If you operate a physical store location, kudos to you! It’s a constant struggle to drive traffic to your place of business, and that’s even more true in the era of growing online sales. Here are a few points to consider to help your store front shine.
First things first: you’ll want to make sure that your store is attractive to look at, and shop in. There’s as many philosophies behind that goal as there are types of stores, and each store needs to cater to its clientele, its location, and the unique vision of the owner. The only consistent point is to continually change it up, and continue to monitor what the effects of the changes are in your sales. You’ll need to make sure that your point of sale has the ability to help you monitor things, with granular reporting, and integrations with your other operational tools, like inventory, and book keeping. The Poynt POS, plus Moolah, makes this a snap.
Even if you sell through a website, make sure people know that you have a physical location! It adds validation to you and should be part of your brand. Push your store location proudly on your website.
For a step further, make the operational leap to click-and-collect option. There is big traction for this, especially in the restaurant business, but it can work for practically anything, from cosmetics, to clothing, to kitty litter. The key to pickups taking off is, first off, having an infrastructure that can accommodate it. This means your payment system has to be lithe enough to keep up with selling on multiple channels, and be able to let you know what’s selling where in the reports. There is also the physical, logistical concern of notifying people where to pick up their order. Take a look at your store’s layout and consider making a dedicated pickup place. There may even be opportunity to cross sell to the people picking up, with a rack of impulse buys, or other such things. They’re on your home turf. Make the experience engaging and of value to them, while also putting some of your best in front of them.
One of the most common issues that pushes people away from in-store shopping is poor service or bad experiences with the staff. While the same is certainly true for online shopping, something about an undertrained associate in front of you creates an especially bad taste in a customer’s mouth. Thankfully, the opposite is also true. Having real people selling your wares can and should be a huge draw! To make sure your people are pulling their weight, make sure that they have all the tools to do their job, which means regular training to promote familiarity with what’s in the store. Tech can come in handy, too. For example, a Poynt POS is mobile, and can walk around with associates as they cater to the needs of the customers. When they ask for a different size or color, the associate can check right from the Poynt POS, and not have to leave the customer, which can make a nice impression.
Don’t be intimidated by the flourishing of online sales. Also, don’t necessarily begin phasing back effort in your store to focus online. Tech and tough work can help your store shine, even in the digital age.
Thank you for scheduling. If you have any questions, please contact us at 800-625-1670.
A credit card surcharge is an additional fee added to a transaction when a patient chooses to pay with a credit card. The surcharge is intended to help offset the cost of credit card processing and applies only to eligible credit card transactions.
No. Debit card transactions may not be surcharged under any circumstances, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction or entered manually.
Yes. Credit card surcharges may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and are capped at a maximum of 3% of the total transaction amount, in accordance with card-network rules and applicable law.
Yes. Card networks require clear and transparent disclosure of any credit card surcharge. Practices must notify patients through appropriate signage at the practice entrance, point of sale, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, the surcharge must also be clearly disclosed on the practice’s website.
Yes. Some U.S. states and territories prohibit or restrict credit card surcharging. Practices are responsible for understanding and complying with their state’s specific requirements before implementing a surcharge.
No. While Moolah provides tools and general guidance to support credit card surcharging, compliance with all applicable laws and card-network rules is the responsibility of the merchant. Moolah does not provide legal advice and assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance.
Most major credit card networks permit surcharging when done in accordance with their rules, but additional requirements or restrictions may apply. Practices should ensure they have completed all required network notifications and disclosures prior to enabling surcharging.
Failure to comply with surcharging rules may result in card-network fines, required refunds, or other enforcement actions. Practices should ensure they fully understand all applicable requirements before applying a surcharge.
Flex does not currently offer built-in support for credit card surcharging. If a practice chooses to enroll in a surcharge plan, payments would need to be processed through Moolah’s payment platform, which is designed to support surcharging and integrates directly with Open Dental.
If you are considering introducing a credit card surcharge for your patients, it is important to understand that there are specific rules and regulations that must be followed when enrolling in and operating under a surcharge plan.
This article provides a general overview of common surcharging requirements. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is the responsibility of each merchant to review, understand, and comply with all applicable laws, card-network rules, and regulatory requirements, including notification timeframes, signage requirements, surcharge percentage limits, and jurisdictions where surcharging is prohibited.
If you are unsure about the laws or regulations applicable to your practice, you should consult with qualified legal counsel. Moolah assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance or non-compliance with credit card surcharging rules or regulations.
Transparent Communication
Card networks, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, require merchants to clearly and transparently disclose when a credit card surcharge is applied.
Practices must clearly notify patients of a credit card surcharge through appropriate signage placed at the practice entrance, at the point of sale or terminal, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, surcharge disclosures must also be clearly visible on the practice’s website. All disclosures must inform patients that the surcharge applies only to credit card transactions.
Surcharge Limits
Credit card surcharges must comply with both card-network rules and applicable law. The surcharge amount may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and may not exceed 3% of the total transaction amount.
Card-network rules cap credit card surcharges at 3%, meaning that if a merchant’s processing costs exceed this amount, the excess portion cannot be passed on to the patient.
Network and State Restrictions
The major credit card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, impose specific requirements related to surcharge limits, advance notification, and disclosure.
In addition, several U.S. states and territories regulate or prohibit credit card surcharging. At the time of writing, credit card surcharging is prohibited in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Other states, including Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York, impose restrictions on surcharge amounts or require specific disclosures.
If your practice operates in a state that restricts or prohibits credit card surcharging, you must fully understand and comply with those requirements before implementing a surcharge.
Debit card transactions may never be surcharged, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction.
Applicability
Credit card surcharges may be applied only to credit card transactions. Other payment types, including debit cards and alternative payment methods, are not eligible for surcharging.
Regulatory Compliance
Merchants are responsible for maintaining ongoing compliance with all applicable card-network and legal requirements. This includes meeting advance notification obligations, using compliant signage and disclosures, adhering to surcharge percentage limits, and respecting jurisdiction-specific restrictions.
By following these guidelines, dental practices can implement credit card surcharging in a way that aligns with card-network rules and promotes transparency with patients. Clear and upfront communication helps maintain patient trust and supports a positive payment experience.