Is your business ready for the increase in card-not-present (CNP) transactions this Christmas?

Shopping on the high street remains anything but ‘normal’. Tighter lockdown restrictions, social distancing measures, face masks and queues mean many consumers are shifting their shopping habits to buy online or over the phone from the comfort and safety of their own home. And as we enter the busy pre-Christmas build up, retailers will be looking at how they can prepare for this increase in card-not-present (CNP) transactions to create the best possible customer experience without the face to face interaction.

With this in mind, does your business have the systems and processes in place to make the most of this expected change in consumer behaviour? Here, we look at questions that retailers should be asking themselves.

Can your business handle the fluctuations in sales?

For smaller retailers with limited budget and resources to hand, the continued Covid-related uncertainty makes planning for the future a challenge. Implementing CNP payment channels that require limited staff resource can assist with ensuring that customers can always access your goods and services even at the busiest times. The ecommerce option is the obvious choice for many but an IVR service, interacting and accepting payments over the phone, offers an additional channel for reaching customers.

Can your payment processing system be accessed remotely?

It’s reassuring to know that your business can stay open and maintain a high standard of service, even when your staff are working from home. Implementing a sales and payment processing solution that can be easily rolled out and accessed remotely is critical for this purpose, enabling communication with the customer while being able to SECURELY accept and process payments made over the phone as well as via alternative interactive CNP channels such as webchat.

Does your payment processing system integrate with back-end functions?

Busier periods can mean less time being available to monitor stock levels or update customer records, in some cases leading to disrupted service delivery. Having a payment processing solution that integrates with back-end functions such as your CRM database and accounting system, saves time and resources and supports the delivery of seamless, glitch-free customer service.

Are you and your customers protected from card fraud and data breaches?

Unfortunately, the rise in CNP transactions will inevitably bring with it an increase in card fraud and cyber-attacks. While you want to protect your business and your customers from this risk, you’ll also want to minimise the impact of fraud management and cyber security policies on the customer experience. Opting for a card payment processing solution that complies with the latest in PCI DSS guidelines will ensure that both parties are protected and by choosing one that delivers an efficient transaction process, you’ll also maintain customer confidence and satisfaction.

Here are PCI Telecom, we build and implement card payment solutions for businesses of every shape and size, taking into consideration their needs and their budgets so that they end up with the solution that does exactly what they want it to. We create solutions for individual sales channels or as part of a wider omni-channel provision and these integrate seamlessly with other areas of the business. Our Level 1 PCI DSS accreditation means that data and card payment security is at the heart of everything we deliver. For more information, visit our Solutions page or get in touch here.