The Fast and Extraordinary Way To Increase Customer Service and Profits Customer retains sight of their payment card at all times Eliminates opportunity for identity theft and card skimming Increase check settlement speed Intuitive Software guides customer through tip entry without employee assistance Increase table turn and restaurant profit Reduce wait staff fatigue Tip potential increased via preset percentages and improves service Eliminate time consuming pre-auths and closing adjustments Visa PED for online debit Multi-app ready terminal allows for loyalty, gift card and other enhancements Reliable Bluethooth and Wifi communications THE VALUE OF PAY@TABLE AND CURBSIDE PAYMENT Using a short-range wireless terminal for customer-convenient tableside payment and curbside payment can increase an establishment’s profitability through payment cost reductions and process efficiency improvements, as well as reduce the opportunity for fraud. Customerconvenient payment has arrived and it is adding excitement to hospitality market. REDUCING THE COST OF PAYMENT Online or PIN debit is the fastest growing form of consumer payment in the United States. Consumers of all ages and economic backgrounds appreciate online debit for the security and ease of use it offers. Merchants appreciate online debit because it significantly reduces their cost of payment and guarantees payment, eliminating the headache of dealing with charge backs. The vast majority of cards issued today are check cards, which consumers use for both signature-based and PIN-based purchases. Over the past decade, the number of check cards issued has grown from 40 million in 1995 to over 263 million in 2005. Today, more than one half of all people with checking accounts in the United States have a check card. Consumers that previously paid by check or cash are now using a check card as a more convenient and budget-conscious alternative. These consumers use their check card with PIN entry for ATM withdrawals and in supermarkets, as well as the majority of major multi-lane retail stores. Financial Benefit of Online or PIN Debit For The Restaurant According to a recent payment system analysis conducted for a mid-size restaurant chain, online debit provides a powerful return on investment. The following is a per location summary of the results: Average number of credit cards accepted per day is 85. Average guest check is $40. Percent tendered that are check cards are 60%. Percentage converted to online debit is 85%. Annual savings is $5,380. INCREASING RESTAURANT PROFITABILITY Portable wireless terminals will save time and put more money on a restaurant’s bottom line. The Ingenico i7780 has been proven to reduce the time it takes the wait staff to present a bill, collect the card, authorize the transaction and present the receipt to the patron for signature, usually by 33% to 40%. This improved efficiency provides the following benefits: Moving diners through the restaurant quicker, turning tables faster and increasing restaurant revenue More “face time” with the customer presents the opportunity for add-on sales that increase both the check amount and the tip Having the ability to take the terminal to the customer improves customer satisfaction through faster transaction finalization and reduces the opportunity for identity theft The restaurant’s wait staff also benefits from a portable payment terminal’s ability to “suggest” a tip percentage. When patrons add the tip with a portable payment terminal, it is a true 15%, 18% or 20%, which is often an uplift in tip percentage for the waiter or waitress. Not only does this benefit the wait staff and restaurant management, it also benefits the consumer. When guests are ready to go, they want the check! In a study of 270 consumers, Cornell University researchers concluded that guest satisfaction is tied strongly to their perception of the meal’s pace. Researchers identified opportunities during certain parts of a meal to speed service, without alienating guests. They divided the meal into 3 segments: Pre-process (ordering drinks and reading the menu), In-process (actual meal) and Post-process (check settlement). Their conclusion was that there is a greater tolerance for speed in the post-process stage. When patrons are finished, they want the bill presented, to pay quickly and to leave. Nothing can spoil a positive dining experience more than a delay in finalizing the check once the patron is ready to leave. The Ingenico 7780, with its Visa PED approved integrated PIN pad, is an example of a terminal that can be brought to the table, giving patrons the option of entering their PIN to complete the transaction as online debit or having the transaction processed as a signature-based credit card sale. ELIMINATING CREDIT CARD SKIMMING A major concern of restaurant owners and managers, as well as restaurant patrons is credit card skimming. Skimming can occur anytime a credit card holder loses sight of their credit card and is most often perpetrated by employees. Unscrupulous wait staff or attendants use a small magnetic stripe reader to capture the encoded information from a consumer’s credit or check card. The magnetic stripe reader, used to copy this information, is often small enough to be hidden in an apron or pocket. The captured card information is then re-encoded and used for fraudulent purchases. Examples of card skimming can be found in most daily newspapers and on the Internet. No restaurant owner or manager wants to read about their establishment in the local paper in reference to skimming. IDENTITY THEFT The number one issue on the minds of many consumers is identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission released a report in September 2003 detailing that 2.3 million Americans discovered that their personal information had been misused during the past year. Identity theft is the top fraud complaint reported by consumers, accounting for 43 percent of complaints logged by the Federal Trade Commission. The number of reported fraud complaints jumped from 220,000 in 2001 to 380,000 in 2002 with the dollar loss consumers attributed to reported fraud growing from $160 million in 2001 to $343 million in 2002. SOLVING THE ISSUES OF SKIMMING AND IDENTITY THEFT The solution to skimming and identity theft in restaurants is simple. Implement an electronic payment solution that provides customer-convenient payment, enabling a patron to always keep sight of their card. The i7780 is an example of a portable wireless terminal that allows the consumer to complete their own payment transaction including automated tip entry. When a check card is tendered, a customer can enter their PIN number, converting the transaction from a signature-based transaction to online debit. Electronic Commerce International • 7670 W. Lake Mead Blvd, Suite 140, Las Vegas, NV 89128 Toll Free (888) 404-7500 • Email: sales@ecina.com • Sales Partner Login www.ecina.net ECI is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Walnut Creek, CA. American Express requires separate approval. © Copyright 2009. Electronic Commerce International. All Rights Reserved.