Valentine’s Day is far from just another day in Florida. It’s a full day rush. Lots of people show up last minute, wanting to get in, purchase something, and get out quickly. If there is a disruption in that flow they will probably walk away, and you’ll lose sales.
According to NRF, Valentine’s Day spending in the U.S. hit a record of $27.5 billion in 2025. If you want a piece of that pie for your business, be sure to make buying as easy as possible.
Here are the most common ways to get ready before the big surge.
Easy Sales With Gift Cards
For many last minute shoppers, gift cards can save the day. They also bring in repeat business after the holiday when people come back to use the card, often spending more than the gift card balance.
Not only should you sell gift cards in store, but you should also have the option for customer to purchase gift cards online. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to sell digital gift cards with instant delivery, you can learn more from this post here.
Speed Up Checkout Lines
Customers hate waiting in lines and your staff hates fixing POS issues in the middle of a rush. Tightening the basics like card reads, tap-to-pay, receipts, and a clear process can keep the line moving.
If you run a restaurant or quick service counter, small issues can stack up to a big issue fast. Pay-at-the-table can significantly cut down time waiting for checks and help avoid confusion with tips and payments.
Offer the Right Payment Options
There are many different ways to pay these days and your customers probably use just about all of them. They can use tap, chip, or a mobile wallet. They might want their receipt emailed or texted to them and they might want to stay at home and pay online.
If your setup doesn’t accommodate the way they want to pay, you create friction at the worst possible time, and they are likely to shop somewhere that takes their payment method. If you don’t offer a variety of payment methods to your customers, now is a good time to start supporting them.
Protect Your Business While Volume Goes Up
The busier you are, the riskier things get. As you get more transactions and see more new faces, the chances for mistakes increase as well. PCI guidance helps to reduce exposure and protects card data. If it’s been a while since you’ve reviewed your security, consider this your sign to do it before the busy holiday.
Security doesn’t need to be a complex process. It just needs to be clear and easily repeatable.
Valentine’s Day Readiness Plan
- Test every payment device and fix any issues ahead of time
- Verify tap-to-pay works correctly on every device
- Run a void and refund so your staff knows the steps
- Place gift cards in easily visible locations and make them easy to buy in-store and online
- Create a plan for how you’ll handle phone orders
- Determine your busiest hours and schedule enough of your best staff
Get Ready Before the Rush With Card Systems
We can help you avoid payment problems and get more trouble-free sales on Valentine’s Day.
Call (239) 549-5055 and let us know what Valentine’s Day looks like for you.
