Amazon Reportedly Set to Launch Mobile Credit-Card Reader If the rumors are true, the nation's largest online retailer could give Square and PayPal a run for their money.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Apparently Jeff Bezos' team listened up when he pushed them to focus on payments.

Evidence: Amazon now thinks it is hip to beat Square and PayPal.

If you haven't already heard, rumors are percolating that the nation's biggest ecommerce powerhouse could soon shake up the mobile-payments battlefield with its own Square-like reader.

Related: Customized Ecommerce Meets 3-D Printing in Amazon's New Online Store

Word that Amazon, strained amid a dismal $126 million second quarter loss, might be gearing up to introduce a mass-market credit card reader first broke on 9to5Mac. The popular tech news and reviews site published what it claims are internal documents from Staples hinting that the Framingham, Mass.-based office-supply chain could soon stock up on a new item titled "Amazon Card Reader."

The rumored hardware could possibly arrive on Staples' shelves as early as some time in the coming weeks. The cost will reportedly be $9.99.

A representative from Amazon responded to Entrepreneur.com's inquiry for confirmation or denial of the reports, predictably stating that the company does not comment on rumors and speculation. Staples has not yet responded to our request for comment on the headline-hogging hearsay.

Related: Amazon Warns Losses Could Get Even Worse

The alleged Staples documents, which include a detailed product placement planogram, reveal what may or may not be an order to stock the unconfirmed Amazon credit card reader, complete with seemingly legitimate model and SKU numbers.

The mystery payment card-swiping unit, which we hope goes over better than Amazon's recently unveiled gimmicky Fire Phone, was listed directly above PayPal's Here ($14.99) mobile credit card reader and Staples' own Mobile Register Credit Card Reader ($14.99) and of course, Jack Dorsey's Square ($9.99).

Also per 9to5Mac, Staples will hold off until Aug. 12 to "put up new signage related to the Amazon Card Reader." Other sources told the website that Amazon's Lab126 consumer electronics research and development arm is working on additional mobile payments-based products that feature biometric security properties, such as fingerprint scanners.

Related: Square Now Lets You Issue Partial Refunds

Upping its budding mobile payments game, Amazon debuted its inaugural digital wallet app in the Google Play store last week, simply called Amazon Wallet - Beta. So far, it's only garnered between 1,000 and 5,000 installs, according to its page on Google Play. If the app works with the software for Amazon's rumored payment card-reader device -- and why wouldn't it? -- Amazon's latest move into the mobile world seems like even more of a no-brainer.

Related: McDonald's Is Testing an App That Lets Customers Order Ahead

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Leadership

How to Harness Your Inner Athlete and Train Your Mind to Reach Peak Professional Performance

It is important to make yourself the primary force driving your growth. Here are several strategies to channel your inner motivator for success.

Side Hustle

After a 12-Year-Old's Side Hustle Made Over $4,000 in 1 Day, He and His Dad Grew the Business to Nearly $50,000 a Month: 'It Takes Commitment'

Madden Forrest and his father, Steven, turned their passion for football into a lucrative business.

Leadership

'I Am the Mother of All Trees': Martha Stewart Shares the Tree She Most Identifies With and How It Shapes Her Business Mindset

Martha Stewart literally gets into the weeds of how gardening has shaped her life and career.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs For New Graduates With a Bachelor's Degree — and They All Start at Six Figures

According to a new report from Resume Genius, finding a high-paying job as a new grad is possible, even in this market.