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Education

answer could be: speed and control. both customers' and merchants' needs, you will you also find out what's in it
Here's why: for you. The answer will be more signings at higher returns. And isn't that what
we all want?
• Speed: Today's consumers de-
mand instant gratification.
They were raised on smart- Jeff Fortney is senior vice president of business development and partnerships for TouchSuite LLC, a
phone technology, with the fintech company providing POS systems, payment processing, SEO solutions, working capital and
ability to access information al- marketing services to small and midsize businesses. A long-time payments industry professional
most immediately. Texting has and mentor, Jeff focuses on strengthening and developing corporate partnerships and evaluating
replaced face-to-face conversa- new business to drive strategic growth. He can be reached at jfortney@touchsuite.com.
tion. Handing over their card
at purchase, or even waiting in
line is a nuisance to them. Ul-
timately, they shop where they
find few delays, or delays they
can control.
• Control: Today's consumers
fear identity theft. They hear
about the huge hacks, but they
also hear anecdotes about peo-
ple having their card informa-
tion stolen. They would rather
keep their cards in view, and (if
possible) complete sales without
having to hand their cards to
anyone. Increased use of Apple
Pay and Android Pay is an ex-
ample of these concerns. Both
enable consumers to retain con-
trol.

As you and your merchants discuss
how to address consumer demands,
begin with the needs of today's
average consumer. Explain near field
communication (NFC) technology
uses and consumer-facing order/
payment options (don't be surprised
if they already understand or even
use these some of these options).

Ask merchants if their current systems
support NFC. If they are flummoxed
by NFC, ask if their systems support
Apple Pay and Android Pay. When
speaking with quick-service or fast-
casual restaurants, ask if they use or
have considered a self-order solution.
Include these solutions in your
toolbox. A significant number of
terminals and semi-integrated
solutions have NFC capability. Make
sure you have the terminals and the
POS solutions that support NFC. It
doesn't hurt to also have a solution
for consumer-facing POSs or kiosks.
By adding these, and addressing

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