by Peter | Sep 5, 2017 | Hospitality News, News, News Alerts, POS Systems
Living in the age of smartphones, apps, and online ordering restaurants are being pushed into adopting new technology to meet guest expectations and deliver best in class customer service. Customers and restaurant owners alike are wanting to see newer technology integrated into the dining experience as well as their daily operations.
Considering that 80% of today’s internet searches take place on a smartphone or tablet restaurant owners are beginning to take notice of the need for online ordering.While customers receive instant gratification from placing and managing their own orders, restaurateurs are saving time and money by not answering the phone and keeping their wait and host staff focused on guests in the dining room. A vast majority of younger customers are likely to skip over locations who do not offer such services. In extreme cases, some restaurants have increased their total volume by upwards of 50% simply by adding online ordering.
When technology is added to daily operations it helps restaurants run more efficiently and streamline processes. Point of Sale technology that can achieve this level of operational efficiency is usually thought of as too expensive or difficult to use. Many restaurants use a combination of systems to manage different parts of their business that are never really able to tie all the important data points together. For example, a restaurant uses one system for in-store sales, another for online, and a third to track customer loyalty. This type of operation is likely losing some useful data and labor hours when attempting to bring everything together. Sounds confusing right?
Can One System Offer the Functionality I Need?
No toggling between applications, no switching stations to check out to-go or delivery orders, customer loyalty, in house orders, sales tracking, a waitlist that sends a text message, payroll, and more all managed from a simple cloud based website.The efficiency and labor hours you would recapture are likely to more than offset the cost of this revolutionary iPad Point of Sale System, not to mention increased sales from being able to offer online ordering if you don’t already.
A system that’s completely scalable to your needs today with the ability to grow your business into tomorrow. Start as simple or complex as you like and add in the included functionality as you begin to phase out your legacy systems. Getting started with a single tablet and online ordering is just as simple as a 10+ station operation using the full functionality.
Don’t wait any longer and contact Card Systems today for a no charge site assessment and demonstration of the iPad point of sale system that your employees will love! No matter what your business model, efficiency never looked so affordable. 1.866.207.3298
by Peter | Sep 1, 2017 | News, News Alerts, Security
Secrets of the Dark Web
Cybercriminals can take an in-depth, six-week course of 20 lectures, in Russian, on Carding…learning how to steal credit card data from insecure databases or buy the data on the dark web. They can also take information on emails and passwords leaked from other data breaches to access banking websites, buy vacation packages, gift cards, all within nine minutes after the information was posted online.
The class, more in-depth than most, was discovered on a deep web forum by Digital Shadows while investigating credit card fraud and criminal activity. On one forum alone, more than 1.2 million card numbers were available for sale, nearly half of the numbers in the U.S. While card hackers and sellers are based in Russia and Eastern Europe, the buyers are often here in the U.S. Digital Shadows estimates $24 billion in credit card fraud next year.
Dark Web, A Simple Explanation
The Dark Web is a collection of thousands of websites that use anonymity tools like Tor and I2P to hide their IP address. While it’s most famously been used for black market drug sales and even child pornography, the Dark Web also enables anonymous whistleblowing and protects users from surveillance and censorship.See This article from Wired for more
How Can a Consumer or Business Reduce the Risk of Credit Card Data Theft?
- Place an alert on your credit card and bank for purchases less than $5 and more than $100…it is common for a thief to test the card by trying to process a small amount…usually less than $5
- Never give your pin number to anyone
- Never use the same password for your bank or credit card that you use for another website
- Confirm all communication is authentic such as phone calls or emails
- Do not click on links in suspicious emails
- When in question always contact the business or individual directly
by Peter | Aug 31, 2017 | News, News Alerts, Public Service
Recently it was announced that email recipients were experiencing a new phishing scam that appeared to be a Delta Airlines ticket receipt. These emails may look very similar to an actual Delta email with a few slight differences. The picture below points out some things to look for before clicking any questionable links in an email.
This new round of emails appears to be hitting a large concentration of business email addresses over personal ones. Of course, we are all guilty of hastily clicking links when we believe something has been charged to our credit cards in error or unexpectedly. Instinct kicks in and we click in the hopes of finding the answer. The best thing to do in this case is to carefully review the email content for any identifier that it could possibly be fraudulent. We’ve noted some things to look for using red text in the image above. It’s also worthwhile to note that airlines will always include departures/arrivals in the ticket detail of any type of electronic communication While there are many different versions of this particular phishing email above is just one example.
The link embedded in the email would open up a malicious Microsoft Word document that will activate and infect your PC. It will then begin connecting to other malicious servers to download and distribute further malware. These types of malware can collect, store, and send your financial information, login credentials, and other locally stored pieces of personal data.
Be sure to alert and educate your employees about these types of phishing attacks and how they could possibly affect your business and its sensitive data.When in doubt always reach out to the sender through a verified method of communication.
Thanks for visiting Card Systems
by Peter | Aug 31, 2017 | News, News Alerts
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A WOMAN
You may be stunned to learn just how much women’s economic power has increased in recent years. Their impact on consumer economy and influence in decision-making has elevated them to account for 85% of all consumer purchases. Understanding the factors leading to related statistics and how to appeal to this gender is critical to capture their business.
Factors leading to the decision makers demographic rise to power:
1. Women earn the majority of bachelor’s degrees (57%), master’s degrees(60%) and doctoral degrees (51%).
2. Seventy percent of women with children under 18 are working at jobs and at home.
3. Women control 60%+ of all personal wealth in the U.S.
4. Women purchase over 50% of traditional male products, such as automobiles, home improvement products, and consumer electronics.
5. Nearly 40% of U.S. working women earn more than their husbands.
This powerful force is expected to develop and dominate the marketplace for generations to come. Businesses must educate themselves on how to approach women and meet their purchasing needs. Research indicates “91% of women feel that advertisers don’t understand them.”
More Statistics on the purchasing Power of Women, including Millennials, Gen-X women, Empty Nesters and Boomer Women can be found here.
How to appeal to the decision making gender
Because women are sandwiched between raising children, working, caring for the home and caregiving for their elderly, their time is limited. Customer service and convenience are paramount to a good relationship and a satisfied shopper.
Training your sales and customer service staff to create a pleasant customer experience and recognize the importance of appealing to this shopper’s buying needs will help to increase sales and develop a repeat customer. To fail to acknowledge their presence or significance in the decision-making process will be a definite detriment to the ultimate sale of your product or service. Here’s a great read from Forbes.
Make your product or service easier to obtain with online purchasing options, electronic billing, customer financing, efficient point of sale equipment, and friendly marketing campaigns. If you’d like a NO CHARGE consultation for your business, Please contact us at 1.866.207.3298 or email to get started today!
by Peter | Aug 10, 2017 | News, News Alerts
Did You Know Credit Card Surcharges In Florida Are NO LONGER Prohibited?
Major changes to the interpretation of freedom of speech now make it possible for Florida merchants to recoup processing costs via surcharging.
SURCHARGE OR CONVENIENCE FEE – What is the difference?
SURCHARGE: An extra sum of money a merchant chooses to add to the purchase price when a customer uses a credit card. This is added to offset the processing fee imposed on the merchant by the credit card company for each transaction. The fee could range from 1.5% – 5%.
States and territories where adding a surcharge is illegal in 2023: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico.*
If you are in one of the places prohibiting a surcharge, consider offering your credit card customers a discount to pay in cash.
Some of these states are contesting the restriction of credit card surcharges, so call us for the latest information in your location.
CONVENIENCE FEE: This is a fixed charge added to a purchase price when an alternative payment method is offered. Examples would be paying online or by phone using a credit card. An example if a business allows a customer to pay an invoice online, you are paying the convenience fee for the privilege of being able to pay online. Each card company may have different guidelines – we can help you navigate these requirements.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Stay abreast of changes in this realm, things can always change. Read and know your contract provisions with each card network concerning Surcharges and Convenience Fees. KNOW YOUR STATE LAW, as it can differ from your card network requirements, and the state law dictates.
If you ever have questions regarding processing, fees, or charges on your business statement Card Systems can help. Whether you have general questions or are looking for alternative processing contact us today @ 866.207.3298 or by email.
*There are states where Courts have made surcharge laws unenforceable, including the ones below. In these states, using Cash Discounting is the most effective way to limit processing costs.
- California
- Florida
- Kansas
- Maine
- New York
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Utah
Sound complicated? Don’t worry. It’s our job to know all the options available to you and help you choose the best solution for your business type, location, and sales methods.
by Peter | Aug 8, 2017 | News, News Alerts, Retail Industry News
Most small business owners ask themselves is ” will I be able to compete against my big box store and online competition?” When we hear the name Ace Hardware we may not always think about them being a small local business. In fact, each location is owned and operated by members of our local communities. You will notice that each Ace store has varying selections because the owners are empowered to make their own purchasing decisions. Inventory is not dictated by a corporate office, allowing each location to offer the right products and prices for their local community.
Ace Wins Big!
Locally owned and operated Ace Hardware stores throughout the country, have out-ranked Lowe’s, Home Depot and Menards as the favorite home improvement retailer. The small town hardware store achieved an incredible composite loyalty score of 63% in a Market Force Information study. They beat the Big Box stores!
Of the four companies selected Ace Hardware’s score was 63%. The remaining competitors were Menards 60%, Lowes 55% and Home Depot 51%. A poll of more than 7800 consumers was used to determine the home improvement rankings. Ace Hardware was strong in most categories, especially ease in finding merchandise, knowledgeable and service-driven staff, and speedy checkouts.
Small Business Works For The D.I.Y. Consumer
The study also shows that 60% of the consumers polled consider themselves “DIY enthusiasts. Those are the consumers who make their own purchases and complete their own home improvement projects. As for the “do-it-for-me” group, 22% purchase the material and outsource the work.
“Home improvement could be a bright light in the retail sector with remodeling projects on the rise and consumers more confident about investing in their homes,” says Ray Walsh, CEO of Market Force Information, “…retailers must continue to focus on the customer experience to differentiate their offer and capture a greater share of this growing market, excelling in areas such as value, store cleanliness and merchandise variety and availability.”
Card Systems understands the challenges of small to medium-sized businesses. One of the most complicated tasks is to determine what system is right for me? Whether you’re in need of a basic credit card terminal, the point of sale system, integrated solution, or need to take payments online, we can help you choose the right solution for your business. Call today 866.207.3298 or email for more information how we can increase your business efficiency and workflow.
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