Integrating card payment solutions into your retail, product or service business does more than accept payments for what you’re selling.

Ensuring that your business has an integrated card payment solution in place helps you streamline operations and offer exceptional customer service, among many other benefits.

But what exactly constitutes an integrated card payment solution? And why should you, as a merchant, consider one for your business? This post will reveal everything and show you why integrated card payment solutions are good for customers… and great for business!

What are integrated card payment solutions?

Integrated card payment solutions provide joined up services between your card terminal and your till.

When your cash register and card payment terminal operate together to handle payments, the total amount due appears right away on the card reader. By linking these two key parts of your business, you eliminate the need to enter sales separately on both your card terminal and EPOS.

Imagine the time savings for both your customers and yourself. More on that a little later in the post.

More so, any payments taken through the day using your integrated card payment solution will reflect when you run your end-of-day reports for your ePOS system. Now, you’re no longer just speaking time savings and convenience, even though these are two important considerations. With this functionality in your business, you’re also looking at more accurate and quicker auditing and reconciliation processes.

Why should merchants embed integrated card payments in their businesses?

This post has already highlighted some of the benefits your business can enjoy once you set up an integrated card payment solution in your organisation. However, there are even more valuable advantages to this innovative payment solution that come to mind with a little further research.

It’s worth calling out the time efficiencies again. Not only does saving your patron/client time (and everyone is busy with their own priorities) enhance the customer service that you offer, it’s also a benefit for you. Any time you free up for yourself can be used to focus on other lucrative aspects of your business. It’s not an exaggeration to say that integrated card payments are a win-win for customers and you as a business owner.

Apart from quicker payments, there’s also less chance of a mistaken transaction thanks to no longer needing to tally up a total twice. You’re no longer running the risk of being short changed with an incorrect total, nor having to apologise to, and pacify, customers for being overcharged.

Merchants will also enjoy other valuable benefits thanks to an integrated card payments solution. These include:

  • Comply with the strictest PCI DSS standards on card security. Thanks to the technology behind integrated card payment solution software, confidential, encrypted data on credit and debit cards no longer makes any contact with your systems. This is a significant benefit to your operations procedures as cybersecurity becomes an even bigger mainstream issue.

  • Easy and convenient to use in conjunction with omni-channel payment systems.

  • Potential for a higher volume of sales. Taking less time to put through payments frees up time to make extra sales. Integrated card payment solutions are especially profitable for coffee shops, cafes and restaurants for this reason.

  • Quickly action refunds with more accuracy and greater transparency.

Future-proof your business with your payments solution

Technology is moving at a rapid pace, and the way businesses take payments for their goods and services have also seen changes and developments in recent years. Just think of the move towards becoming a cashless society.

To gain the most from an integrated card payment solution for your business, think about the future needs of your business. Consider where payments could be coming from in the future. For example, could your business end up taking more mobile payments?

Then look at a solution that can meet your current needs, and adapt to new ones as the future unfolds.

For a future that keeps a tight management on costs, helps you improve efficiencies and keeps your customers happy, an integrated card payments solution is the way to go. Your business and your customers will thank you!