It didn’t take long. Square, the iPhone credit card transaction startup co-founded by Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, already has a European competitor.
Like Square, Berlin and London-based iCharge wants to democratise the ability to accept credit card payments in person through an add-on device for smartphones and the startup’s accompanying application and service that taps into established payment gateways. The result is that any sized retailer – from someone self-employed, an independent shop owner or small trader – can take payment by credit card using just an iPhone or handset running Google’s Android.