How These Payment Options Make Your Car Wash Profitable
In recent years, retail businesses, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and car washes, have had to rethink payment options to make things more convenient for their customers. No longer can you simply offer cash, checks, or credit cards as payment options at your car wash.
Customers today want more flexibility, as the way they pay is changing. As we saw with the pandemic, contactless payments were highly recommended to reduce the spread of germs. As such, the pandemic sped up the process of offering contactless payments.
Car Wash Point of Sale Payment Options
Your customers expect to quickly pay for their car wash, accessories, soft drinks, snacks, and other items. They don’t want to have to try to feed wrinkled dollar bills into a car wash vending machine. They don’t want to buy a wash card, code, or tokens.
What they want is convenience. If they cannot get it at your car wash, you can believe they will go to a competitor that offers the payment options they desire. So, when you update your car wash payment systems, what payment options should you offer?
Credit Card Chip Payments
Not all credit card companies have updated their card for tapping capabilities yet. Until then, you will still want to accept chip payments, where the customer leaves their card inserted into the payment machine until the transaction is approved.
Credit Card Tapping
One of the fastest-growing contactless payments is credit card tapping. Customers don’t have to touch the machine and can easily tap their card on the payment icon. Plus, their card never leaves their hands, so they are less likely to forget it and leave it inserted into the machine.
Mobile Wallet Payments
Another contactless payment option that is increasing in popularity is using mobile wallet payments. Customers use their smartphones to choose which credit card or payment service they want to use. Then they simply tap the phone next to the machine to pay for their car wash.
Mobile Apps
Another popular payment option is to allow your customers to pay for their car wash through your mobile app. They can select the type of wash and wash options they desire, add car wash accessories like Armor All wipes or Little Tree air fresheners to their shopping cart, and check out.
When they get to your wash, they open the app and show it to the attendant to get their items and car wash. You can also incorporate your loyalty program into the payment app. Doing so allows your customers to see their rewards earning progress.
Benefits of Offering More Payment Options
Ensures you retain customers and attract new ones.
Makes it easy to track loyalty customer spending habits and tailor rewards and offers to their specific needs.
Increases profitability since you don’t have to worry about tokens, car wash cards, codes, etc.
Allows your employees to provide a higher level of service since they will spend less time collecting payments.
As you update your payment options at your car wash, don’t forget to also update your car wash vending machines. Find contactless payment vending machines, car wash supplies, accessories, and more at wholesale prices at Superior Car Wash Supply online or contact us at 800-554-9274 today.