Adapting to changes in the marketplace helps a business meet the needs of its customers. However, a global pandemic can create a myriad of payment fulfillment challenges. Covid-19 has changed credit card processing for the foreseeable future.
Merchants Handle Less Cash
The journey to a cashless society has been underway for several decades. Although, Covid-19 has advanced the ambitious pursuit toward a closer reality.
As consumers, business owners and medical professionals are not sure if diseases are transmitted via cash, the overwhelming consensus has been to use it a lot less.
For consumers, electronic payment methods provide faster checkout solutions.
Shown below are some benefits for merchants who handle less cash.
• Less hand contact with consumers
• Decreased opportunities for cash-handling errors
• Reduced losses to theft
• Increased checkout speed
• Fewer trips to the bank
Increased Credit Card Acceptance
In-store purchase transactions have shown an increase in card-based payments. Covid has changed credit card processing behaviors for both merchants and consumers.
Consumers are making fewer ATM withdrawals to obtain cash for retail transactions. As a result, merchants are noticing that electronic payments are being used more often for purchases that are under $20.
Business owners who might ordinarily prefer to accept cash, prior to the pandemic are heavily relying upon merchant services to process debit card and credit card payments.
Frequent Device Cleaning
Besides keeping the register, belt and the checkout area clean, cashiers are now tasked with ensuring that the card readers and pin pad keys are clean. Card-reading devices that are frequently sanitized could help prevent the spread of germs or viruses.
At some stores and restaurants, cashiers are required to wipe areas that shoppers touch after each transaction.
Elevated Health Concerns at the Point of Sale
Fear of infection or loss of life from Covid has changed credit card processing experiences at the point-of-sale.
However, it is exceedingly difficult to create a pleasant checkout experience between cashiers and customers from six feet away, as the CDC recommends.
To protect employees, retailers have added large plexiglass shields to maintain a greater distance from consumers. Since the pandemic began, some employers have required cashiers to wear gloves and face coverings, too.
Proactive health measures that are used at the point-of-sale might reduce the number of people who become ill.
Greater Amount of Tap to Pay Transactions
Covid-19 has changed credit card processing for millions of consumers worldwide. Near field communication and radio frequency identification are used to facilitate touch-free transactions.
Contactless payments are ideal for shoppers who do not want to touch card readers at checkout. Some credit cards and debit cards are chip-enabled to support tap to pay transactions.
A digital wallet also provides a contactless method to pay for items at checkout, where a contactless symbol is displayed. Using a smartphone or a watch that is equipped with Apple Pay or Google Pay can enable a shopper to waive his device near a contactless card reader to complete a payment transaction.
Summary
Safety and convenience are important aspects of credit card processing. Going forward, merchants should be equipped to accept credit cards in-store and online via a variety of payment types.
Offering safe ways for cashiers to accept point-of-sale payments and secure methods for shoppers to pay for goods is a winning formula.
Covid has changed credit processing into a more needed service. As some of the nation’s largest banks have closed in-branch services, consumers may need to use drive-through banking to obtain cash from an ATM.
Credit cards and debit cards with a Visa or Mastercard logo are empowering consumers to shop, dine and pay bills without cash.
Contact Valued Merchant Services today for more details about secured credit card processing.
