Using Convenience Store Credit Card Processing | PaymentClub

How To Choose a Processor and Set Up Convenience Store Credit Card Processing

Convenience stores are expected to be a quick stop for customers to grab what they need and go. One way to ensure this for your store is by accepting credit cards as a method of payment. To do this, you’ll need to set up convenience store credit card processing for your business. Here’s an overview of how it works to help you get started.

How Does Convenience Store Credit Card Processing Work?

When a customer uses a credit card to make a purchase in your store, a processor receives their banking information and contacts the bank. To prevent fraud, the bank may do a security check first to make sure the transaction is valid. Then it will check to see if the customer has enough credit available to cover the purchase. If they do, the transaction will be approved; otherwise, it will be denied.

The bank sends its decision to the processor, which forwards the information back to you, the merchant. If the payment is approved, it will be batched with other payments waiting to be settled. When the business day ends, the payment will be charged to your customer’s account, and the money is sent to you.

Choosing a Convenience Store Credit Card Processing Company

Before selecting a company to process your transactions, do some research to determine which one can meet your budget and business needs. Here are some things to consider as you do this.

Overall Costs

There are many costs involved when you choose to accept credit cards in your store. Some of them are referred to as swipe fees, and they cost businesses and consumers billions of dollars each year. When choosing a processor, ask for the overall cost of their services and a breakdown of the fees they will charge you. Some of the other costs may include:

  • Setup costs
  • Transaction fees
  • Monthly minimum costs
  • Chargeback fees 
  • Early termination fees  

Make sure you read the terms of service and know all of the costs a vendor charges. At PaymentClub, we recognize how important this information is and so we’ve made our pricing plans clear and simple to understand.

Transaction Security

Protecting customer information is a crucial part of being a responsible entrepreneur. Look for a convenience store credit card processing company with a good security system and a great track record for keeping transactions safe. Also, ask if they can handle the multiple payment options you want to provide your customers. These options include:

  • Smartphone processing for mobile wallet payments such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay
  • EMV chip readers that use cryptograms to help prevent counterfeit transactions
  • Tokenization for encrypting data before it’s stored on a server

By choosing to accept credit cards for payment, you and your processor are obligated to remain compliant with Payment Card Industry standards. These are operational standards that credit card companies require businesses to follow to protect customer data when processing a purchase. Failing to comply could cost you money in fines and cause you to lose the privilege of accepting credit card payments.

Average Speed

Customers expect payment transactions to be fast and easy. To meet this expectation, you need to work with a service that can process payments quickly. Most transactions can be completed in less than two seconds, so choose a processor who can do this for you.

Reliability and Uptime

Working with an unreliable convenience store credit card processing company will cause you to lose customers. A processor’s uptime is the percentage of time they are up and running. Ask potential vendors about their uptime and how they handle outages and service disruptions.

Customer Support

The processor you choose must have excellent customer service. You will need this in the event that you experience a problem with your equipment or have questions about charges on your statement. Ideally, you want to work with a processor that provides 24/7 service to help you resolve any issues that occur day or night.

Transparency

No one likes surprises when it comes to hidden costs and services. Unfortunately, some processors will try to hide fees and other things from you. You can avoid this by choosing a transparent company that is upfront and open with you. Never sign a contract or pay for a processing service that you don’t fully understand.

Each of these things is important for you to consider while searching for a processing company. Keep them in mind as you do your research.

Setting Up Convenience Store Credit Card Processing

Once you decide on a processor, it’s time to set up your system to accept payments. This can be done in three easy steps.

1. Open a Merchant Account

Sign up with the processing service you chose and open a merchant account with them. This is the account that will be used to hold credit card payments once they’ve been processed.

2. Pick Your Equipment

To process credit card transactions, you need to select a Point-of-Sale system and credit card reader that will allow you to take customer payments and manage your business. If your processor doesn’t provide this, you can purchase it from somewhere else but make sure it’s compatible with their system.

3. Set Up Software and Equipment

Once you have your equipment, you’ll download your processor’s software and connect the credit card reader to your POS system. Refer to any manuals or instructional videos they provide for help. If you still have questions, reach out to your vendor for assistance.

Setting up a credit card processing system isn’t as hard as it seems. With the right processing company and equipment, your new system will be up and running in no time.

Getting Started With Convenience Store Credit Card Processing

As a business owner, you want to provide your customers with the best service possible. That includes providing them with credit card payment options that meet their needs. Now that you know what to consider when setting this up, you can research potential processors and find the best one for you.

Ready to get started? If you have additional questions about convenience store credit card processing, contact us today for help.

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