By providing convenient payment options we are enabling the public to buy more, which increases their average purchase. This also increases impulse buying, something every merchant needs to increase their daily sales in order to see bigger profits. After all, they are in business to make money and accepting bank cards help them make more by providing a method the public has grown to expect.

Until recently, a business that wanted to accept bank card payments for their customer’s convenience had to sign up for a costly merchant account through a financial institution. Merchant accounts charge businesses a percentage of the sale plus a per transaction fee on each purchase made by credit/debit card, and all processors charge a monthly fee on top of that. Plus, the extra fees that are charged to the merchant each month takes a financial wizard to figure out. There are fees for non standard purchases, extra fees for non conforming credit cards (government cards for example), extra fees for phone sales, extra fees if they manually key in the credit card number, extra fees if the merchant does not "batch out" the same day the sale was made, and so on, and so on.

Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines  are a much sought after option verses traditional merchant accounts because they can be used as a POS transaction tool, but with one major difference…it pays for itself & make money for the retailer through the surcharge fee that all ATM machines charge. In other words, the customer pays for the convenience of using a bank card to make purchases, instead of the merchant.

Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines will work with bankcards & debit cards with a valid PIN number. There are rarely any "charge backs" with Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines, like there are with credit card sales.

Over 70% of U.S. household’s use debit cards & bankcards! In fact a recent survey by Visa shows that during the first 6 months of 2002, consumers made more purchases using their debit cards than they did using credit cards, for the first time EVER! And the numbers are continuing to grow as more and more people are seeing the value of paying straight from their bank account with their debit cards rather than trying to pay by check or carrying cash.

This is where the ‘SCRIP’ part comes in. When a customer uses a Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines they swipe their card & enter their PIN # as they normally would, but the machine prints out a scrip receipt of the transaction, instead of dispensing cash. The customer then gives the scrip receipt to the cashier to pay for whatever products or services that are being rendered. The scrip can ONLY be used at that place of business, and results in increased sales & profits.

The merchant chooses the amount of money a customer can get through their Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines, such as $20, $40, and $60, etc. The cashier, in return for the scrip receipt, issues change to the customer just as though the customer has presented cash. Within 24-48 hours the merchant has all the money taken in through their Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines electronically deposited into their bank account, AT A PROFIT! Each transaction earns the merchant a portion of the ‘user fee’ that is charged to the customer’s card. This is how ATM machines make money.

If the business accepts cards in the traditional way, the MERCHANT WOULD PAY for the customer’s convenience to use their bankcard by being charged a fee by the processor, INSTEAD OF MAKING MONEY FOR THE CUSTOMER’S CONVENIENCE TO USE THEIR BANKCARD THROUGH THE SCRIP MACHINE! This is the reason the popularity of Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines is exploding across the country. Businesses are looking for hassle free ways to add more revenue to their bottom line, while still providing the convenience of card payment as an option for their customers. The public has proven over the past several years that they expect to be able to use their debit card anywhere they go and will gladly pay an access fee for the convenience of doing so.

Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines can sit on the counter top right next to the cash register. All that is needed is a place to plug the machine into an electrical outlet, and a place to plug into a phone line. THAT’S IT! No complicated wiring is needed. The business does not even need an extra phone line with the SCRIP machine, just use an existing line.

When a customer is ready to make a transaction using the Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines all they do is swipe their card, enter their PIN number, and choose an amount they want to withdraw from their account, and hand the receipt to the cashier, who treats the receipt the same as cash!

Most merchants set amounts of $20, $40, $60 and $75 to accommodate customer’s desire for cash back as they spend money. One common mis-conception about using a Cashless ATM Machines is that the merchant has to keep more cash on hand in order to give cash back to the customer. If the merchant has a policy of being able to give change for $50 and $100 bills, like most businesses do during the day, then they have no problem implementing a Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines in their place of business. After the customer has made their dollar amount selection, the machine connects to EFT (electronic funds transfer) debit network, and validates the transaction within a few seconds. The EFT network is the same as the major financial institutions use. A transaction is done through encrypted communications technology making each transaction just as safe & secure as if the customer were physically in their own bank withdrawing money from a teller.

There are several large corporations that manage nationwide EFT debit networks (Cirrus, Pulse, Star, etc.). These companies process transactions for sales organizations like ours who go out into the business community and obtain merchants, both large & small, who are in need of offering the convenience of card payment as an option for their customers at the point of sale. There are certain rules & standards set forth by the Federal Government, and state agencies to protect the merchant by ensuring they are treated fairly according to applicable laws & regulation that govern the Electronic Funds Transfer Industry. So any business can rest assured that ACE is in compliance and is working within these industry standards.

Anyone who owns or operates a business will want to see justification for any investment and realize how an investment can boost company profits, and prove its worth. Retail locations that accept card payments consistently have a higher average purchase rate per customer than location that do not. This is due to the public’s expectation of being able to use their debit and ATM cards at any business where they want to shop. (Statistics show that introduction of acceptance of credit/debit cards increase sales an average of 27%). This margin usually means the difference between success and failure of a small business. Providing bank card acceptance as a payment option also leverages impulse buying, which is income that is generated when a customer decides to go ahead and buy more than they normally would because of the convenience of being able to charge the sale. By having the cash back option that Scrip Machines / Cashless ATM Machines provide, tipping is increased in businesses that provide services. This will keep your employees much happier by providing additional income for them. Bankcard usage is here to stay, and will continue to grow in the years ahead. Businesses who rely solely on cash transactions are losing too much business to expect to survive in the long run. Nationwide, the average card transaction is 16% higher than a cash transaction for the same goods and services. Why would any business through a 16% increase in business out the door?