This is an article especially written for those of you who operate in the hospitality arena, whether running a restaurant, public house, cafe, deli, hotel or even a take away?
Infact right now, a majority of you should be running a takeaway, you really should if you want to be in operation, making money and helping people in your community.
So, if you are or are about to, I want to help you get it right.
Not just because you should be looking for low cost credit card processing tailored specifically to the hospitality industry, but because you need to look at your taking payment system as a whole and sort it out in a more efficient way?
Do you need a cash register or point of sales system? Need online ordering? A better way of taking payments over the phone? Sort out your terminal connection so you stop losing sales? Maybe get your money quicker?
We’ve got your business covered!
My name is Larry Lewis, co-founder and director of SmeeHee and an expert in all thing’s merchant services. I am your go-to Merchant Services Broker for the Hospitality Industry.
Running a restaurant, public house or food led hospitality service operation is hard work, but you already know that. I make your job easier by offering payment solutions catered toward making your business more efficient and more profitable. From five-star restaurants to local coffee shops, I make sure you get what you need.
Everyone’s response to the coronavirus has been different, and with good reason. As a result of Covid-19 its essential all business works smarter. You need to look at your payment processing system to ensure its right for your business? Whether open or closed, now is the time to ensure your payment process is the best it can be.
Maybe it is time to consider mobile smart terminals that can take payments anywhere not just at your location, a multifunctional ePOS integrated system, an ecommerce merchant gateway or a virtual terminal to take over the phone payments. Many businesses are moving themselves online, maybe this is an option for you.
Each business is individual, meaning that finding the correct merchant payment system to suit your wants and needs is hugely important. It is never one product fits all. You have so many things you need to consider. When it comes to merchant services, there is an overwhelming amount of choice in the market leaving businesses facing an information overload. Which offer is actually the best for your business?
Keeping any hospitality business up to date and embracing new technology and ways of working is vital to success. In a competitive marketplace, those not constantly looking for ways to improve their working practices are often left behind by rivals who are doing so.
We will look at it all for you, making sure you take the best option for your business.
Audit Your Card Payment System
Looking to reduce your card fees costs? When did you last review your card fees? We can review your current charges, and compare with what the market is currently offering and show you how much you could be saving by switching provider… I fully understand the merchant account game. I know where to look for the hidden fees, excessive charges, added surcharges and costs that inflate your monthly expenses. Best of all, I know how to reduce and eliminate those charges and get you the best rates.
Do you have the right tools to be most effective? I’m now going to introduce to you the type of things available, and if invited to do an audit would be happy to put together what I see to be the best payment system for you.
Modern businesses are increasingly looking for ways to save money, speed up productivity and increase sales. Any business has to have their finger on the pulse of what is the quickest, best and most cost-effective way to run their business on a day-to-day level.
Card Machines
At the till, on the floor or on the road, a card machine should fit the way you work. Also they need to be able to come with the latest technology, like contactless, Apple Pay and Android Pay. Card machines, otherwise known as PDQ, Chip and PIN or card readers, are handheld devices that allows businesses to accept card payments face-to face electronically. There are three main types of card machines – countertop, portable and mobile.
There is a wide array of terminals available for you. While a short time ago, you had to do with a chunky chip and PIN machine stationed at a counter, small businesses can now take advantage of mobile card readers that work just as well. Between adding tips and splitting checks, accepting payments in a restaurant atmosphere can be tricky. When you want to increase turnover and decrease negative reviews online, you need to implement card payment solutions that make sense for your restaurant. Use wireless smart terminals to take payments from customers at their tables in any part of your establishment or venture outside and accept payments al fresco, alternatively use a portable machine that can be used anywhere at your bar or counter.
Have you got the right machine for your needs?
Electronic Point Of Sale (EPOS) System
Now that payment methods have become more advanced, businesses need to do away with old cash registers, but what is the alternative? EPOS systems present restaurateurs and publicans with smart solutions to keep up with the technology in the hands of their customers.
EPOS stands for Electronic Point of Sale digital system and is a computerised system used in many restaurants and other hospitality outlets. Essentially it’s an electronic way of letting people pay for goods or services.
You can think of EPOS systems as like smart tills. Not only do they make transactions faster and more seamless, but they also collect data on every single sale and payment, and sync it to a cloud-based office suite. With a cloud-based EPOS, you know exactly what’s happening in your business, wherever you are in the world.
For those off you yet to install an epos system or unhappy with what you have, you need to ask yourself some questions. Do you want an epos system that connects with your payment terminal or do you want everything to be standalone? In addition to a swift, secure payment process, do you want it to connect the payment journey with a range of features, including order printing at the bar or in the kitchen, stock management and staff rota options, and a dashboard of reporting and analytics? You can use your ePOS to track best-selling products, check stock, send orders to the kitchen, set staff rotas, manage table plans and more. What EPOS system you need depends on what kind of business you are. We can help you get the right one for your needs.
Integrated Payments
Using a secure cloud-based solution, a secure link is created between your card machine and EPoS (Electronic Point of Sale) system. This link syncs both devices to help reduce miskeyed transactions and speed up transactions. At the beginning of a transaction, the cashier will either manually enter the owed total amount into the card machine or into the EPoS system which will automatically send it through to the card machine.
Ecommerce Websites
One thing that has proven an incredibly important piece of armoury for the hospitality industry during the Covid-19 crisis has been for pubs and restaurants having a website with a fully interactive menu and the facility to take orders and money paid directly, not using 3rd parties.
I can organise for you to have a fantastic website built in double quick time. It will include your full menu tailored to your very specific business where your customers can place their order, select either collection or delivery, and pay for it all on your website. Simply within a matter of days you can have an online menu, secure payments, and no longer lose massive amounts of your profitability through commission to other platforms.
The first and biggest advantage is that this will not erode profit margins. Deliveroo, for example, charges restaurants a commission fee of around 10%-20% per order (more if they have more than one on-demand delivery partner). This is topped up with a £2.50 delivery fee paid by the customer. Your own website incurs none of these costs.
A fully functioning online sales platform, branded for you, including logo, menu items, prices, opening times and delivery/collection details. This includes a complete online order management system. To make the most of this let me introduce you to two essential payment services you should be considering.
Ecommerce Payment Gateway
Online business is growing all the time. No business should be missing out on this. From having a website, an ecommerce shop and a secure online payment gateways; I will find the best solution for you. A payment gateway is a merchant service provided by an e-commerce application service provider that authorizes credit card or direct payments processing for e-businesses online retailers. A payment gateway is the middleman between your online store and the payment processor that receives the payment from your customer. With your website having a menu for people to order from this now ensures they can pay it directly to you. All payments are received by the latest next day. No delays, no holding on to it, yours to do with what you want.
Payments by Phone – MOTO Virtual Terminal
You may already be taking phone orders and processing these through your chip and pin machine. By doing this you are incurring quite heavy fees for Card Not Present (CNP) and these transactions are unsecured. Both these problems will be eliminated with a MOTO system. Easy to implement and use, Virtual Terminal is an in-browser solution that allows staff to input card details quickly and securely. It ensures all phone transactions are secured and don’t incur extra charges for person not present.
It’s a web-based payment system that acts like an online card machine – you enter the customer’s details into the virtual terminal and within a few seconds the transaction goes through. A virtual terminal allows you to process payments remotely, either from customers over the phone, or by fax, letter, or email. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about how virtual terminals work and where you can get one, so you can take your business to the next level. This has been a godsend to many of our hospitality clients during this Covid-19 crisis.
Cashflow
My job is finding out what’s important to you and making sure you get what you want and not have to pay over the odds for it. Such as getting swift funding to your bank account so you receive your money, either same day or next day. If this is what you need, I will get it for you.
Working Capital for Pubs and Restaurants
Sometimes it can be hard to know how to finance a business, particularly after coming out of a crisis like never before, which is what we are all having to do following the Covid-19 nightmare. A merchant cash advance may be your answer. This uses your card terminal to ‘secure’ lending — perfect for businesses with a good volume of card transactions every month. Repayments are then taken as a proportion of your revenue, making it a quick and easy funding solution for the Hospitality industry.
Top Notch Security and PCI Compliance
I always ensure my clients systems are protected and that they comply with all government regulations. Fines are a painful and costly penalty, and I ensure my clients avoid these. I make sure you are PCI DSS-compliant, taking the hassle away of doing it yourself and making sure it is done right protecting your business and customers.
If you are New to Card
To anyone of you now facing up to reality, and realising you can no longer succeed as a cash only outlet, as a Merchant Services Broker I offer you unbiased help and support on choosing the right tools to suit your business needs.
Maybe you’ve scoured the internet and found it’s a minefield full of providers, call centres, confusing quotes, and heavy handed salespeople. I know the market, the providers and the pitfalls and can give you a competitive, straight forward and reassuring route into accepting card payments. I will hold your hand throughout the process and make sure you make the best choices relevant to your needs.
Best of all I can offer this totally FREE. The work I do for you will be rewarded by whichever providers I put you together with. I make it easy for your business to accept payments through card offering you the complete solution for all your payment needs and at the best rates, guaranteed!
Get in Contact
So, whether your business is looking to start taking credit and debit card payments or you are looking to switch to a new provider – talk to me, let me help you find hassle-free card payment solutions saving you money whilst maximising your sales!
I know this is a difficult time and hope these services can minimise the impact on your business. If you’d like to know more or have any questions, please let me know. And remember, you can call me any time on 07454 978255.
If you simply want to email me your most recent card processing statement at larry@smeehee.co.uk I will provide a free, no-obligation analysis and show you where you can reduce your merchant account fees. A good starting point for you maybe.
Thank you for reading this or listening to my podcast.
Stay safe and happy trading.
This is Larry Lewis.
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