Ensure Return Customers by Accepting Credit Cards

For the average sales team, it’s all about closing. They clinch their commission and move on the next. But for the your business as a whole, a big-picture view can be smarter. You recognize that one-time sales are great, especially if the sale has good margins. However, in the long-term, regular customers are better. You can plan around them, making sure their preferred purchases are in stock. You can assess when they’ll come to the store next, because you learn their schedule. And more sales are better than one sale, of course!

They’re also your biggest source of word-of-mouth marketing. The one-off customer may be equally impressed with you, but you can’t be confident they’ll be in your neighborhood again. What you really want is a way to bring customer back again. Credit cards can help you do that if you link them to a loyalty program for your business.

Give Customers a Reason to Come Back

Gamification has spread into every sphere. Pizza deliveries come with a ‘red dot guarantee’ for freshness. If your order takes too long, the red dot fades to black, meaning the pizza is no longer piping hot. You can get your cash back (or free pizza) to make up for the cooling. You could try some version of this in your store. For instance, you can tell your customers if they spend more than a certain amount of time waiting in line to pay, they get a discount or a free item. Then, get the right credit card processor.

Some merchant processors are so efficient that they can transact in microseconds. Customer verification is instant when they slip their card into you POS terminal. Cashiers can earn rewards for quick service, with the fastest time of the day getting a bonus.

Loyalty points

You’ll have to be careful with your speed test, because customers may try to scam the system. Also, ensure the payment processor you select offers POS terminals (like electronic keypads and payment apps) as an option at no extra charge. This To make the customers feel fair, let them earn loyalty points for their transactions. These points can go towards their shopping, so if they earn a pre-set number of points, they can get a gift card, discount, or other bonus. This keeps them coming back, because they can work their way towards a high-value voucher.

For more information on ensuring return customers by accepting credit card payments, or to sign up for a merchant account, please call (888) 924-2743 or go to Charge.com.