FRANCHISEADVICE
Paperless society
Getting paid can be a job in itself for mobile franchisees. Graham Hoyle of PayYours discusses the challenges facing franchisors and what to look out for when selecting chip and PIN terminals for your network
O
ne of the biggest issues facing all mobile franchisees is getting paid as soon as the job is done. With the closure of the Cheque Guarantee Card Scheme
in June, it is no longer possible to guarantee a cheque up to a specified limit by handing over a plastic card carrying Shakespeare’s logo – the scheme identifier. So now, both customers and franchisees need secure ways of making and taking payments.
Cash may be king, but the truth is more and more customers now prefer to pay by credit or debit card. More and more customers seem to never have enough cash on them to pay for jobs done in their homes. Adding to this
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is that almost a third of consumers say they never use cheques, whilst a further 11 per cent only use them once a year, a recent MSN poll has revealed. These findings may be surprising given the recent scrapping of plans to abolish cheques, which came after a major public outcry. The Payments Council had originally planned to abolish the cheque by 2018, arguing that usage was dwindling while a number of newer, faster payment options were available. These include online, mobile card terminals and contactless card payments.
“There are many more efficient ways of making payments than by paper in the 21st century, and the time is ripe for the economy as a whole to reap the benefits of its replacements,” says Paul Smee, chief executive
of the Payments Council. Notwithstanding whether customers do or do not use cheques, or whether you would want to accept one, there is no doubt that banks do not want to process cheques, as this means employing staff, and staff cost money. Inevitably the costs of cheque processing will spiral over the coming years until its usage is miniscule.
For mobile franchisors who carry out work in customers’ homes or places of work on a one-off basis, the only guaranteed face-to- face payment solution is taking payments by secure Chip & PIN, using a handheld mobile GPRS terminal that enables franchisees to take card payments whenever and wherever they are. Increasingly customers have become reluctant to pay by cash. They see paying by cards using secure Chip & PIN as more convenient, with added security, along with the reassurance of the insurance guarantees provided by card issuers. Now mobile workers can satisfy those customers who prefer the convenience of a card payment by credit or debit card, just like they’re used to making in shops and restaurants.
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