October 25th, 2013 by Elma Jane
Some brands have managed to pull themselves together to mobilize their online sites…that’s design them to be visually friendly to mobile users.
Earlier this month the quick-service restaurant debuted a new item on its menu…the Smoke Brisket Sandwich…with a campaign that involved a number of social media components. Included among those were a game that awards points based on a customer’s tweets, the online challenges he or she wins and the photos uploaded to Instagram.
It starts with a purchase of the sandwich at an Arby’s outlet. When the customers receives her receipt she takes a picture of it and uploads it to mobile site PunchTab created for the campaign.
What sets this campaign apart from many others is that it is coordinated at the point of sale.
For this campaign, PunchTab created mobile Web onto which Arby’s customers upload a receipt. When users make a purchase, they can take a picture of their receipt and submit it via the mobile website. From there, points are dispersed, the players advance…and hopefully, return to Arby’s for more purchases, err, points.
Helping Business
There’s definitely been a trend in the POS and payments industry to add value offerings by helping businesses better understand their customers. This trend is built on the wealth of transactional data being collected by POS and payments companies, and the goal is to present simplified consumer behavior analyses that can be used by merchants to generate more revenue.
Looking ahead, more and more retailers will understand the value that capturing this customer data can unlock for this business, and will put the software in place to tap into a customer’s purchase history and thus their preferences.
Now the focus is on salespeople delivering a personalized experience to customers. The next stage, will focus on extending to individual customers the inside track on new products that will appeal to them and complement or replace things they have previously purchased.
Pimping Out The POS
Engaging with the customer at the point of sale is hardly a new idea. It certainly is an established practice in traditional brick and mortar operations…think credit card solicitations and offers for loyalty points and cards…as we all as e-commerce sites, where a customer is usually presented with several offers before the checkout is complete.
Now CRM is making its way into the mobile POS and customers are finding that there are a number of unique benefits to the model.
In the case of PunchTab, it ties the receipt-scanning functionality that doesn’t require an app…not to mention several other benefits to the system.
For example, Marketers get greater insight into purchasing behavior because a receipt is usually involved. Consumers are right there and thinking about the campaign…which they wouldn’t necessarily be when they got home to go online, and it is relatively easy system to set up.
Arby’s for example, has 40 POS systems and because it is a franchise, it requires coordinating with multiple owners. For them, mobile is the best and easiest way to engage with customers at the point of sale.
Real-Time Offers
Other companies…such as Groupon with its Breadcrumb mobile app…are adding even more advanced CRM capabilities, such as reporting at the mobile point of sale.
It is a growing trend for all mobile applications and most especially apps in the mobile POS to bring more CRM capabilities into their service platform.
Eventually, some of these CRM-infused mobile POS systems will be able to make offers in real time to customers based on their purchase at the moment and accumulated knowledge about the preferences of other customers that make similar purchases. Example it might be noted that in 20 percent of all purchases of a particular type of coffee the customer also purchase a biscotti, then the server can offer up the option as a reminder for purchase/order.
The example assumes the mobile POS system has access to customer data about purchase and preferences…which is somewhat rare now, but a trend gaining momentum.
Posted in Credit card Processing, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Internet Payment Gateway, Mobile Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Point of Sale Tagged with: app, awards, brick and mortar, crm, customers, data, design, franchise, functionality, mobile, mobile pos, mobilize, online, payments, payments industry, point of sale, points, POS, purchase/order, purchases, receipt, receipt-scanning, restaurant, retailers, revenue, social media, transactional, uploaded, users, web, website
October 21st, 2013 by Elma Jane
Good time for merchants to start noting how their provider is handling card company fee changes as well as any future rate and fee changes, especially if your contract will expire in 2014.
October 2013 Rate and Fee Increase Notices
Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Credit card companies generally make rate and fee changes in the April and October time frame, although they have also made changes at other times of the year. Inevitably, some banks and merchant account providers seem to take advantage of the card company changes by increasing or adding their own mark-ups and by pointing too much of the blame at the card companies for the increases. This time around isn’t much different than others and merchants have sent me some rate and fee increase notices that go well beyond any card company changes.
In understanding how your provider is handling the latest card company changes, keep in mind that there are two important changes for October 2013:
Discover introduced a .25 cent increase to all transactions.
MasterCard introduced a .25 cent increase to certain transactions.
Below are two examples of recent notices on the October changes. Understanding the above .25 cent changes, how would you rate these providers?
Notice 1: 0.02 Percent + $0.02 Increase
“MasterCard, Visa and Discover typically evaluate the Interchange rates and fees twice per year most often in April and October. Based on recent changes as well as analysis from other network providers and vendors, the following changes to your merchant account are being implemented and will be reflected in your merchant statements for transactions processed beginning in October:
Interchange Plus Merchants: Percentage charged in excess of Interchange will increase by 2/100ths of a percent; and
Transactions Fees for all authorized transactions will increase by $0.02/transaction.”
Tiered Pricing Merchants: Qualified Rate for Visa, MasterCard and Discover will increase 2/100th of a percent;
Notice 2: 0.40 Percent Increase
“Effective October 1, 2013, the discount rates charged for your Visa, MasterCard, and Discover (as applicable) credit card and non-PIN (signature) debit card transactions will increase by 0.400%. We have increased these charges based on a variety of factors, including recent Card Organization changes and our own pricing considerations. This change will appear beginning with your October month-end statement you will receive in November.”
Your Statements Now go back to the statements you received in August and September or any notices you received via mail and read the notice your provider posted for these changes. Did the provider announce the actual change or did it state something quite differently? If it’s the latter, make sure it adjusts pricing accordingly. Also, make sure you monitor your rates, fees, and notices going forward to determine the best long-term course of action. If the provider needs you to extend your contract to correct its overcharges, then there are probably bigger pricing issues and more assertive action required by you to investigate your overall processing cost.
EMV Capable Terminals
To reduce fraud in the U.S., the card companies are introducing cards that have a chip as well as the current magnetic strip. Chip cards are prevalent outside the U.S. and EMV — Europay, MasterCard, and Visa — established the technical standards for processing them.
Brick-and-mortar merchants should understand about EMV.
Brick-and-mortar merchants should have equipment capable of processing EMV chip card transactions by October 2015 as certain fraud liability will shift from the bank that issued the card to the merchant. The equipment may be a terminal or a chip card reader attached to the terminal or POS system.
Certain credit card transactions will require a PIN number instead of a signature similar to PIN debit transactions today. Also, like the current PIN debit devices, each chip reader will need to be encrypted and the encryption code is processor specific. Therefore, if a merchant has an encrypted device, changing processors may be more costly as the encryption cannot simply be downloaded over the phone or Internet as is done with terminal reprogramming now. Instead, the encrypted device will need to go back to the provider for encryption or swapped with an encrypted device or a new encrypted device may be needed.
“EMV capable” can mean very little. In fact, if you have purchased or leased an “EMV capable” terminal it may simply mean that it has the slot or contactless connection to place the chip card and the terminal may have the capability to eventually be encrypted to actually process chip cards. However, the cost and time required to do so could be prohibited.
However, merchants should be planning to have equipment capable of processing chip card by October 2015. In fact, they should be planning to have the equipment capable of processing chip cards well ahead of the October 2015 — perhaps as early as late 2014, to ensure receiving it in time.
If a merchant’s existing terminal fails or is no longer supported, the merchant should inquire about EMV terminals as a replacement. However, ask if it comes fully encrypted and capable of actually processing an EMV transaction or if it will need the encryption later. Right now, the answer is likely that the terminal will need encryption later. If so, the merchant should obtain the time frame, process, and cost for enabling the terminal to actually process chip cards. This should be in writing. Remember, new terminals cost the provider around $150 to $250 and the encryption may be an extra $25 to $50.
Make sure you are comfortable with your provider and have negotiated the best processing cost before changing to encrypted EMV equipment.
Merchants do not need EMV terminals today and very few providers actually have terminals that can process an EMV chip card transaction right now.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Electronic Payments, EMV EuroPay MasterCard Visa, Visa MasterCard American Express Tagged with: authorized, banks, chip card, contactless, cost, credit-card, debit, devices, Discover, EMV, encrypted, fee, increase, interchange, MasterCard, merchant account providers, network, overcharges, percent, percentage, PIN, POS, pricing, processor, prohibited, rate, rate and fee, statements, terminal, transactions, visa
October 21st, 2013 by Elma Jane
UL’s (Underwriter Laboratories) latest contribution to the future of payments has been accomplished through its three years of work with National Security, a French biometrics company that has created a commercially viable biometric technology solution for the point of sale.
The move positions UL and National Security at the forefront of an industry that is expected to expand by 140 percent to reach $12 billion in revenue over the next five years, potentially transforming online, mobile and in-store commerce by increasing the speed of transactions in the process.
Still, arguments can be made that biometric use at the point of sale will remain limited. Why does UL believe the market is right for biometrics, and how did it successfully ensure biometric payments will be ready for all parts of the payment process?
Why The Time Is Now For Biometrics
Consumer concerns regarding identity theft and violence are on the rise, and the solution according to many is a viable biometrics payment solution. Reports show that there is already strong demand in the U.S. and Asian markets for such products, and major research outlets have put their support behind the technology.
UL’s case study elaborates on the benefits illustrating how biometric data has been developed to be harder for hackers to infiltrate and compliant with EMV security standards.
Developing The Technology
UL’s work to ensure biometrics will remove friction at the POS has been extensive. For example, its latest case study profiles how UL developed the underlying technology to overcome challenges and work in harmony with wireless technologies such as bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Further, it explains how UL assessed the human health impact of National Security’s biometric solutions.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Electronic Payments, EMV EuroPay MasterCard Visa, Mobile Point of Sale, Near Field Communication, Point of Sale Tagged with: biometric, bluetooth, commerce, data, developing, EMV, future, hackers, identity theft, impact, in-store, mobile, online, payment process, payments, point of sale, POS, process, security standards, solution, speed, transactions, viable, Wi-Fi, wireless
October 21st, 2013 by Elma Jane
Retailers today collect email at every point of interaction. Collecting customer information in the store at the point of sale (POS) offers the greatest potential to build retailer’s email list quickly and to drive timely offers and communications that increase customer loyalty and retention.
The practice of collecting email addresses at the point of sale (POS) isn’t a new one. However, more companies are embracing the trend, and they’re doing so with increasing regularity.
E-Receipts
One popular technique among retailers is to ask shoppers if they would like a receipt emailed to them. It is important to note that an agreement to receive an e-receipt should not be necessarily interpreted as consent to be added to a commercial email list unless this intent is adequately communicated to the consumer and they consent. It always best practice to reference their consent to marketing emails at the same time as the e-receipt request.
It is possible to collect (PII) Personally Identifiable Information at the counter in a
careful and conscientious manner if you follow guidelines.
1. Be transparent about the commercial intent. A consumer who feels misled is more likely to complain and to seek redress under the consumer protection laws. If following different scripts is a challenge, apply the same disclosure/request script for both credit and cash transactions.
2. Consider using the credit card terminal or other touchpad device for customers to enter their email rather than using the sales associate. The device should first prompt the customer to consent to receiving an in-store e-receipt and/or marketing communications, ideally before proceeding with the transaction, it could be after as well.
3. Decouple PII collection from the credit card purchase. Ask customers for their email addresses before taking their credit cards or after they sign off on the purchase so it is clear that email is not required as part of the transaction.
4. Fulfill any incentives offered at the counter through email. Provide each consumer with a dynamic and unique link. A consumer will have less of a reason to give you a valid email address if you offer and fulfill the incentive at POS. Limiting the use of the incentive to email will help you avoid incentive abuse.
5. Send a welcome permission pass. Don’t assume that the customer wants anything more than an in-store e-receipt even if you can legally claim to have this right. Let the customer make an informed decision at the counter or in a subsequent email.
6. Validate submitted data. Ask customers to verify the accuracy of their PII before submitting. Use appropriate list management tools to prevent avoidable domain errors.
Clients that take the proper steps to overcome POS challenges and risks will reap the rewards of subscriber loyalty, a stronger reputation and better inbox performance in the long run.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit card Processing, Electronic Payments, Gift & Loyalty Card Processing, Point of Sale Tagged with: associate, best practice, cash, commercial, communications, companies, consumer, credit, credit-card, customer, e-receipts, email, emailed, incentive, interaction, list, loyalty, offers, personally identifiable information, pii, point, point of sale, POS, retailers, rewards, sales, script, subscriber, timely, touchpad, transactions, transparent
October 18th, 2013 by Elma Jane
Cash registers were the only game in town not too long ago, but these days companies have many more choices. Replacing antiquated cash registers with modern POS (point of sale devices carries a number of important benefits, including:
1. Can cut down on user errors. Hitting a wrong key is always a risk when ringing a sale, but point of sale devices have built in checks to ensure that the information is entered accurately.
2. Customers receive more informative itemized receipts with a point of sale devices. Many cash registers can only print the date and the amount of the sale, but since point of sale devices are tied into the inventory control system they can provide much more detailed information, including a description of the item, the list price and the sale price.
3. Easy to look up past transactions. If you need to know how much you sold last Tuesday a point of sale system can give you that information in a snap. It would take many hours of laborious work to find the same answer using a cash register.
4. Maintenance and repair costs are often much lower on a point of sale device than a cash register. The number of companies that repair cash registers is dwindling, and that means that repair costs can be rather high. There are many vendors who repair point of sale devices, and that can keep repair costs low.
5. Provide faster service than old fashioned cash registers. Every part of the process, from authorizing a credit card transaction to printing a customer receipt, is faster on a point of sale device.
6. Simplify the accounting process. Old fashioned cash registers force accountants to sort through hundreds of receipts, but with a point of sale system financial personnel can simply use the built in reports or create their own.
7. Unlike a cash register, a point of sale system often includes an overall inventory management system. Store owners can use a point of sale system to track their biggest sellers and reorder those products when stock gets low.
8. Workers now a days are often more comfortable with point of sale devices than old fashioned cash registers. Generation now entering the workforce never knew a time without computers, and as a result they are very comfortable working with computerized technology like point of sale devices.
9. You can use a point of sale system to create your own purchase orders, eliminating an extra step in the ordering process. You can even automate the ordering process to make sure you never run out of your hottest selling products.
10. You can see real time inventory with a point of sale device, something that even the best cash registers simply cannot do. In fact, many companies have found that implementing a point of sale system virtually eliminates the need for a costly hand count.
There are many reasons why your company should consider state of the art point of sale device and ditching the old fashioned cash register. These devices can lower the cost of doing business while increasing productivity, and that can be good for the bottom line.
Ready to make the switch from a cash register to a point of sale system? National Transaction can provide the software, hardware and support for any POS need. NTC integrate your payment processing into many accounting software titles such as Intuit Quickbooks or Peachtree Accounting. NTC can also provide integation for any restaurant cash register system and all industry specific solutions. NTC provide credit card readers for Android, Apple and Blackberry smartphones and tablet devices. National Transaction can make the World your Point Of Sale.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Mobile Point of Sale, Point of Sale, Visa MasterCard American Express Tagged with: accounting, amount, Android, Apple, authorizing, benefits, blackberry, cash register, computerized, control, costs, credit-card, date, devices, hardware, inventory, itemized, low, maintenance, point of sale, POS, price, print, process, readers, receipts, reorder, repair, sale, sale price, Smartphones, software, stock, system, transactions, vendors, virtually
October 18th, 2013 by Elma Jane
Verifone Ruby 2 POS
VeriFone Systems, announced today the availability of Commander Site Controller, the company’s next generation site management solution, and Ruby2 a touch-screen point of sale (POS) solution, both designed to provide greater efficiency, faster payment acceptance and new management capabilities that maximize profit potential for convenience store retailers.
Commander Site Controller is purpose-built for rugged c-store environments and combines site, payment and forecourt control in one device, creating additional flexibility in store configuration. Its future-proof system architecture includes expansion slots and ports for additional capacity and functionality. Additionally, Commander Site Controller features 100 percent IP communication for increased speed of EMV transactions.
Ruby2 is the next evolution of VeriFone’s Ruby POS platform, a 20-year leader in the petroleum industry. It features a fully-touchscreen console that increases checkout speed by providing fast and efficient order and payment processing, and a smaller footprint for increased counter space. Ruby2 is compatible with the latest VeriFone product offerings, including customer engagement media solutions, site management software to efficiently manage multiple locations seamlessly, and the latest in fuel control management.
VeriFone is taking petroleum retail and c-store operations to new heights of efficiency and manageability. These next-generation systems build on the success of Sapphire site controller and original Ruby POS systems with the ability to expand in order to meet customers’ future needs.
Commander Site Controller’s cloud based management software platform – Commander Console—enables owners to remotely and simultaneously complete PLU price changes, tax rate adjustments, fuel price changes and promotional updates in real time for multiple site locations from any web enabled device or mobile app for iOS and Android tablets and smartphones.
Ruby2 will be available this fall on certain networks while Commander Site Controller is available today on certain networks.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Electronic Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Point of Sale Tagged with: acceptance, app, architecture, capabilities, capacity, command site controller, convenience, EMV, engagement, expansion, forecourt, iOS, management, mobile, networks, payment, plu, point of sale, POS, retailers, ruby 2, rugged, seemlessly, site, Smartphones, store, systems, touch-screen, touchscreen, transactions, verifone
October 17th, 2013 by Elma Jane
VeriFone and National Payment Card Association (NPCA) debuted a mobile payment and rewards solution that enables convenience store and petroleum retailers to provide customers with smartphone-based payment options at the pump.
Utilizing VeriFone’s Smart Fuel Controller and NPCA’s mobile payment solution, c-store and gas station operators with VeriFone payment acceptance systems can quickly implement a fixed low-cost mobile payment and rewards program built on existing infrastructure used for merchant branded debit cards.
Consumers are increasingly drawn to rewards-based fuel purchase programs and they expect to be able to use their mobile phone to complete transactions at the pump. NPCA and VeriFone are showing how easy it is for CSPs to offer mobile payment and reward options to customers that increase loyalty and sales.
VeriFone Smart Fuel solutions make it easy for CSPs to offer forecourt pump POS payment without incurring the cost of installing new dispensers. The Smart Fuel Controller combines pump and pay-point support into a single unit, simplifying installation and maintenance, and eliminating the need for third-party interface devices to integrate pay-point management with in-store POS systems.
Merchants can develop their own mobile app, or apply their brand to a mobile app supplied by NPCA, to enable customers to pay for purchases and receive loyalty incentives using their smartphones.
Consumers today would rather utilize the capabilities of their smartphones versus pulling out their wallets. Using this solution, retailers can easily and cost-effectively create mobile loyalty programs that attract and reward high-value customers – without having to replace their existing payment infrastructure.
NPCA’s debit-based payment programs provide retailers with the ability to drive customer loyalty and reduce the cost of payments. Fuel discounts are funded from interchange savings that retailers would otherwise pay to banks. Payment processing is done by NPCA using the automated clearing house (ACH) system to clear debits to cardholder checking accounts and net settle with retailers each day. The company holds five patents related to the processing and methods for ACH-based decoupled debit and mobile payments.
Come November VeriFone and NPCA mobile payments solution will be available for beta testing.
Posted in Electronic Payments, Mobile Payments, Point of Sale, Smartphone, Visa MasterCard American Express Tagged with: acceptance, ach, app, apply, cardholder, consumers, cost, debit cards, devices, infrastructure, interchange, interface, loyalty, merchant, mobile, pay-point, payment, payments, phone, POS, Processing, rewards, sales, smart, Smartphones, solution, transactions, verifone, wallets
October 14th, 2013 by Elma Jane
First what is a Merchant Account? It is a type of bank account that allows businesses to accept payments by payment cards, typically debit or credit cards. A merchant account is established under an agreement between an acceptor and a merchant acquiring bank for the settlement of payment card transactions. In some cases a payment processor, independent sales organization (ISO), or member service provider (MSP) is also a party to the merchant agreement. Whether a merchant enters into a merchant agreement directly with an acquiring bank or through an aggregator such as PayPal, the agreement contractually binds the merchant to obey the operating regulations established by the card associations.
Merchant Account comes in 2 Basic Types – Aggregated Accounts and Dedicated Accounts.
Aggregated Merchant Account – such as those provide by PayPal that use a single merchant account to provide credit card processing for an entire portfolio of companies.
Dedicated Merchant Account – are provisioned specifically for your business.
Each has its Advantages and Disadvantages.
4 Key Points to Consider when deciding which type is the most advantageous for your small business.
1. Creditworthiness: To obtain a dedicated credit card processing merchant account your business will need to go through comprehensive underwriting. If you’re in a difficult to underwrite industry or if your business is very new and if it has a less than stellar credit history then an aggregated merchant account is the best choice. You still need to provide information about your business, underwriting for aggregated accounts is typically far less rigorous than for dedicated merchant accounts.
2. Funds Control: With an aggregated merchant account, transaction proceeds go to the service provider and are then deposited to your bank account at the provider’s discretion. There are no industry standards or rules that govern how an aggregated merchant account provider handles or disburses your money. The provider makes the rules, and can change them at will, so if you choose an aggregated merchant pay very close attention to the contract terms and any changes made to them. With a dedicated merchant account, transaction proceeds, less processing fees, are deposited directly into your business account. While the merchant account provider can correct errors, react to potential fraud and debit your account for customer “chargeback” claims. This must all be done based on industry-standard credit card processing rules.
3. Neighborhood: With an aggregated account, you’ll have no idea about the other companies processing transactions. If a good number of them engage in fraudulent activity, it is possible that the service provider’s processing account will be terminated and even honorable businesses like yours will lose credit card processing ability. If you do go with an aggregated account, it is very important to make sure that your provider is large enough to absorb fraud generated by a few bad apples.
If you’re using a small provider, try to get a list of the other business using the service and check them out to see if you want to live in the same neighborhood. With a dedicated merchant account the only company processing credit card transactions through it will be yours. You are in full control of keeping the account in good standing.
4. Speed: Getting a dedicated merchant account can take time. While there are some providers automating the process and providing same-day decisions. A typical application will take 48 hours to approve and additional time to integrate into a POS or electronic payment processing environment. Signing up for a credit card processing under an aggregated account service provider can usually be done in minutes, and it often comes with an online system that can have you actively processing payment within the hour.
Offering your customers the option to pay with a credit card is a great way to enhance revenue for your small business. Customers want the points associated with rewards cards, and they want to manage their own cash flow by floating balances or financing their purchases. Allowing them to use credit cards accomplishes both. So, give the customers what they want. If you don’t accept credit cards yet, now is a great time to start. Having made that decision, the next step is to obtain a merchant account for credit card processing.
The actual credit card processing rates you’ll be charged are a critically important factor as well. But as with most things, you get what you pay for. So don’t choose a low rate without also considering how the provider you select will impact your overall business.
For Merchant Account Services Please call National Transaction at 888-996-2273 or visit our website www.nationaltransaction.com to know more about our services.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Merchant Services Account Tagged with: account, accounts, acquiring, aggregator, card, cards, chargeback, credit, debit, electronic, environment, fees, financing, fraud, ISO, merchant, msp, payment, PayPal, POS, Processing, provider, transaction, underwriting
October 3rd, 2013 by Elma Jane
National Transaction Gift Card Programs
Features & Benefits
Why National Transaction Gift Card? A gift card program offers you a great opportunity to boost sales by increasing customer loyalty and enhancing your business brand. Gift cards are used like credit cards and can be loaded with any dollar amount. NTC offers customized gift card processing merchant services tailored to your gift card processing needs. It’s secured and easy to manage.
Benefits to Consider:
Brand Building and Loyalty Gift cards can be a great source of advertising for your business. Gift cards are re-loadable; customers often reload them and continue to use them.
Cash Flow Enhancement Prepaid gift cards are purchased prior to customers receiving their goods and services from you. You can re-invest these dollars back into your business. Earn money; research shows that customers tend to spend more than the value of the gift card.
Easy to Manage Merchant gift cards are easy for your customers to use and easy for your employees to issue and redeem, as they work similar to credit cards.
Eliminate or Remove Cashback Don’t have to use the full balance of the card – the balance remains on the card. It can be issued for returned merchandise, thereby reducing fraud. Gift cards can only be activated by swiping through a POS terminal.
Get and Bring New Customers Using gift cards as presents (e.g. Showers, Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Graduation and Christmas) is more popular than ever before. Offering a gift card program can help bring new customers to your business, thereby increasing sales.
Increasing Brand Awareness Gift cards customized with your business name or logo are an effective way to advertise your business and leave a lasting impression with customers.
Electronic gift card vs paper certificates? An electronic gift card solution provides a number of benefits over certificates, such as:
Minimize Fraud – card are difficult to duplicate while paper certificates can be photocopies or duplicated. Save Money – cards can be reloaded. Paper certificates can only be used once. Save Time and Maximize Efficiency – gift cards can be loaded and redeemed easily, and provide electronic reporting. Paper certificates require manual work.
NTC Gift Card Operations How does a Gift Card work? Cards are activated through your NTC merchant account with a dollar value requested by your customer and not dependent on things like proprietary equipment. Once the card is activated, it’s ready to use as payment at your location.
Are my Gift Cards reloadable? Yes, and may be reloaded as many times as you wish. You may consider offering an incentive to thank your customers for their loyalty. Incentives can range from providing a free product or service from your store.
What NTC Merchant Services terminals do I need to process NTC Gift Cards?
Your NTC Gift Card will function on any Standalone, Wireless and Bluetooth terminals.
Card Ordering/Design
What is the standard gift card size? Most gift cards are the exact same size as a credit card:
What options do I have to advertise my business name on my cards?
To help promote and advertise your business brand on your cards, you can choose one of these options:
Basic – Include your company’s name, address and phone number on a pre-selected style. Standard – You can choose from an attractive selection of pre-designed card styles. Add a single color logo or customized text in your choice of font style and color.
Custom Cards – Custom cards designed by you or with our help, invest with style.
How long does it take for me to be set-up and receive my gift cards?
Your application and set-up on NTC systems will take approximately 5 – 7 business days. Non-peak times (outside Christmas) – 2 weeks Peak times – 4 to 6 weeks
How many cards I can order? Quantities of 50 for Basic, 100, 1,000 for Standard.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Electronic Payments, Gift & Loyalty Card Processing, Merchant Services Account Tagged with: advertising, bluetooth, certificates, credit cards, earn, electronic, function, gift, gift Card, loyalty, merchant account, ntc, payment, POS, Processing, re-loadable, reload, reporting, secured, standalone, Swiping, terminal, terminals, value, wireless
October 1st, 2013 by Elma Jane
PayPal announces updated app, device for hands-free, in store payment.
A busy few days at PayPal. Late last week, the global payments giant announced a major update to its app for Android and iOS. The new features have a strong mobile payments bent. And now, the company has announced the planned roll-out of “Beacon,” which uses Bluetooth Low Energy Technology to let customers check into retail stores and pay by verbal consent.
Paypal’s President calls the solution PayPal’s “most significant contribution to date in reinventing the in-store shopping experience.”
Beacon is a new add-on technology that merchants plug into an A/C outlet. When a PayPal customer walks into a participating store and agrees to check-in, Beacon triggers a quick vibration or sound to confirm a check-in; customer’s photo then appears on a point-of-sale screen. To pay, the customer simply gives a verbal confirmation. “No wallet and no card. Nothing to do. Not even touching your phone.
BLE was chosen to resolve some problems posed by traditional geo-location, including power consumption. It will look for any store running a PayPal compatible POS system, and will only transmit information to PayPal or to the merchant if the customer agrees to check in.
The solution aims to improve on the credit-card-swiping experience. PayPal figured the only better way to pay would be to do nothing.
The company will be piloting Beacon in the fourth quarter.
New App
PayPal’s vastly redesigned app for creating a more seamless in-store shopping experience is getting a lot of kudos across the web.
A New tab called “Shop” the first thing that appears when the app is opened, it displays nearby stores or restaurants that accept PayPal payments. Users can check in and open a tab, then select various payment methods from the check-in screen. Upon payment, the app generates a confirmation alert and sends an email receipt.
You’ve really got access to your entire wallet in the app.
The app also lets you order food ahead of your arrival bypassing the line. The feature works through PayPal’s partnership with Eat24 . Dinners can pay at the table, and at some locations, order more drinks.
For the first time, the app includes a Bill Me Later tab that lets users apply to finance PayPal purchases, and it integrates coupons and offers.
The company wanted the new app to help solve problem, and that payment isn’t something they typically complain about. So they focused on other potentially problematic experiences in the retail environment, waiting in line, waiting to pay the bill at their table and keeping track of coupons.
Posted in Credit Card Reader Terminal, Credit Card Security, Digital Wallet Privacy, Electronic Payments, Mobile Payments, Near Field Communication, Point of Sale, Smartphone Tagged with: Android, app, Apple, card, credit-card-swiping, geo-location, iOS, payment, PayPal, POS, retail, system, wallet
