Technology is such an important word in our culture today, and we often think more and better technology is the solution to whatever challenge we’re facing. During my visits with truckstop and travel plaza operators, many of them tell me they’re thinking of investing in new technology. I always like to dig a little deeper into why.
10-15-2015 Today is the deadline. What should I do? Is it worth “switching” to EMV at my truckstop?
10-01-2015 Is EMV the most secure payment method available?
09-30-2015 Does the October 1, 2015 deadline apply to my fuel dispensers?
No. Automated fuel dispensers will have until 2017 to make the shift to EMV. Until then, they will follow existing fraud liability rules. Thus, while inside-the-store point-of-sale equipment faces a liability shift deadline of October 1, 2015, fuel dispensers have two extra years. Gilbarco recently announced that the company has seen a record high in automated fuel dispenser orders, indicating that large, regional retailers are upgrading their dispenser payment platforms to support new EMV standards.
NATSO has received a number of questions from truckstop owners and operators regarding the October 1, 2015 “EMV Shift” – this refers to Visa and MasterCard’s plans to begin aligning credit and debit cards in the United States with those companies’ proprietary chip technology.
NATSO has prepared a detailed Question-and-Answer document answering some of the key questions on this important topic. Read the detailed document at The Upcoming “EMV Shift” – What Truckstop And Travel Plaza Operators Should Know.
09-28-2015 When I am out in the field visiting members, they frequently ask me about technology. Operators are often wondering if they should upgrade their pumps or their point-of-sale system, invest in a mobile app, update their web site or purchase digital devices, such as a menu board.
As with any major purchase, business owners also want to know what the return on their investment (ROI) will be, but that isn’t always easy with technology investments.
To start, it is helpful for operators to gather information about the benefits of the technology they are considering, such as increased speed of service for their customers or their employees, which can result in decreased costs and an improved experience.
From there, operators can begin putting a pencil to paper. Let’s say you find new point-of-sale technology that can save employees time counting a till, and it saves you one hour and you’re paying that employee $15 an hour and you have three employees on shift. Now you have a number associated with your return. You may also find that an updated POS system provides a streamlined reporting process, allowing you to take care of it faster, or create a loyalty program that will allow you to establish a correlation of growth. Those are all quantifiable benefits.
08-20-2015 Like 2013, this year has been a continuation of many strong trends within both the consumer electronics and general merchandise industries. In consumer electronics, key growth categories has been portable navigation, wireless accessories/bluetooth, headphones, satellite radio/TV, and digital imaging. For general merchandise, key growth categories have been chemicals, clothing, and gloves.
12-23-2014 As NATSO’s information technology director, one of the most frequently asked questions that trickles back to me is how to market your truckstop online effectively. The two most important places to start in managing your online presence are Yelp and Google, as they power the business listings on your customer’s phone.
10-24-2014 With the increased use of tablets and smart phones, it is no surprise that mobile payments are expected to grow. Consumers are using mobile apps and web browsers to review, browse, compare and buy products, both at home and on the go. This creates both opportunities and challenges for retailers and those retailers that are able to tap into the mobile payment market will give themselves a competitive advantage, which means now is the time to formulate their strategic plans for accepting mobile payments.
02-19-2014 Chip-and-pin credit card technology is heading to the U.S. and while retailers aren’t required to comply, they can face liability issues beginning on Oct. 1, 2015 if they don’t. As of Oct. 1, 2017, liability will shift to fuel merchants at the pump. In most card present environments today, fraud is absorbed by the bank/issuer unless the merchant fails to meet POS acceptance requirements or fails to defend through the “chargeback process.”
01-15-2014 Even half a cent per gallon can add up to thousands of dollars for fleets, which is why more and more carriers are relying on fuel optimization software to direct them to locations where they can get the most bang for their buck.
12-20-2013