Clover Flex Review: From POS to Payments, We Have You Covered

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Home 9 Blog 9 Clover Flex Review: From POS to Payments, We Have You Covered

In the world of payment processing, clover POS is all the rage. Therefore, here is a quick clover flex review for 2024. Let’s begin by learning a little bit about the Clover POS systems. Because Clover Flex is limited to usage with Clover hardware and POS software, it functions as a mobile point of sale (POS) as well as a countertop POS device. The only merchant accounts that can be utilized to process payments are Fiserv merchant accounts. With Clover Flex, you can do a lot more than just print receipts.

While on the road, you may also take card payments, handle inventory, and accept payments via mobile wallets. Almost any small business that wants a mobile smart terminal with point-of-sale (POS) functionality, and a merchant contract for credit card processing can use Clover Flex, which is the ideal clover mobile POS system for small businesses. Businesses that utilize Clover Stations as their main registers may also want to think about adding Clover Flex units for mobile payments at the table or on the floor.

So now, Let’s get started with the clover flex review for 2024 without further ado.

Is Clover Flex Easy to Use?

It’s not too hard to set up the Clover Flex, but what about really using the POS and hardware? The usefulness of Clover Flex will be reviewed first. In actuality, Clover Flex and other Clover devices will seem familiar to you if you’ve ever used an Android device. Even if you’ve only ever used an iPhone, you should be able to pick up on Clover Flex’s app-based capabilities quite fast. As settings are available within each app rather than through a separate settings menu, you may become a little irritated when you have to swipe through multiple apps to find the right one to adjust.

Clover Flex Battery Life

The clover flex battery life is a crucial factor to consider, especially if you intend to use it as a mobile POS device. According to Clover, the battery can last up to eight hours on a single charge, which should be sufficient for most businesses. However, it’s always a good idea to have a backup power source, such as a portable charger, just in case.

Clover Wireless Manager

The clover wireless manager is a useful tool that allows you to manage your Clover Flex’s wireless connectivity. With this feature, you can easily connect to different Wi-Fi networks, ensuring that your device stays connected and ready to process transactions.

Fundamentals of Clover Flex POS

Cost Analysis

If you buy Clover Flex separately from Clover.com, it will set you back $599. Prices for Clover Flex vary depending on the supplier or the wholesaler, which means there might be differences in the processing fees. You can pay a single monthly charge for both your hardware and software or you can buy the device entirely. This kind of monthly payment plan is comparable to leasing point-of-sale hardware, which can incur additional costs over time. Remember, You purchase your Clover hardware upfront. If we talk about software, Clover Flex offers a variety of monthly options for you to choose from. Another cost to take into account is payment processing, which has fees beginning at 2.3% + $0.10 per transaction. So, Let’s dive into this complete PNC Clover Flex review in terms of the cost.

Extra Clover Pricing and Fees

We will compare the plan, monthly charge, transaction rate, and many other specific informational elements to provide a thorough analysis of Clover Flex’s price and expenses.

PLAN MONTHLY FEE TRANSACTION RATE BEST FOR
Essentials $9.99 (limited-time offer, regular price $19.99) 2.6% + 10¢ per swipe/dip transaction, 3.5% + 15¢ per keyed-in transaction Basic needs, casual businesses
Register $29.99 2.3% + 10¢ per transaction (all types) Moderate transaction volume, growing businesses
Pro $49.99 2.3% + 10¢ per transaction (all types), plus advanced features like customer loyalty programs and inventory management High transaction volume, businesses needing advanced tools
Virtual Terminal $14.95 (after 90-day free trial) Same as the Register plan Online or phone-based sales, occasional in-person sales

Design of Clover Flex Card Processing POS System

  • The Clover Flex is a handheld Clover POS system device meant to be portable, in contrast to the Clover Station and Clover Mini, which are made to sit on counters.
  • It includes a “starter kit” that has necessary extras such as the Flex charging base, cable, a roll of receipt paper, the starter manual, a screwdriver, and a power brick, for changing the SIM card, along with the Clover Flex itself.
  • A power button, speakers, a barcode scanner, an audio jack, a USB Type C connector, and other auxiliary functions are located around the edge of the Flex along with the card readers. If you’re familiar with a smartphone, the placement of these elements is conventional – it’s simply on a bigger scale.
  • The Clover Flex manual and online support pages have small images of the Clover Flex that can help you install and set up the system.

The hardware of the Clover Flex POS is larger than what is suitable for a mobile device. It is somewhat bulky due to the receipt printer located at the top of the device, which makes it top-heavy. In terms of size, it is similar to a brick phone from the early 1990s, but instead of buttons, it has a 6-inch smartphone screen. The Clover Flex mainly comes with a charging station as well and the base is designed to fit the Flex’s hand-grip, so you can set the three-foot-long charging cord on a counter.

What makes the Clover POS the best choice for small businesses?

The Clover Flex review is incomplete without a review of the device specifications. Below is a summary of the Clover Flex 3’s specifications –

  • Connectivity: 4G/LTE and Wi-Fi
  • Memory: 16 GB Flash, 2 GB RAM
  • Display: 5.99-inch 720×1440 XHDPI
  • Dimension: 7.3 H by 3.2 W by 2.1 D.
  • Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 CPU
  • Payment Methods: Includes contactless payments, NFC cards, EMV chip cards, and magnetic stripe cards.
  • Additional: Clover includes support for chip cards, contactless payments, and mag-stripe, as one might anticipate from a device named Flex.

In addition to having a larger 5.99-inch screen protected in Gorilla Glass—the same material found on most Android smartphones—the most recent model, the Flex 3, is also somewhat smaller than previous incarnations. It also has more RAM and a faster processor than the Clover Flex 2 review. Receipt paper rolls are simple to load. The drawer opens easily even though it seems to latch solidly. The roll of receipt paper indeed vibrates a little.

The Clover Flex’s battery life of 2100 mAh is only slightly less potent than the batteries found in most high-end smartphones. However, 2100 mAh has adequate capacity to run a normal workday or eight hours on a device like the Flex. Keep in mind that depending on how much you use the Flex for table-side ordering or queuing, how much you store it on the dock when not in use, and how busy your shop is, your mileage may vary.

How Much is Clover Flex?

The clover flex cost is quite reasonable, especially considering all of its capabilities. The Clover Flex has a base hardware cost of $499 from reputable retailers. There are various clover credit card processing reviews available online that provide information on the processing rates and costs associated with utilizing the Clover system.

How to Restart Clover Flex

Occasionally, you may need to restart clover flex to resolve any issues or clear the device’s memory. The process is straightforward: simply hold down the power button for a few seconds until the device powers off, and then press the power button again to turn it back on.

Understanding Clover POS

Clover Flex Reviews

This is considered one of the determining factors while making the review of Clover Flex. The first step is setting up your Clover’s POS software on the device and selecting your default language… Subsequently, the actual setup starts with your data connection settings. Although Clover Flex can be configured to operate with an Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, it also comes with a mobile data connection (at an extra monthly cost). Any one of these three connections can be used to finish the setup procedure.

  1. After connecting, if there are any software updates available, Clover will prompt you to enter your activation code. When your gadget ships, Clover will email you the code – however, you can also get it through your online portal at Clover.com.
  2. Clover will download your applications for you once you enter the activation code.
  3. The next step is to set up the receipt printer, which is as easy as closing the Flex and inserting the roll of paper.

Note: To confirm that the printer is operating properly, you can print a test receipt.

Selecting the software plan for your Clover Flex is the second-to-last step in the setup process. Clover will also prompt you to select the Wireless Manager add-on, which enables you to have cellular data and Wi-Fi or Ethernet after you’ve chosen which plan you want to start with. Though the Wireless Manager is optional, opting for it will enable you to have a backup data option in case your internet goes down.

Ultimately, a few parameters need to be enabled before your Flex is properly configured –

  • To begin with, you can make users input a passcode to open the device.
  • Additionally, you may designate whether you want to take signatures on printed receipts or on the Clover Flex screen, as well as accept tips.
  • If your data connection is incredibly slow or you need to investigate the software plans, the setup process shouldn’t take longer than ten to fifteen minutes.

Clover Flex Features

Now, let’s check out the PNC Clover Flex review for the features. Inventory tools, customer databases, reporting tools, and other functionalities are referred to as “apps” by Clover. In other words, Clover POS is a mobile operating system, not just a single software with numerous components. For instance, when you access to inventory, it opens in a completely different app and isn’t hidden in a menu or a different tab. The Clover Station and Clover Mini are compatible with the Clover Flex, which runs the complete Clover POS. You can purchase a complete register or countertop point-of-sale system if necessary and utilize the Flex devices in addition to it. This is crucial if you’re working with mobile workers and gear since it means orders created on one device can be finished on another.

Clover Flex Inventory Management

It’s crucial to compare the review of Clover Flex and Clover Flex with the Bank of America review during the evaluation process because there are numerous parallels between the two companies’ inventory management systems. Some inventory capabilities that the Clover Flex POS does not support are the Clover Station and Mini support because they are designed to be mobile solutions. For instance, weighing products cannot be done with a scale connected. On the other hand, Flex allows you to construct categories, modifiers, and items (with variants).

  • Additionally, you can modify Clover’s settings to track expenditures and stock counts. However, this function isn’t turned on by default. You can develop fixed-price, per-unit, and variable-price goods using Clover Flex.
  • Standard goods have a fixed price, but with per-unit pricing, you must indicate the unit and the price per unit. You’ll have to input the amount when you choose the item to ring up.
  • When adding variable-price goods to an order, all you have to do is enter the price. For example, in art galleries that contain a changing collection of paintings by a few chosen painters, this functionality can be useful.

You might enter the price of that specific painting and set the item up as “NAME painting.” But there are a tonne of additional applications. Utilizing the Flex’s integrated barcode scanner, you may add inventory to the app. The data will be imported into the POS by Flex once you scan the barcode. For certain companies and businesses, this might save a tonne of time.

Additional Features of Clover Flex

Now, let’s do the Clover Flex Review 2024 on the features. Among many other features, Clover Flex POS include an employee management system, a customer database, and quite extensive in-app reporting. (The Flex’s “More Tools” button offers access to other features, including payroll and timekeeping, as well as an add-on for incentive programs)

  • Using Clover Flex, you can give each employee a unique position, set up individual logins, and limit the capabilities they can use on Clover devices according to their role, & This is fairly advanced and is provided at no additional cost.
  • Although the Flex has somewhat more functions than the typical mobile device, it is better if you don’t use it as your main tool for report analysis.
  • You can filter data by all devices or just your Clover handheld, as well as the hourly range and the whole time frame (today, yesterday, the previous week, the past 30 days, or a custom range).
  • You can associate transactions with customers and maintain a database containing their name, contact details, and even their birthdays by using the customer database. This serves as a solid basis for Clover’s loyalty and add-on CRM services.

So, let’s further explore Clover Flex’s review and see what more it has to offer and what people have to say. 

Payment Processing with Clover

If we do the Clover Flex review in terms of payment, Fiserv merchant services are used by all Clover devices to handle payments. Should you obtain your Fiserv merchant account directly from Clover.

Following payment processing costs will apply

  • Card-Present Transactions: 2.3% + $0.10 (Clover Register, Counter Service Restaurant, or Full Service Restaurant plan) or 2.6% + $0.10 (Clover Payments or Essentials plan)
  • Transactions without a card: 3.5% + $0.10 (applicable to all Clover software plans)

Online and phone orders, payments made through virtual terminals, invoice payments, manually entering card details, and payments made through third-party ordering platforms are examples of card-not-present transactions. Remember, If you purchase your Flex gear from a reseller together with a Fiserv merchant account, your payment processing rates will differ.

What do people think about Clover Flex?

User reviews have always been a difficult task for us when reviewing Clover products. It takes a lot of work to sort through all of the data and determine what features merchants find most and least appealing in any piece of hardware or software.

  • Clover is extra tough since Fiserv has such a hugely vast network of resellers offering the Clover suite, and, sadly, some of them are utterly horrible.
  • The majority of Clover reviews are usually very bad and concentrate on hardware leasing or payment processing.
  • Even positive evaluations frequently concentrate mostly on the software aspect, saying little to nothing about the hardware when it is discussed at all.

Having said that, Clover Flex reviews have begun appearing gradually with the increase in the use of the device.

Clover Flex Credit Card Review (Need to Make a Final Decision 👍)

Processing Speed: A sizable percentage of the device’s satisfied users expressed special satisfaction with the speed at which their monies were received and payments were processed.

Usability: The majority of consumers expressed gratitude for the device’s simplicity of setup and operation for both staff and clients.

Intuitive Design: A few reviews commented on how the device felt and how easy it was to use for both their customers and staff.

Clover Flex Credit Card Review (Need to Give a Second Thought 👎)

Customers Received Inaccurate Information: Several reviewers expressed dissatisfaction over directly asking Clover whether certain software, such as a gift card or a third-party app, would operate with Clover Flex. They were informed that there would be no issues but then discovered that there weren’t any.

Bugs & Restarts: Several customers had similar complaints regarding bugs that would force Flex to restart mid-processing or shut down entirely. The hardware has repeatedly frozen or been unresponsive, necessitating a forceful restart.

Connectivity Issues: A few users complained that even while connected to Wi-Fi, the computers frequently processed in offline mode, which resulted in slower connection rates. In a similar vein, other reviewers bemoaned the devices’ poor range, frequently losing connectivity when moving from one end of a store to the other.

Battery Life: Several reviews mentioned that Flex’s battery life gradually decreased over time and that it became harder to charge the device earlier than it had planned.

Wrapping up With Commonly Asked Public Queries

A reliable mobile point-of-sale system with user-friendly features and speedy data processing is Clover Flex. However, there are problems with its exorbitant cost, ambiguous pricing, and inconsistent customer service. Lastly, bear in mind that you should consider your options and conduct a thorough price comparison before deciding to buy Clover. We now hope that you have a good understanding of whether or not to choose Clover Flex after reading our review blog. However, before you make a decision, please go through the review of Clover Flex along with the following FAQs.

Is Clover a good payment system?

Because Clover can handle both processing and point-of-sale requirements, it’s a sensible option and an excellent fit for businesses of all sizes. Even while it’s not the most affordable option available, it can be beneficial if your company is growing.

What is the difference between Clover Flex and Clover Go?

Depending on parameters like & Clover Flex price, & System configuration, The expected battery life of Clover Go is 160 dips or swipes, or 130 per contactless transaction. Clover Flex’s battery life is optimal during work hours, lasting approximately 8 to 10 hours.

Does Clover Flex need Wi-Fi?

Indeed! To function, Clover Flex requires an internet connection. The internet needs to be accessed directly from your network if you’re using Wi-Fi, and the terminal device allows you to utilize a TLS proxy to access the internet.

How Does Clover Compare with Square POS and Poynt Smart Terminal?

Square Terminal and Poynt Smart Terminal are two other mobile smart terminals. Thalex review belongs to the same class as Clover Flex. When it comes to comparing Clover vs Square based on pricing, The Square Terminal is less expensive than Clover Flex at $299 and offers a fully functional free plan. On the other hand, Flex may have lower processing costs and more functionality. Poynt doesn’t have pre-installed POS functions, but its pricing is comparable to that of Clover Flex.

Does Clover Flex need ink?

The given article on Certified Clover POS reviews is all about solving such doubts, & now coming to an answer, The Clover Flex does not need ink cartridges. So, if your receipts are printed without ink, put the paper roll properly.

Can I send an invoice from Clover Flex?

Yes, You Can! To produce an invoice, simply create one on your Clover dashboard account, add the customer’s details and the payment amount, and submit the invoice. Your customer will receive an email with the invoice, which they can review and pay immediately.