The NMI gateway accepts in-person card payments through certified EMV chip, contactless, and magstripe terminals, including semi-integrated devices that keep the point-of-sale out of PCI scope. Point-to-point encryption (P2PE) on supported hardware protects card data from the instant of tap or swipe. Because it is the same gateway that runs your online sales, in-person transactions land in the same Merchant Central reporting.
For a business that sells both at a counter and online, the unified-gateway approach removes the usual headache of reconciling two separate payment systems. Here is how the in-person side works.
Terminal options
Countertop EMV
Chip, contactless, and magstripe in a fixed terminal for a checkout counter.
Wireless / portable
Battery devices over Wi-Fi or cellular for pay-at-table and on-the-floor sales.
Semi-integrated
Reader handles encryption; POS sees only tokens — POS stays out of PCI scope.
People also ask about NMI in-person payments
Does NMI support EMV chip and contactless?
Yes — EMV chip insert, contactless tap (including mobile wallets), and magstripe fallback, on certified terminals. EMV and contactless shift counterfeit-card liability appropriately and are the expected standard for card-present retail. Magstripe remains as a fallback for older cards.
What is a semi-integrated terminal?
It is a terminal that reads and encrypts the card on the device and talks to your POS software only in tokens. The card data never enters the POS or your network, so your point-of-sale system stays outside PCI scope — a major simplification for compliance. NMI supports semi-integrated devices for exactly this reason.
Can I use my own terminals?
Terminal compatibility depends on certification and on the processor your account routes to. Your reseller provisions and configures supported devices; bringing an arbitrary terminal is rarely possible because each must be certified to the gateway-processor combination. Ask the payment company that issued your account which devices they support.
Security at the counter
Point-to-point encryption means the card is encrypted inside the terminal hardware and only decrypted at the secure endpoint — never in plaintext on the merchant's network. Combined with EMV and tokenization into the Customer Vault, it keeps a card-present merchant's exposure low. See Fraud Defense for the screening side.
FAQ
Does NMI support chip and tap?
Yes — EMV chip, contactless tap, and magstripe on certified terminals, with P2PE on supported hardware.
What is a semi-integrated terminal?
One that encrypts the card on-device and talks to the POS only in tokens, keeping the POS out of PCI scope.
Will in-person sales show with my online sales?
Yes — one gateway, one unified report in Merchant Central.
Can I bring my own terminal?
Only certified devices work; your reseller provisions supported hardware.