Category Archives: Salons
FD100 Ti Terminal Specs
The FD100 Ti is an affordable, all-in-one terminal solution for retailers, restaurants, quick service restaurants, mail and telephone order, grocery stores, and electronic commerce. This terminal is one of the fastest, sleekest terminals available. Here are the FD100 Ti specs.
-Easy to use touch-screen display. 128 X 64 graphic LCD display.
-Fast terminal downloads using IP or dial-up over a standard 56K modem.
-Easy support of IP and dial-up with secure SSL encryption.
-True 32 bit processing (ARM 920T 32-bit CPU core).
-Quick and Easy drop-in paper loading system.
-Compact design with sleek titanium look.
-Upgraded, faster CPU (ARM 9 400Mhz).
-Windows CE 6.0
-Verification and processing capabilities for ATM, debit, EBT, and check payments.
-15 line per second printer capability.
-Durable keys.
-Merchant friendly one-touch daily functions.
-Contactless support.
-Three-track magnetic stripe reader.
-64 MB RAM standard memory.
-Three USB ports.
-Address verification system.
-Batch history.
-Simplified support and installation.
-2.25 inch wide thermal roll printer
Installation of the FD100 Ti is quick and simple. A few minutes is all it takes for set-up. Contact PaymentMax to get started processing with the FD100 Ti.
Debit Card Payments are Becoming the Preferred Payment Method
Debit Card Payments are Becoming the Preferred Payment Method
Are you Accepting Debit Cards?
By Emily Shap
Many Small business owners resist accepting credit and debit cards because they want to save money on processing equipment and fees. While these are real costs incurred by business owners, the increase in customer base will greatly outweigh merchant account costs long-term. Recent reports have shown that consumers preferred method of payment is debit cards, especially among young audiences. The amounts of debit card transactions are expected to grow exponentially over the next several years.
According to the Transaction World article “New Positive Implications Abound with Debit Cards” written by Judith McGuire and Tony Hayes, debit cards have penetrated the transaction world in a big way. 55 debit card issuing financial institutions participated in a consumer debit card survey. What they found was remarkable. 3 out of every 4 eligible accounts at these institutions could be accessed by a debit card, and 85% were capable of initiating both PIN and signature authorized transactions.
This big debit penetration rate plus the continued growth of debit cards as the preferred method of payment should have all small business owners taking notice, especially small businesses not accepting payment cards. Service businesses are a prime example of an industry underserved by merchant accounts. Service businesses such as landscapers, pool maintenance operators, house cleaners, personal trainers, and accountants could benefit substantially from accepting credit and debit cards. Convenient payment methods attract customers and reduce old account receivables.
The growth of debit cards as the preferred consumer method of payment is a remarkable trend that will continue to rise with financial institutions making bank funds more accessible through debit payments. Young consumers who have grown up with debit card and contactless payments will continue to fuel the debit card purchasing growth well into 2014.
FD 300 Point of Sale Terminal
PaymentMax is pleased to announce the FD 300 Point-of-Sale terminal has been launched by First Data Corp. The FD300 is the perfect point-of-sale terminal for professional businesses who have multiple businesses housed at one location like Dentist or Doctor’s offices. The FD 300 will allow each transaction to be designated to the appropriate business.
For more information:
Beauty Salons Use Techology to Make Appointments
Check out my recently published content on AC:
Using Technology to Make Salon Appointments
Increase Sales in Beauty Salon or Spa
Check out my recently published content on AC:
How to Increase Professional Beauty Product Sales in Salons and Spas
Merchant Account Strategies for Beauty Salons and Spas
Do you accept credit cards? This is a common question among U.S. businesses today. Our country has become increasingly in favor of “plastic” transactions. According to http://www.visa.com, “Nearly 1 in every 3 consumer purchases in the United States is made with a payment card-including credit, debit, and pre-paid products.” Failing to offer a full-range of payment options, including credit cards, will result in lost customers and revenue.
There are many businesses that want to accept credit cards, but do not understand how the process could work in their establishment. They may have multiple stores located within one brick and mortar location, or have several independent contractors working for them. These types of businesses require a multiple-user account, and are easy to set-up.
PaymentMax Processing, www.paymentmax.com, has identified beauty salon and spa owner’s need for a customizable multiple-user merchant account. Beauty salons and spas are a unique point-of-sale business because most have many stylists, also known as independent contractors, working under one roof.
Stylists will have their own schedule, clientele, sales, and bank account. With each stylist running their credit and debit card transactions on one machine, a point-of-sale terminal with multiple identifications is required to eliminated a bookkeeping nightmare.
“Beauty salon owners and operators are concerned with keeping transactions separate and the amount of control they have over the point-of-sale equipment in their establishments,” said Joey Shap, Sales Officer at PaymentMax. “Each stylist is assigned their own account with an individual merchant number. This number can be added or deleted at anytime with password controls,” Shap said.
The merchant number is directly linked to the stylist’s own bank account. All a stylist has to do is enter their user number, swipe the card, and the transaction will be posted to their account. The salon owner also has a separate user number, which will allow additional control measures.
Multiple user terminals, like the Nurit 2085 and Omni 3750, come with password protection which prevents unauthorized downloads, and manager password controls which ensure transaction security.
New stylists are required to go through the application process, once approved they are assigned a live merchant number which is added to the existing point-of-sale terminal by the manager. “There is no fee for individual contracts or pre-sale tip functions,” said Shap. Stylists can enter their tips at the same time the card is swiped, eliminating errors and extra work at the end of their shift.
When a stylist leaves the establishment, the manager can delete the merchant number from their machine without interfering with the current salon infrastructure and stylists can transfer their existing merchant account to another establishment with no down time.
© 2007 Paymentmax is a registered ISO/MSP for Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Walnut Creek, CA. Powered by First Data Corporation.
American Express and Discover require separate approval.
Powered by First Data Corporation
All trademarks, service marks and trade names referenced in this material are the property of their respective owners.
*Restrictions apply and on approved credit. | Accounts generally approved in 24 hours.
Boosting Gift Card Sales in Beauty Salons
Check out my recently published content on AC:
Boosting Gift Card Sales in Beauty Salons and Spas
How to choose a Merchant Services Provider
How to Choose a Merchant Services Provider
from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Choosing a Merchant Services Provider does not have to be a daunting task. By asking a few imperative questions you will have a better understanding of their business and if they are a right fit for you.
Steps
- Question #1 Customer Service… Ask your prospect what you can expect when you call their office for support. Who will answer the phone? Do they have one of those annoying automated system that takes you into a black hole, or do they have a live human answering the phone? What are the hours of operation? If you speak another language, do they have a translation service? If you have an emergency, is there a 24 hour telephone number?
- Question #2 Rate…You should not base your decision solely on price. Be weary of those that are offering extremly low rates. They may be padding the back end with additional fees. Qualified and non-qualified rates are determined by Visa/MasterCard. Look at their websites to determine what these credit card companies are charging your processor to run Visa/MasterCard transactions. If the rate is lower than this “set” rate, be cautious. Remember that your processor is a business, with expenses and employees to pay.
- Question #3 Funding…How long will it take for your e-funds (funds from credit, debit, and e-checks) to be deposited into your bank account? The deposit, or funding time is different with each processor. If your business needs daily cash flow to pay employees funding time could be very important to you. Processors fund anywhere from 24 hours to several days to even weeks.
- Question #4 Experience…How many years has the processor been in business? This can prove to be very important when a problem arises with your account or your equipment. Ensure they have the know-how to get things resolved, and fast!
- Question #5 Equipment…Long gone are the days of having to purchase costly equipment, or get stuck in a long lease. Leading processors are offering free equipement with new, approved merchant accounts. Understand that this is a free terminal placement while you are a current client of the processor. If you terminate the agreement, for any reason, you must return the equipment. Be cautious about processors who push new, costly, equipment. Unless you current equipment is not PCI compliant or network compliant, you should not have to upgrade.
- Question #6 Contract Term…Know if there is a contract term. If there is a contract term and you want to cancel the contract in the future what is the fee. Are there certain exceptions to this early-cancellation fee?
Tips
- Be honest with your processor about your business type, how much you process, and the average ticket amount. Don’t claim a $20.00 average ticket amount when your average ticket is around $200.00. This may see like a good idea to qualify for a “lower” rate but what will undoubtly happen is..after you run a few “abnormal” transactions, a red flag will go up at the risk department. They are looking for fraud. If your account has abnormal activity that might be fraudulent, they will freeze your account to minimize their exposure. Your account will be held until an investigation is completed. This can take months. Be honest and up front with your credit card processor to eliminate this hassle all together.
Warnings
- Ask Questions. Be studious. Look at all contracts, reall all the lines. Your processor cant realistically go over everything. It is your job to look the contract over and ask any questions you might have. Be weary of processors who are quick to get your signed without addressing all of your concerns.
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose a Merchant Services Provider. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Increase Revenue in Beauty Salon
How to Increase Revenue in Beauty Salon
from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Beauty salon can increase revenue by starting a customer loyalty program using gift cards. The use of customer appreciation gift cards will promote repeat business and referrals increasing one’s profits.
Steps
- Call your merchant services provider or look on the Internet and inquire about having gift cards custom designed to fit your salon.
- Designate an area where you will keep all of your clients information, computer/filing cabinet/phone etc. Make sure that the information ends up there, and only there.
- Start collecting client information such as name, address, email address. Let them know that this information is for your eyes only and this information will be used to send coupons and rewards.
- Many salons also will put pertinent customer information like what type of cut/color their customer had, the date they were last in, how they like their coffee. Any information that can help them give more personal service.
- Decide when you are going to start your customer loyalty program. Ensure that your gift cards have been received and you and your staff know how to process them on your point-of-sale system.
- Stock your salon with products and lists of services that your clients can purchase with their customer appreciation cards.
- Determine the dollar amount you are going to load on to your “thank you” gift cards. This amount should be high enough to encourage people to come back into your salon. You want your new and existing clients coming back to your salon.
- Determine how frequently you are going to send out thank you notes with pre-loaded gift cards attached. Weekly? Monthly? After each-new client?
- Start it up. Retrieve your clients information. Write a personal thank you for coming in. Mention the pre-loaded gift card amount and insert it into the thank you card. Inform your new client that the gift card can be used for products and services. Sign your name. Make it personal.
- Keep it going.
- When customers come back in to use their cards, inform them that the cards are re-loadable and that your gift cards make great gifts.
- Keep a log. Know what customers are coming back in and what they are buying. Build on what is working.
Tips
- Make sure that your current point-of-sale terminal is capable of processing gift cards.
- Design your gift cards to match your logo, salon colors etc. to build a strong brand association.
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Increase Revenue in Beauty Salon. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
