An EFTPOS terminal is easy to forget about until it stops working. Then it’s the most important piece of equipment in the building. Customers queue, staff improvise, and someone ends up on the phone to the terminal provider while sales walk out the door.
Many terminal problems aren’t caused by faulty electronics. They come from the working environment: coffee, beer, sanitiser, dust, grease, rings, keys and constant handling. Hundreds of people can touch a busy counter terminal in a single day. A cover or screen protector won’t make it indestructible, but it deals with some of the most common causes of damage, for much less than a repair usually costs.
What actually damages payment terminals
Liquid ingress
The keypad is the weak point. Every key has a gap around it, and liquid finds those gaps. A splash of flat white or a knocked-over pint can seep under the keys and onto the circuit board. Even small, repeated exposures (wet fingers, condensation from cold drinks, overspray from cleaning) can cause sticky keys, corroded contacts and intermittent faults that are hard to diagnose.
Moisture damage is often expensive to fix, and in many cases the terminal has to be replaced rather than repaired.
Scratches and screen wear
Touchscreen terminals are now standard, especially Android devices. Screens get scratched by cards, rings, keys and coins, and by being slid across counters. A scratched screen is harder to read in bright light, can be less responsive, and makes the terminal look tired. That isn’t the impression you want to give at the moment a customer is paying.
Dust, grime and food residue
In kitchens, workshops, warehouses and trade counters, fine dust and grease build up around keys and in seams. Over time that affects keypad feel and makes the terminal harder to clean properly.
Wear from cleaning itself
This one surprises people. Since COVID, most businesses wipe their terminals far more often than they used to. Terminal manufacturers such as Ingenico, Verifone and PAX all advise against spraying cleaners directly onto a terminal or letting moisture into its openings. Aggressive or frequent cleaning can wear away key legends and finishes, and can let liquid in. A cover gives you a surface that’s built to be cleaned.
The real cost isn’t the repair bill
When a terminal goes down, the repair or replacement is only part of the cost. You also have to account for:
- Lost sales. Few customers carry cash now. If you can’t take a card, many will simply leave.
- Slower service. Sharing one terminal across two tills, or sending staff to fetch a backup, creates queues at the busiest times.
- Admin time. Logging faults, arranging swaps, and reconciling transactions across devices.
- Provider charges. Depending on your rental or lease agreement, you may be liable for damage beyond normal wear and tear. Check your terms with your terminal provider.
For a multi-site operator with dozens or hundreds of terminals, small failure rates add up quickly. Fitting a cover across the fleet at rollout costs much less than handling a steady stream of damage claims.
What a wet cover does
A wet cover is a flexible, custom-moulded seal that fits snugly over the terminal’s keypad and, depending on the model, other exposed areas. Keycovers wet covers are moulded to each specific terminal model, so the keys stay easy to press and the cover stays put during use.
When properly installed, a wet cover is designed to:
- help protect the keypad from spills, splashes and water ingress
- keep dust, grease and food residue out of the gaps between keys
- give you a smooth, easy-to-wipe surface that can be cleaned with an approved disinfectant
- reduce wear on key legends and the terminal’s own finish.
We’ve been making wet covers in New Zealand for more than 25 years, and we make over 1,500 different custom protective seals. Our current range includes wet covers for the Verifone P400 and 210m, the Ingenico Move 5000 (including the V6 key layout), Desk 5000, Desk 3200, Desk 1500 and Lane 3000. If we don’t already have a cover for your model, we can usually make one.
What a screen protector does
A screen protector is a thin, clear layer applied to the terminal’s display. It takes the scratches and scuffs so the screen underneath doesn’t. Unlike the screen, it can be replaced cheaply when it gets worn. A well-fitted protector shouldn’t get in the way of touch input or readability.
We can make screen protectors for any terminal, and they matter most on touchscreen models such as the PAX A920 Pro and A910S and the Sunmi P2 and P3.
For touchscreen terminals, a screen protector combined with a keypad cover (where the device has a physical keypad) gives you the most complete protection.
Does every business need terminal protection?
Not every terminal faces the same risks. As a rough guide, protection is worth fitting as standard if any of these apply:
- Hospitality: cafés, bars, restaurants and takeaways, where liquids and food are everywhere.
- Outdoor and mobile trading: markets, events, food trucks, tradies, delivery and anywhere with weather exposure.
- Healthcare, pharmacy and high-hygiene settings: where terminals are cleaned frequently.
- Industrial and trade counters: dust, grease and heavy-handed use.
- Fleets: any operator, reseller or terminal provider managing large numbers of devices, where reducing returns and swaps matters.
Even a quiet retail counter benefits from a screen protector, because scratches build up over the life of the device.
Practical tips when buying covers
- Know your exact model. The make and model number is usually printed on a label on the underside of the terminal. Similar-looking terminals can have different key layouts.
- Fit covers at rollout. It’s easiest to fit protection before a terminal goes into service, while it’s clean and dry.
- Replace covers when they’re worn. A torn or stretched cover won’t seal properly. Keep spares on hand for busy sites.
- Check with your terminal provider. Most are happy to see their hardware protected, but it’s worth confirming any requirements in your rental agreement.
- Think fleet-wide. If you manage terminals across several sites, standardise on the same protection so replacements are simple to order. Tell us your models and quantities and we’ll come back to you.
Protect your terminals with Keycovers
Keycovers is based in Auckland, New Zealand. We make wet covers, silicone cases and screen protectors for payment terminals, and supply businesses, resellers and terminal providers across New Zealand, Australia and beyond.
Tell us the make and model of your terminal (or send a photo of the label underneath) and we’ll tell you what fits.
Get in touch with your terminal model, email sales@keycovers.co.nz or call (09) 845 1464.
Need covers or screen protectors for your terminals? Talk to us about your fleet.