it in a package deal.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
There is no cable in the charging base package, as it is already included with the terminal.
Let’s have a look at the characteristics of PAX A920.
The device appears sturdy to the touch and pleasing to the eye with a pearl white plastic surface and lines giving it an elegant look.
We’ve already mentioned the importance of the 5” screen which almost entirely covers the front side of the terminal, helping the ease of use of any application.
The smooth surface has an additional advantage: it is easy to disinfect to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria.
Nowadays, cleanliness is far from irrelevant: the terminal comes into contact with dozens of customers forced to enter their card PINs on the screen. The disinfection of a traditional card machine with a physical keypad is, for obvious reasons, more difficult.
But there’s a downside: fingerprints all over the display. It is therefore necessary to regularly wipe the surfaces on the terminal.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The contactless antenna is located on the back, distinguished by the presence of the logo.
The contactless payment antenna is located on the back of the device (where the contactless logo is). This is often the best location for contactless payments, for example when a shop assistant reaches out with the terminal across the counter for the customer to tap with a card, smartphone or smart watch.
The magnetic stripe reader is located in the same area, positioned just below the front surface of the terminal (in the above image, it can be seen above the white contactless surface).
But merchants today rarely find themselves accepting cards with a magstripe (swipe cards), since European cards mainly use the more secure chip technology.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
Slot for chip cards.
The slot entrance for chip cards is facing the merchant, as in most card machines. Even this type of card is less popular today compared to contactless technology, which is more convenient and hygienic (for payments up to £45 – soon to be £100 – the customer will not have to enter a PIN).
Regarding the security of transactions, the terminal complies with the EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) and PCI 5x standards in force until 2029.
The smart POS terminal can run multimedia files included in apps. It isn’t a particularly useful feature for a card machine, but it does explain the presence of the two buttons for adjusting the volume.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
On the right side, you find the power and volume buttons.
On the right side, we find the button to lower the volume, and below is the micro USB port.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The rear camera is used to read QR codes and barcodes.
The rear camera is an interesting feature, because it enables you to scan barcodes and QR codes.
In the UK, payments by QR code have exploded in the past year due to the urgency of touch-free payments, just like Government-backed initiatives like Test and Trace use QR code technology.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The slot for receipt rolls is easy to open.
The POS terminal is compatible with standard 57 mm wide and 40 mm diameter receipt paper rolls.
The paper roll is positioned in the compartment located in the lower part of the terminal, with the end of the roll turned towards the rubber roller gripping the paper during printing. It’s really easy to change the roll – it only takes a few moments.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The battery has a long-life capacity of 5250 mAh.
The battery is located on the back and can be removed. At the moment, it doesn’t seem like you can easily buy a replacement battery. If a replacement is necessary, the POS supplier must be contacted.
The charging base is not essential but, in our opinion, useful for those who work in a shop and need to keep the terminal on a counter surface.
The manufacturing quality of the charging base does not match the quality of the materials used for the card terminal. The base is made of white plastic that looks a bit cheap, but it’s nothing catastrophic. It simply does not add value to the aesthetic part, only to the practical one.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
The base supports the terminal perfectly on a flat surface.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
To power the charging base, use the cable included in the terminal package.
Where to get the PAX A920?
Those looking for a complete solution should contact a merchant service provider offering payment processing together with the terminal.
In the UK, several payment providers offer PAX A920 including Takepayments, Elavon and Valitor.
These will usually require signing up for a contract of at least a year with card acceptance, terminal rental and servicing included.
Share a PAX A920 with other professionals, or use alone. Short contract, custom rates.
>>Takepayments review
Our opinion
PAX A920 is considered the rival of Ingenico’s hugely popular Move 5000 terminal. Judging by the rapid uptake in the UK market, it may not be long until PAX starts to be more dominant than Ingenico. However, merchants do need to feel comfortable with a fancy-looking touchscreen terminal compared with the long-trusted look of a push-button model.
We think PAX A920 has some really valuable qualities: a minimalist design that’s also practical, large display for user-friendliness, and the Android OS allowing you to use it as a portable POS system through various apps.
Not only does it print receipts and accept most payment methods – it is an excellent choice for a small business who needs mobility (restaurants, events, fairs, stylists, taxis etc.), a small footprint and/or maximum functionality through cash register software on the terminal.
