If you accept credit cards at your store or business venue, you might use a desktop point-of-sale machine or some other plugged-in form of EMV equipment. But keeping your staff behind a counter or tethered to a single location may not be working for your customers, or your business, anymore. Having to wait for a countertop point-of-sale system to open up can cause long lines, confusion, and frustration in your store – meaning missed sales for your business. There are other payment devices available to help optimize your business.
Wireless EMV terminals can help alleviate common pain points. Wireless credit card terminals work similarly to desktop EMV equipment, complete with EMV dipping capabilities, a display screen and a keypad. However, they don't need to be plugged in or have a direct phone line or internet connection to work. A typical wireless terminal is lightweight and can be carried in one hand, making it a convenient mobile solution for a variety of business needs.
Here are six signs that a wireless POS system could benefit your business.
1. You Don't Have Designated Checkout Spots
If you operate in a venue where there is no designated transaction spot for customers, wireless credit card processing can speed up the checkout process. For example, if you operate a restaurant, instead of forcing servers to print out a bill, run it to the table, go back to the table to gather payment, then run back to the point-of-sale machine to process payment, then give the receipt back to the diner, you could save just about all these steps by equipping your staff with wireless point-of-sale EMV terminals.
Staff will simply take the machine to the table and process payments right then and there. With a feature like EMV Tip Adjust, which allows customers to add a tip to a bill, the whole process becomes more accurate, secure and convenient.
2. You Want to Shorten Lines in Your Store
Long lines don't just stress out customers and sales associates inside the store; they can turn off passersby and discourage them from visiting your business.
Your business can use wireless credit card processing to accept payments while a customer is in line. You could still keep your countertop point-of-sale equipment, but supplement with a roving associate that processes payments on the go to shorten lines. Having even one wireless credit card machine on-hand can be useful when lines get a little out of control.
3. You Want to Do Business Outside Your Venue
Plugged-in devices restrict where you can accept credit cards. A wireless point-of-sale device helps you take your business on the road. Some situations where you can expand your business operations beyond your brick and mortar location include:
- At trade shows
- At farmers' markets
- At community fairs
- At other businesses or homes
Even if you don't intend to start an outside-the-store business (like a food truck if you're a restaurant), wireless credit card processors are beneficial for any business if you want to have the ability to make a sale outside the store.
4. You Want to Improve the Sales Experience
Want to really wow your customers? Transact a sale anywhere in your store. Sales associates can be equipped with mobile credit card readers so they can provide customers with a concierge experience. There's no need for customers to wind their way back through racks at a store to get to the dreaded checkout line. Everything can be processed wherever they are.
In this way, mobile credit card processing can increase sales for your business. A sales associate is able to close the deal with the right technology in hand. A customer who intends to buy something might get discouraged by a line and end up leaving. When the power to transact is immediate, sales can happen more frequently.
5. You Want to Declutter a Shopping Environment
If you operate in a small retail environment, your space and how you present your business is limited. How much valuable space are your current point-of-sale systems taking up? If they're large and bulky, your store could be screaming for a makeover.
Some shops opt to go completely wireless, freeing up precious counter space and decluttering the retail environment. You can use the extra space to display more products (and get more sales), and make the transaction process less stressful because the environment is calmer.
6. You Want to Increase Sales
As mentioned, wireless credit card processing provides your business with lots of opportunities to increase sales. Perhaps most obviously, simply being able to accept credit cards provides a huge benefit. A 2017 study found only 12 percent of Americans prefer paying in cash. Plus, 50 percent of Americans carry cash less than 50 percent of the time they're out, CNBC reports.
Since most consumers don’t like to pay in cash, it makes sense to accept credit cards. If you don’t want to be tethered to a countertop point-of-sale system, then a wireless credit card processing device might be the best solution for you.
Want to explore wireless credit card processing for your business? Learn more.
