How to Choose the Best Credit Card Processing for Restaurants

If restaurants don’t currently have credit card payment processing services, they could be losing out on some serious business. Fewer Americans are carrying cash around in their wallets from day to day: 43% of people in a recent survey say that debit cards are their preferred payment type; 35% like credit cards best; and just 9% want to use cash.

A cash-only business may save on fees, but it’s losing out on sales. Yet there’s no need to settle for the first or biggest credit card payment service provider you can find. Take the time to do your research and shop around for the best credit card processing for restaurants — and for your restaurant in particular.

Here are some factors to bear in mind throughout your search:

• • Fees

    Your first point of comparison should be the cost and fees associated with each transaction. The most popular credit card processing companies associated with big banks don’t always have the most competitive rates. You can actually save money, both per transaction and per month, by opting for a middleman company perform the exchanges for you. Do your homework and then negotiate your price between a few potential companies.

• • Services Needed for Restaurants

    The best credit card processing for restaurants will operate on restaurant time. Make sure that the provider you ultimately choose offers around-the-clock customer service, in case things go haywire in the middle of dinner service. Unexpected problems with your payment options can leave customers with credit cards in their wallets — which is about seven in 10 of all Americans — frustrated with your business and your servers.

• Protection

  Your service provider should absolutely comply with all PCI data security standards to make sure that your information and the information of your customers is never compromised. Malicious outsiders account for 55% of all data breaches — though insiders, too, account for another 15% of breaches. Make sure your credit card services are fully guarded from the inside out.

Not all credit card payment processors are created equally. Find one that suits your specific business needs and has experience dealing with the unique demands of the restaurant industry.