by Kim Dailey | Feb 12, 2024 | Bank gift cards, Gift Cards
Celebrate all Month
Make this Month Valentine’s month! Offer diners specials all month long! This will gain more business and allow clients to celebrate without the crowds of previous years. Dress up your reception area with impulse sales items. Add a gift card to a basket of wine, food, or whatever you sell, and create a grab-and-go product for frantic last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers. Restaurant gift cards were the most popular gift card category in 2022. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), restaurant gift cards were the most popular gift cards for Christmas 2022, with 27% of U.S. consumers planning to buy at least one. Source: moneyzine.com/personal-finance-resources/gift-card-statistics/
Spread the love to your customers this Valentine’s Day by offering out-of-the-box ideas. Offer a curbside candlelight Valentine’s dinner prepared or unprepared, and maybe include a small gift card they can use in the future as a surprise when they unbox their order.
Create a beautiful Valentine’s basket with a gift card and bottle of wine or glasses for those who choose to celebrate later. Maybe a pizza for two and a growler. There are so many fun ideas you can incorporate to make your restaurant even more memorable during these times.
Get creative; if you need last-minute digital cards or gift card presenters, we have you covered!
Every year, these numbers increase, and every day, someone is celebrating an event!
Source: NATIONAL USE YOUR GIFT CARD DAY – January 20, 2024 – National Today
- Gift cards that Americans give: 93% of have given gift cards
- The most popular gift card in 2019, Amazon, was the #1 gift card.
- Gift cards as birthday gifts: 68% of people give gift cards as a birthday present.
- Starbucks transactions: Almost half were made with gift cards
- Men vs. Women: Men spend more on gift cards than women. Perfect for Valentine’s Day
by Kim Dailey | Apr 19, 2023 | Testimonials
The handheld device worked out great, especially for Cinco de Mayo. It saved us a lot of time by allowing us to place orders without having to come inside again and again. Thank you!
by Chandra Spary-Kontinos | Mar 7, 2023 | POS Systems, Uncategorized
A Good Point of Sale with Digital Receipts, Save Business Owners and their Customers Time and Money
The most obvious advantage of digital receipts is that they are much more environmentally friendly than paper receipts. You can reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment by eliminating the need for paper, ink, and printing. Additionally, going paperless requires less physical storage space and is simpler to manage.
Improved Customer Experience
Digital receipts offer a better overall experience for customers, and they don’t have to worry about keeping track of a paper receipt. Instead, they can quickly access their receipts whenever they need to on their phone or computer.
Cost Savings
Digital receipts also save your business a lot of money. You can cut costs and boost your bottom line without needing paper, ink, and printing supplies. Additionally, digital receipts are simpler to store and easier to retrieve should a dispute or chargeback arise, making it easier to manage and lower administrative costs.
Marketing Opportunities
By collecting valuable data, at your Point of Sale, your business can stay in touch with customers after the sale. You can encourage customers to interact with you and possibly make additional purchases by including links to social media pages or offering promotions in the digital receipts. Offering digital receipts is wise for any company looking to streamline operations and give customers a better experience.
There are numerous benefits to switching to a POS System that gives your company the ability to “go digital.” Most importantly, an enhanced customer experience, cost savings, and marketing opportunities. Your business can quickly integrate digital receipt technology into its operations and enjoy today’s benefits by partnering with a reputable Point of Sale and payment processing company like Card Systems.
by Kim Dailey | Jan 4, 2023 | Testimonials
Hands down, the absolute best! My company started with Card Systems, Inc 16+ years ago. One year, early on I switched to my own bank as I thought I would save $ for my company. Biggest mistake ever–a huge costly mistake. Needless to say, I went back to Card Systems asap. They are always-always there when I have a question or are in need of anything technical. My company started out small and has grown exponentially over the years and I’ve had the same excellent service from Card Systems from my start to now. 5+ stars!!!
by Kim Dailey | Jan 4, 2023 | Testimonials
I can’t say enough positive things about Jeremy and Card Systems, Inc. From the setup of my new Clover System, to saving me money on my processing fees. Jeremy is always just a phone call away if I need anything. Had an issue with my system after a power outage and Jeremy had me up and running again in no time.
It’s nice to work with a local company that you get to know personally instead of calling a number and getting someone in another state or country. I highly recommend talking with Jeremy from Card Systems Inc. for all your processing and POS needs.
Zirilli’s Chilly Treats
by Chandra Spary-Kontinos | Apr 1, 2022 | Featured, POS Systems, Restaurant Industry News, Services, Uncategorized
What are the differences and the best choice for your business?
Are you considering Surcharging or Cash Discounting? Accepting credit cards is a necessity in today’s world. However, credit card processing fees are taking a larger chuck out of your profit margin these days, especially with the ever-increasing popularity of rewards cards. Moreover, many of the merchant fees associated with rewards cards tend to increase year after year, due to the escalation of the “Cash Back” incentives the Card Issuers give their cardholders.
Who pays for the majority of these incentives? You the merchant. More and more merchants are now electing to add a surcharge or implement a cash discount program to combat these rising costs. This may be a great option for your company if done correctly. So, what is the difference between surcharging and cash discounting?
Surcharging
- Surcharge: Adding a small percentage to a credit card transaction to offset the merchant fees for processing the credit card payment. This surcharge is added to offset the processing fees associated with accepting credit cards. This fee only applies to credit cards and does not apply to other forms of payment such as debit cards, cash, or checks. Surcharging must also be done in a compliant manner and by a processor that follows the rules and ensures their merchants are compliant.
Cash Discounting
- Cash Discount: A reduction in price for customers who pay with cash or check instead of credit or debit cards. The discount is deducted from the advertised price at the time of sale. Another method of Cash Discounting is adding a small percentage to increase the price of the sale, known as a Non-Cash Adjustment.
Making this Win-Win Solution
Ask yourself, is this a good move for your business? Will there be pushback from the customers? The solution is simple. Giving your customers an option to pay with a lower-cost alternative is a win-win! They continue to receive great pricing if they pay with cash or check, and you are able to offset your processing fees. It is good for both parties when these programs are rolled out correctly with proper signage, employee training, and a good Point of Sale System, which calculates and ensures compliance.
Card Systems understands that every business is unique, which is why we take a consultative approach to find the right solution for your business and card processing needs. Whether you’re just getting started or have been in business for decades, Card Systems can offer endless benefits to help you run your business more efficiently and more profitably.
by Chandra Spary-Kontinos | Feb 18, 2022 | Digital Menus, Marketing, News, News Alerts, Online Order, POS Systems
Join us for Great Food, Vendors, and Fun
The weather is perfect and with so much to do here in Southwest Florida, now is the time to get out and enjoy the fun events around town. The ArtFest, Bike Night, Taste of the Cape, and Food Truck Wars started the season with breaking record crowds and revenues. This weekend the Edison Festival of Lights and the much-anticipated return of our Greek Festival will be the focus of fun and good food.
Is your Business Pivoting with Technology and Online Ordering?
Most businesses have pivoted to curbside or pickup services for their restaurants or retail establishments. If not, they are less likely to be found, limiting their exposure and greatly reducing sales. Consider beefing up your site, adding online ordering, or implementing a third-party app to facilitate delivery. Remember to make order in-store, pickup, or delivery easier for your business.
When are Delivery Apps Beneficial?
Third-party apps like Uber Eats and Door Dash have their place as they give your restaurant great exposure to first-time diners and support their delivery needs. Just make sure you control your online pickup orders, or they can take a big bite out of your profits. Also, take advantage of all the social platforms to market your events and link to your online ordering page. Use two buttons, one for online pickup and the other for the delivery app.
Digital Menus for Order Ahead
Our POS Software and POS Apps can create an easy-to-read menu with links for you to post everywhere. If you are not adopting this technology you are less likely to be found. These simple tools enable your customers to review your menu prior to ordering. This not only saves time, but also turns tables faster, and reduces your precious labor costs.
by Chandra | Feb 2, 2022 | News, PCI, POS Systems
Is Your Merchant and POS Provider QIR Certified?
Visa requires all merchants including Level 4 merchants (small businesses) to have their payment processing devices and systems installed by Qualified Integrator and Reseller (QIR). That means ensuring your EMV or chip reader and/or software used in your business is installed, maintained, and serviced by Qualified PCI Certified Technicians. Small businesses tend to be more susceptible to fraud thus more at risk. ACCORDING TO VISA, since EMV adoption, credit card theft has dropped about 76%.
The Difference Between EMV and the Old Magnetic Swipe Process
Although an EMV (or chip) reader can be slightly slower than the old card swipe, it is safer for the cardholder and the merchant. This is because the magnetic strip once carried all of your account information, and it was easy to copy. The new chip technology creates a unique code from with communicates that “this amount of money from this card was used for this transaction and this one only.” Thus removing the ability to reuse the information because of the unique code generated from the chip. Make sure you are using credit card terminals and or software systems that already have this technology-enabled.
Why do you need a QIR-certified Payment Provider to Install Your POS System?
The biggest reason is, securing your data. Only qualified professionals should install or troubleshoot your Point of Sale System or credit card terminals. This we where restaurants become vulnerable and open to malware. The POS goes down and someone does a quick fix or remotes in and leaves a firewall open or with an easy-to-hack password. Also, Skimmers can be placed within a machine and sold to unsuspecting merchants resulting in stolen information and potential fines.
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) has a certification for eligible resellers to give the business owner peace of mind. The customer’s information is secure when making transactions. In addition, the technicians installing and servicing your terminals are trained to do so with the most up-to-date standards, no matter the size of your company.
PCI DSS recommends always checking your current or new providers to ensure they maintain the highest security standards. We make sure our team at Card Systems is PCI certified. Even though filling out the form every year and doing a security scan can be painful at times with cameras and other connections in your business, it helps protect you and your customers. It is just common sense like closing your front door, locking it, and then checking it from time to time.
Search by country, region, or state on the PCI SSC Qualified Integrator & Reseller List.
