In these uncertain economic times, you are probably doing all you can as an entrepreneur to pinch pennies. To that end, you may have concluded that spending money to upgrade your credit card readers is foolhardy. Before you set your decision in stone, however, take just a few minutes to learn about the benefits of smartphone credit card readers.
What are smartphone card readers?
No doubt, you have seen and probably even used one of these yourself as a consumer. They are the next generation in payment acceptance technology that uses your Apple or Android mobile phone attached to a portable card reader, sometimes known as a dongle. Your merchant provider can provide you with this inexpensive hardware, as well as the payment processing app that runs it.
Benefits of incorporating smartphone readers into your business.
Perhaps one of the most obvious advantages of this technology is its convenience. Unlike the fixed terminals you may be using now, you can accept customers’ payments from anywhere once you go mobile.
Just think about how that will help you to expand your business! Now that you are no longer tethered to the counter, you can serve customers wherever they may be and even take your products on the road. As a result, you can introduce your store to a whole new group of potential buyers.
Another advantage is the built-in safety that smartphone readers offer. In the past, you may have needed to take a cash box with you when you went on the road. Not only was it clunky, but it definitely made you vulnerable. By contrast, your highly portable mobile reader uses the latest in secure credit card processing technology that keeps customer data as safe as possible. Plus, reconciling your books when you’re on the go is a breeze because your mobile reader integrates seamlessly with your POS system back at your physical location.
You can accept a wide variety of payments with your mobile reader, including credit and debit cards, EBT payments, and even gift cards. Remember, the more choices you offer to your customers, the better your chances that they will do business with you.
Finally, one of the most compelling advantages of mobile credit card readers is that they help to enhance the buyer’s overall shopping experience. Portability enables you to shorten the line at your register. In many cases, your associates can even cash the customer out directly from the sales floor. This enhanced efficiency allows you to place staff members where they are most needed, enabling them to establish rapport and provide expert assistance quickly. In the end, it is the complete, streamlined buying experience and the personalized relationship with you and your staff that will keep buyers coming back.
Customers are happy when behind-the-scenes operations are efficient so that checkout is fast, secure, and frictionless. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make this possible that will not break the bank and will quickly produce tangible results. Incorporating smartphone credit card readers into your operations is perhaps the most effective way to take your retail store to the next level!
