The benefits of offering customers alternative means of payment through restaurant merchant services processing are limitless. It is important to choose a provider who offers a comprehensive, efficient, and budget friendly system. PCI regulation compliance is also a major concern of restaurant owners, employing a system that maintains PCI compliance is essential to success.

Choosing a merchant service provider that is right for your business depends on outlining your unique restaurant credit card processing needs. Your service provider should offer a scalable system which allows for growth or downsizing. Restaurant tablet POS systems should be technologically advanced but easy for you and your staff to use. Having a system that quickly submits and processes information allows your staff to be efficient, productive, and accurate with meal ticketing and sale finalization.

If your business relies on mobile services, your restaurant merchant account provider must allow your staff to process sales in the field. Mobile credit card processing enables your staff and can boost your sales. When your restaurant is attending a festival or foodie event, you can offer your customers the convenience of paying for your services with their debit or credit card.

PCI compliance regulations outline how restaurant owners can avoid customer information fraud. Customer and company data breach can be a serious hindrance and maintaining PCI compliance will help you avoid unneeded risk. 

Restaurant credit card processing & PCI Compliance?

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard outlines the requirements for all merchants that store, process, or transmit customer data. By using a POS system that is PCI compliant you are mitigating compromises, preventing storage of sensitive customer data, and supporting the PCI-DSS standard for cardholder safety and security.

If your restaurant tablet POS system is not PCI compliant, you could incur penalties and fines that reach the amount of $50,000 or more. You will also be classified as a Level 1 merchant which faces yearly audits of PCI regulation compliance. These audits can cost between $25,000-$35,000 per year. 

In order to ensure your restaurant merchant account provider is PCI compliant, it is important to check the validation list often. Remember PCI compliance regulations can change and adjust each year, be sure to check with your provider annually to ensure your systems remain up to date with compliance regulations.

Statistics show an increasing percentage of American shoppers are using credit cards over cash when they arrive at the checkout counter. In fact, only 27% of USA sales transactions are completed using physical tender (Source: Forbes.com). As higher plastic payment rates show changes in consumer behavior, small businesses accepting credit cards is likely to increase. Although many businesses disregard credit card transactions due to fees, the pros outweigh the cons.

Credit card processing usually incurs payment fees of 2-5%. While many see this as a hindrance, it is important to consider the potential value of a secure merchant services account. With credit card transactions on the rise, many businesses are finding additional processing fees are well worth the ROI (Return on Investment). Of the numerous advantages, small businesses accepting credit cards benefit from a simple, fast and safe transaction process. Data encryption and fraud protection maximizes security measures while wireless online connectivity has greatly surpassed dial-up transaction speeds, making credit card processing easier and more attractive to consumers.

A common question among credit card merchants is “how do I take credit cards without a merchant account?”  Unfortunately the answer is that you cannot.  Fortunately, however, there are several great options out there for credit card merchants.

Although some people will argue that Paypal is the exception to this rule, even they utilize a least some type of merchant processing account depending on what service you need.  Other people may try to avoid merchant processing accounts by sharing accounts.  For example, if someone owns two businesses, they would try to use one account for both companies.  However, most major credit card companies do not allow shared merchant accounts.  It is crucial to have one merchant processing account for each of your businesses.

If you are a credit card merchant, the easiest way to accept payment is simply to embrace the merchant processing accounts.  Countless credit card merchants have already done this, and are now reaping the benefits of utilizing a merchant account.  Credit card merchants give their customers the convenience of using their favorite method of payment, are decreasing checkout time, and can get paid at any time or in any place.