Four reasons for going contactless at service stations
The pandemic has changed people’s view of contactless payments
During the pandemic people have grown accustomed to paying by contactless cards, mobile phones and smart watches, and for many people these payment methods have become the preferred choice. Contactless payments, just like the pandemic that gave them their push, have contributed to strong growth in internet commerce.
A recent study by the Lublin University of Technology in Poland found that surveyed Polish consumers were less willing to use cash during the pandemic than before. Reasons for this included avoiding contact with cash due to fears of infection and the ease of documenting contactless transactions, which contributes to transparency. However, the study also found that Polish consumers were spending more cautiously during the pandemic, fearing the loss of their financial liquidity.
What else is working in favour of contactless payments at service stations? As shown in this British study, people were interested in contactless payment options even before the pandemic. The study found that 72 % of surveyed individuals preferred using a card or a mobile app like Apple Pay when paying at a service station.
The growing use of contactless payments is evident not only in retail, but also in public transport, where contactless ticketing has become popular. To learn more about the contactless trend in public transport, go to our article The pandemic has moved us closer to electronic payments in public transport.
Smart fueling is becoming another trend
Enter the world of contactless payments at service stations, where progressive companies are using technology to protect their customers and to minimise stress.
What can technology and digitalisation offer the service station industry?
- Fast contactless transactions on payment terminals that accept not only contactless payment cards, but also loyalty cards and other payment schemes.
- QR code scanning and payments directly at the pump, with no need to enter a service station.
- Intelligent mobile applications that allow customers to locate the nearest service station and to pay for their fuel directly from the comfort of their car.
Benefits of contactless payments at service stations
Paying for fuel with contactless payment options has many benefits. One company that has already discovered these benefits with the help of Switchio’s payment platform is the one widespread European service station network.
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Switchio’s flexible payment solutions
The combination of our payment application with our partners’ payment terminals brings harmonisation to your payment system, with everything managed on one central terminal. The central terminal processes payments with contactless EMV cards, loyalty cards, and mobile phones and smart watches. Thanks to the flexibility of our system, you can change acquirers from day to day and direct individual payments to a bank with which you may have negotiated preferred rates.
Switchio is able to deliver all this while ensuring the most stringent PCI DSS security standards. Thanks to tokenization, you needn’t worry about unauthorised use of your customers’ sensitive information. And what exactly is tokenization? You can learn more in this article.
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Lower operating costs
Mobile or digital wallets and contactless payment solutions offer the luxury of self-service fuelling units, which require no personnel for payment processing. They also allow you to keep your facility open 24 hours a day.
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Improved customer experience
By giving customers the option of paying for their fuel without having to actually get out of their car, contactless payment systems deliver improved comfort and greater customer satisfaction. Smart terminals can also process payments with mobile phones or smart watches.
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Effective management of high-volume traffic
Service stations tend to struggle with timely service delivery in times of high-volume traffic. Sudden arrival of a large number of vehicles causes long queues, increasing processing time and lowering customer satisfaction.
Contactless payment systems with modern terminals help you manage high-volume traffic. Our solution speeds up payment processing, reducing queues and customer waiting time.
Take advantage of the benefits of contactless payments at service stations. Contact us so we can get you behind the wheel of the best possible solution.