Your disclosures must also specify the exact amount of each additional fee to be charged in conjunction with a gift card, and how frequently it will be subtracted from the balance (for example, a $3 dormancy fee every two months).

If you’re like most restaurant operators, you’re constantly thinking about ways to cut costs—even with the recession’s ugly head beginning to retreat. Leveraging the advanced, yet easy-to-use features of a comprehensive restaurant POS system like pcAmerica’s Restaurant Pro Express can yield significant savings—in more areas than one.

When a card is swiped through an electronic POS terminal, an electronic request is submitted to the processing network for authorization. Upon receiving the request, the network electronically determines whether the cardholder’s account is valid and if funds are available to cover the transaction. If so, an authorization code, guaranteeing your access to the funds, is transmitted to you. Your POS terminal or computer prints a receipt for the customer to sign and return to you.

If you’re among retailers and restaurant operators that have yet to jump on the credit and debit card acceptance bandwagon, you’re almost definitely doing your business a disservice. For one thing, offering customers the convenience and option of paying with “plastic” increases their satisfaction—a boon to repeat business. Accepting credit and debit cards also improves […]

It may only be mid-March, but retailers and restaurant operators that are reaping the benefits of offering gift cards must look five months ahead to August 22. That’s the “effective date” of new gift card rules introduced by the Federal Reserve Board in conjunction with the credit card reform law enacted in 2009. The new […]

Gift Cards Keep On Giving (Part One of Series) If you haven’t thought about introducing a gift card program, there’s no better time than the present. Consider the popularity of gift cards among consumers. Aite Group, a consulting firm, says the volume of private-label (store) gift card transactions processed in the U.S. rose from 810 […]

Regularly monitor and test networks. All access to network resources and cardholder data must be tracked and monitored, and regular testing of security systems and processes is required.

In the first part of this series, we defined the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and explained why retailers and restaurant operators can’t ignore it. Now it’s time for a closer look at the actual mandates of the standard, which is built on several principles that incorporate a total of 12 requirements. To be in compliance with PCI DSS, you must…

There’s no denying that loyalty programs have caught on with consumers–the average household has a dozen loyalty memberships, according to Consumer Reports. However, half of all consumers carry just one or two loyalty club membership cards with them at any one time, meaning retailers and restaurant operators must become increasingly creative with the structure of their loyalty programs.

A well-honed customer loyalty program not only bolsters your potential to attract the attention of consumers who have never before visited your establishment; it also turns new customers into repeat customers who’ll be only too happy to spread the word about it to others.