Recent research among small business owners found that more than half aren’t fully confident they have the best card payment setup for their business.
If you’re running a card machine that sits next to your till (as opposed to one that’s integrated into your POS system) how often do you get to the end of the week and spot one or more transaction that’s been mis-keyed? When you’re responsible for forty or fifty transactions on a busy Saturday of trading, human error will catch you out sooner or later.
Here’s a closer look at what happens when you stop running your payments through two separate systems.
1. Speed up time at the till
With an integrated terminal, the amount goes straight from the till to the card machine the moment you complete the sale. There’s nothing to re-type and nothing to double-check before asking the customer to make their payment. Those seconds saved quickly add up over the course of the day, giving you hours back each week.
2. Fewer disputes to chase down
Every time you type in a number manually you run the risk of getting a digit (or two) in the wrong place or missing them completely. Every typo becomes a discrepancy you’ll have to track down later. Worst case scenario, a customer notices before you do, leading to a dispute you’d rather not have to spend time resolving. When you have integrated chip and pin, you send the amount to the system automatically and the risk disappears.
3. Cashing up is quicker
At the end of a long, busy day, the last thing you want to be doing is hunting around to figure out why the numbers look wrong while you’re cashing up. When your card machine and your POS can talk to each other, card and cash totals sync without any extra work on your part. Closing out becomes a quick check against numbers you know you can trust. Lights off, shutters locked, get yourself home.
4. Reporting you can rely on
A card machine that isn’t connected to your POS means your sales data lives in two separate systems; and getting them to agree can be frustrating (to say the least). An integrated terminal pulls every transaction straight into your point of sale, so when it’s time to work on your reports, you’re already working from accurate numbers.
5. Compliance, handled in one place
Managing PCI compliance separately from your POS means another login, another renewal, and another thing to chase once a year. That includes the annual questionnaire itself, easy to get wrong and sometimes costly if you do. With Citrus-Lime, compliance is built into the same platform you use to run the rest of your shop and fully managed. That’s one less account to keep track of (and no non-compliance fees to worry about).
6. Fast to set up
This isn’t something that changes when you start using integrated chip and pin, but it’s one of the biggest barriers to making the change. Switching can feel like a hassle you don’t have time for, but it really isn’t. In most cases you’ll take your first integrated payment the same day, with no disruption to trade while it happens.
An easier time at the end of the day
Even if the odd typo here and there only racks up a few lost pennies every few days, that’s still real money that should be in your account instead of unaccounted for. It matters more for independent retailers, so the positive impact is felt more when you invest in solutions that help you run a tighter ship.
When you cash up tonight, will your card total match your POS without you staying late to work out the difference? If you’re unsure on the answer, talk to us about integrated chip and pin.
Get in touch and we’ll walk you through how easy it is to make the switch.
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FAQs
What is integrated chip and pin?
A card machine wired directly into your point of sale system, rather than operating as a separate device next to it. The sale amount passes straight to the terminal instead of being typed in by hand.
Do I need new hardware to switch to an integrated card machine?
If you’re already a Cloud POS user, you’ll need a CitrusPay terminal, which we send out ready to go. Your setup email will tell you whether you can start taking payments straight away, or whether you’ll need a short call with our Support Team, usually five to ten minutes, to finish connecting it to Cloud POS.
Will integrating my card machine change how customers pay?
Customers still tap, insert, or use a mobile wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay exactly as they do now. The change happens behind the scenes, in how the amount reaches the terminal and how the transaction is recorded.
What happens to my sales history when I switch?
Nothing you’ve already recorded is affected. If you’re moving from an older terminal, export any payout data you haven’t already pulled from the Back Office beforehand, since your new terminal’s reporting takes over from the point you switch.
Why should I choose Citrus-Lime for integrated chip and pin?
Everything sits in one place: your POS, your reporting, your compliance, and your support. If a transaction needs investigating, a terminal needs replacing, or you’ve got a question about a chargeback, you’re speaking to the same Citrus-Lime team you already deal with, not a separate payments provider.
