On-site ATM will boost customer satisfaction
As a business owner, you're always looking for ways to increase revenue and attract more customers to your establishment. One often overlooked option is installing an ATM on your premises. The benefits are clear with our free full-service ATM placement program.
First and foremost, having an ATM on site will make it more convenient for your customers to access cash. Studies show that customers are more likely to spend money at a location with easy access to an ATM, as they don't have to go out of their way to find one elsewhere. This can lead to increased foot traffic and sales for your business.
Furthermore, by partnering with us, you won't have to worry about the maintenance of the machine or filling it with cash. We take care of everything, including repairs and restocking the ATM with cash, so you can focus on running your business.
Another advantage of having an ATM on site is that it can help reduce credit card processing fees. Customers who have access to cash may be more likely to pay with cash instead of credit cards, saving you money on transaction fees.
Lastly, having an ATM on your premises can improve the overall customer experience. It shows that you're invested in making it easy for customers to shop at your business and provides a sense of convenience and accessibility. This can increase customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth marketing for your business.
In conclusion, installing an ATM through our free full-service ATM placement program can be a simple yet effective way to boost your business's revenue and customer satisfaction. So why not take advantage of this opportunity and contact us today to see how we can help you bring an ATM to your business.
Your Customers Will Thank You, and So Will Your Wallet!
Auto bodies and auto repair shops, like any other business, face several challenges when it comes to managing their finances. One of the biggest is balancing the books while keeping customers happy. One solution to this challenge is the use of a cash discounting system.
A cash discounting system allows auto repair shops to offer customers a discount on the total cost of their repair if they pay in cash. This can help increase sales and reduce the time and resources required to process payments. Additionally, it can help improve customer loyalty, as customers will appreciate the savings offered by a cash discount system.
Another benefit of using a cash discounting system is the reduction of processing fees. When a customer pays with a credit or debit card, the auto repair shop must pay a fee for each transaction. These fees can add up quickly, especially for a busy shop with many customers. The shop can reduce or eliminate these fees by offering a discount for cash payments and keeping more money from each transaction.
The use of a cash discounting system can also help to simplify the accounting process for auto repair shops. The shop will have fewer transactions to record and reconcile by processing fewer credit and debit card transactions. This can free up time and resources that can be used to focus on other important aspects of the business, such as customer service and marketing.
In addition to these benefits, a cash discounting system can also help to promote a positive image for the auto repair shop. By offering customers a discount for paying in cash, the shop can show that it values the customer's business and is willing to go the extra mile to make their experience as positive as possible. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and higher levels of repeat business.
In conclusion, auto repair shops should consider using a cash discounting system. By offering customers a discount for paying in cash, they can increase sales, reduce processing fees, simplify the accounting process, and promote a positive image for the business. All of these benefits can help the shop to thrive and grow in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Searching for a new point of service system?
Everybody knows you can’t run a retail business without a reliable point of sale (POS) system. It’s the driving force behind all the rest of your business operations. But, not all POS systems are the same, so it’s important to choose the right one. One of the many free services we offer at Commonwealth Consulting Group is to sit down with you, evaluate your needs, compare options, and help you select the system that gives you the best features at the right price.
What is a POS system?
In its simplest form, a cash register or cash drawer could be classified as a point-of-sale system. But, contemporary point-of-sale systems are a combination of hardware and software tools used to process your credit and debit card transactions and cash sales with retail customers.
A POS may be a physical device in a brick-and-mortar store or a checkout point in a web-based store, so transactions, including cloud-based transactions, may take place in person or online, with receipts shared either in print or electronically.
POS systems are increasingly interactive, particularly in the hospitality industry, allowing customers to make reservations, view menus, place orders, pay bills, and apply tips electronically.
Meanwhile, point-of-sale software devices allow the merchant to monitor inventory and buying trends, track pricing accuracy, and collect marketing data.
How can we help?
Are you considering moving away from your present cash register system to a fully integrated point of sale system, or upgrading an existing POS? Give us a call at (800) 866-3944, or Email us at inquiry@ccgpays.com and we’ll set up a convenient time to go over your options.
Here’s a Way to Keep More of Your Profits and Grow Your Business
For the past dozen years or so, Commonwealth Consulting Group has been supporting businesses with the credit card processing equipment and services they need to be successful, so we know what every business owner knows: accepting credit cards leads to increased sales. But we also know that means our customers have to bear the cost of maintaining a merchant account and processing credit card transactions. That comes with hefty fees that eat into your profits.
What if we told you there is a way to satisfy your customers who enjoy the convenience of using their credit card and still pay less for processing credit card transactions so you can keep more of your profits
Welcome to cash discounting! A cash discount program offsets the cost of credit card processing fees by encouraging customers to pay in cash. When a customer chooses to pay in cash, your system applies a small discount of up to 4% to the product or service price. Customers love a good discount, and there is no easier way than this – they simply have to pay with cash.
If the customer opts to pay with a credit or debit card, our upgraded POS terminal calculates and includes the card processing fee for the transaction. The customer receipt clearly displays the adjustment for not opting to pay with cash and receive the discounts. This message is reinforced with a sign displayed at your register informing your customer that if they pay with cash, they are afforded a discount. If they choose to pay with a credit card, the discount will not be applied.
It’s important to understand that a cash discount is not the same as a credit card surcharge, where the cost of processing is added to the regular price at checkout if the customer uses a credit card. Cash discount programs are legal in all U.S. states and territories as long as all compliance requirements are met.
That’s where Commonwealth Consulting Group comes in. We can help you implement a fully compliant cash discount program. With our free POS terminals and upgraded software, credit card processing fees will be included in the transaction when your customers pay with a credit card. We can also provide you with the required signage to display at your register and inform your customers of their options.
Interested? Let’s chat.
We’d love to tell you more about how other CCG customers are already using the simple, clear payment solutions we can provide. Give us a call today at 800.866. 3944, or email us at info@ccgpays.com and we’ll get you started saving money on your monthly credit card processing fees.
Seasonal ATMs? Yeah, we can do that!
It's September, a time when lots of seasonal activities start to fill our calendar! Back-to-school haircut? Check. A visit to the pumpkin patch? Check. Apple picking at the orchard down the road? Check. Visit to the farm stand? Well, you get the idea.
And if you're one of those merchants who experiences an increase in business around this time of year, or maybe you even do most of your business in the fall or winter, you don't want a lack of available cash to chase away potential customers! Commonwealth Consulting Group is here to help.
No matter what your need for a temporary ATM, give us a call at (800) 866-3944 and we'll have you – and your customers – plugged into an ATM in no time!
MA rolls out SNAP Restaurant Meals Program Pilot – Applications open through August 31 for local restaurants and food trucks
The Baker-Polito Administration has opened a Notice of Opportunity (NOO) to strategically onboard restaurants and food trucks for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) pilot.
The Restaurant Meals Program is a state option to allow certain SNAP clients, who might not be able to prepare meals for themselves or who do not have permanent housing for storing and preparing food, to be able to buy prepared meals at restaurants with their SNAP benefits.
Any restaurant or food truck can apply for the pilot if: they are locally- and privately-owned; not part of a restaurant conglomerate or multi-unit chain (including franchises); provide counter-based service and payment, and meet the reduced-price meal requirement. Reduced price options must not be exclusive to SNAP clients to prevent possible unequal treatment of clients.
Some ways to meet the requirement include consistently offering a reduced-price meal (e.g., value menu, daily lunch special, early bird special) offering a rewards program (e.g., free meal after a certain number of purchases), or reducing all menu items by a flat percent.
SNAP clients who are eligible to participate in this program will have an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card that has been coded by the state to allow their cards to be accepted at participating restaurants. An EBT card will automatically be declined if the SNAP client is not eligible.
Participating restaurants and food trucks must have a point-of-sale (POS) device that is programmed to accept EBT cards. If it's not already a feature, Commonwealth Consulting Group can help you add EBT to your service.
Applications are being accepted through August 31, 2022. Businesses will be evaluated on a multitude of criteria, including their ability to service SNAP clients with disabilities and their commitment and ties to their local communities.
The Administration anticipates the option for clients to use their benefits at approved businesses will begin in the fall of 2022. Learn more about the NOO and RMP program at Mass.gov/SNAPRestaurants.
Note: SNAP RMP's are already available in Maryland (Mischelle A. Williams, Director | Email: mischelle.williams@maryland.gov | Phone: 410-767-5504) and Rhode Island (Providence and Washington Counties Only | Bethany Caputo | Email: Bethany.caputo@dhs.ri.gov | Phone: 401-559-7077)
Is BNPL an option for your business?
One of the merchant service trends you may have seen popping up all over the place lately is the process of spreading payments for products and services over a longer period of time. Though it’s not for everyone, “buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, is an idea whose time has come of age for many merchants and your customers.
According to the industry news website pymnts.com, “BNPL is now a growth industry worth more than $125 billion, with projections to grow to $3.3 trillion by 2030,” fueled by consumer awareness of the payment option, economic pressures, and aversion to high-interest rates associated with other credit products.
Many BNPL users see it as a budgeting tool with an opportunity to avoid interest payments. Under this system, the BNPL provider places a hold against an existing credit card for the full amount, but only charges the installment payments, reducing the hold as the payments are made. This approach removes the need for credit checks and can shorten the BNPL application process while permitting consumers to benefit from the high credit limits they have earned without the downside of interest payments and high APR.
If you’re a merchant in a service industry – e.g., auto repair, HVAC, IT, CPA firms, legal services, medical or dental services – you could be losing out on customers who delay using your services because of high cost. BNPL might just be the ideal solution to bring those customers back to the table.
Pay-over-time financing allows service professionals to get paid upfront and in full while helping your clients manage their expenses. You’ll spend less on collections and close faster with prospects.
Commonwealth Consulting Group has the resources right now to help service industry clients get set up right away to easily accept BNPL, along with ACH/eChecks, credit cards, and financing plans all through a simple, secure, and easy-to-use payment portal. Talk to your sales rep for more details or call us at 800-866-3944.
It's Time for Your Credit Card Terminal to Spring Ahead!
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How to reset the time of day on the Dejavoo Z8 credit card processing terminal.
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How to reset the time of day on the PAX-S80 credit card processing terminal.
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Help! My E-Commerce Site is Attracting Fraudsters!
Increasingly, we're being asked by our clients for help in protecting their e-commerce sites from hackers. One constant that repeats in these attacks is the use of bots to quickly rotate through a list of stolen credit card numbers until the bot finds one or more that are active and have not yet been reported as stolen. As a result, we've come up with a standard list of recommendations that clients can use to add one or more layers of protection to their sites.
Add CAPTCHA
You've no doubt come in contact with CAPTCHA before in your own online transactions. CAPTCHA is an acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. Put another way, it's a simple challenge that bots can't solve but real humans can easily figure out. If you want to keep bots away from your login, registration, and other important pages while allowing your customers to proceed in confidence, adding CAPTCHA is a good idea.
CAPTCHA is available in a number of different varieties, some more secure than others. The most common and widely used is the Image CAPTCHA where users have to choose the right image box(es), such as those that contain a traffic light.
Another that you've likely used is the Text CAPTCHA where you need to enter and submit the letters or word shown to continue. If the letters are entered incorrectly, the system will not advance and a new set of letters will be shown.
Audio CAPTCHA is a more secure, but less common variety that requires the user to listen to an audio file then enter and submit the words or numbers they hear. The most challenging and most secure form is the Math CAPTCHA where users need to solve a simple calculation in order to continue.
Add a Card Velocity Filter
Card velocity checking is a process that lets you recognize patterns of normal use and those that may indicate fraud. For example, if a single customers places multiple orders in a single day, it may not be unusual but a velocity checking filter would allow you to set the number of transactions allowed on any given day or alert you to call or email a customers to confirm that they actually placed multiple orders before processing payment.
Add Address Verification Service (AVS) and Card Verification Value (CVV)
AVS and CVV are systems that check the address and numerical code information provided by the customer against the information on file with the bank or credit card company that issued the card. AVS and CVV are additional obstacles for a fraudster to get past, but they're best when used in combination with other methods of fraud detection.
Add Transport Layer Security (TLS) Certificate
TLS is a security protocol for transmitting data online to facilitate end-to-end communications and online transactions. It ensures encrypting of data for communicating between web-based applications and servers. A TLS certificate is a kind of digital certificate (or public key certificate/ identity certificate) issued by the Certificate Authority. The certifying authority authenticates the certificate by signing it, certifying that it belongs to a particular domain name which is the subject of the certificate. A TLS certificate consists of a public key and a private key that interacts behind the scenes during the transactions. They ensure secure encryption when someone visits a website.
You can rely on your Commonwealth Consulting Group representative if you need help adding one or more of the above security features. Just give us a call and we'll be happy to assist you!