Choosing a card payment solution provider? Here are the questions you need to ask.
This week sees the Call & Contact Centre Expo taking place at London ExCel featuring industry professionals, guest speakers and exhibitors from a range of businesses specialising in customer engagement. If you’re heading along, maybe you’ll be on the lookout for a new card payment processing solution for your business. How do you choose the right one for you? Here are some questions you’ll want to consider asking.
How much will it cost?
Essential for managing your budget is having a clear idea of what you’d like to spend and exploring the options within that bracket. Bear in mind that an expensive, all-singing all-dancing, off-the-shelf software solution might sound great on paper but is it really the best fit for your business? Does it integrate with your existing systems or will you be spending money on functions that you don’t need?
Be sure to check, in addition to the initial setup costs, what the ongoing charges will be, for example transaction costs and user licence fees, to avoid any nasty bill surprises further down the line.
What equipment is needed?
There are many different options when it comes to call handling and card processing. Finding the one that works for you will include assessing the equipment required. Will you need new infrastructure to be installed or is it hosted off-site? Does the provider support the setup of the system and the ongoing maintenance?
What support is provided?
A problem occurring in your payment system can cause significant disruption to your business as well as your customers. You need to know that if a glitch occurs, you have the support you need to rectify the problem and get you back up and running as soon as possible.
How flexible is the system?
Whether it’s due to an increase in transactions, a broader stock range or more users during busy periods, you want to know that the system you’re investing in can be adapted as your business grows and morphs over time and avoid the need to reinvest again in new software sooner than you expect.
A solution that can integrate with other areas of the business, such as accounting and the customer database, will improve efficiency with great benefit to business performance.
Does it comply with PCI DSS?
Any business that takes card payments, be it in person, over the phone or online, is obliged to comply with a list of requirements set out by the card schemes, known as PCI DSS. The requirements aim to protect customers by creating a secure environment for processing transactions as well as preventing the business from falling victim to credit card fraudsters. A solution that offers full compliance to these guidelines is a must.
While some solutions may partially address the PCI DSS principles, others, like those we provide here at PCI Telecom, entirely descope your business from its compliance obligations by managing the payment process as a separately entity. Our solutions are hosted on our cloud platform with Level 1 PCI DSS accreditation creating a secure link to any merchant account and protecting your customer data. There is no need to invest in expensive infrastructure to be installed on-site nor do you need to change your current telephone number(s) or network. And our solutions are flexible to integrate with other areas of your business, such as the CRM or database driven software, so your customers experience a seamless card payment process.
We create all our card payment systems entirely from scratch to fully suit the needs of your business, whether you’re an SME or a larger organisation. Our systems are robust and reliable so you can process transactions smoothly and efficiently, boosting your productivity and providing a positive experience for your customer. We make sure that our solutions are affordable and we’re clear from the start about the all the costs so you can budget effectively.
