A Cleaner Way to Pay

April 9, 2020

Most people know that money isn’t clean, but they also forget that their credit cards passes through just as many hands as the bills and coins in their wallet. Likewise, the many touchpoints on a terminal—such as inserting a card, entering a PIN, and signing—heighten the need for a cleaner payment experience. Luckily with contactless payments, proper sanitization, and other helpful tips, a cleaner way to pay is possible.

Contactless Reduces Physical Contact with Payment Terminals

For consumers, handling credit cards is no more dangerous than touching doorknobs or countertops; if people practice effective handwashing and sanitizing their cards, the risk is minimal. People handle their credit cards multiple times a day. From grocery shopping to stopping at the gas station, credit cards are frequently in hand. However, soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers aren’t always available after making a purchase.

So, what is a health-conscious consumer to do? Paying for products or food in advance reduces the amount of physical contact.  Many stores and restaurants have delivery service and curbside pickup, so paying in advance over the phone, website, or app is more convenient than ever.

Sometimes it’s necessary to shop in store. Contactless pay doesn’t just limit the credit card’s exposure to payment terminals in the checkout line, it also reduces consumer contact with payment terminals. Shoppers simply hover their Contactless-enabled card or mobile wallet over the payment terminal when prompted and they’re done! With Contactless, no signature or PIN entry is required, so consumers avoid touching PIN pads and touch screens. Contactless is fast and convenient, typically taking only one to two seconds!

Enabling Contactless and Disabling Signature only Takes Seconds

Unsure if your card is Contactless-enabled? All Contactless-enabled cards have the EMVco Contactless indicator clearly printed on their surface. If your credit cards are not Contactless-enabled, contact your credit card provider to inquire about issuing a new card with Contactless capabilities. Most smartphones and smartwatches are also enabled for Contactless pay and can act as “mobile wallets,” storing your credit card information and allowing for fast Contactless transactions.

Merchants can contact their acquirer or terminal service provider to enable Contactless or disable signature for EMV chip transactions to reduce the number of touchpoints the consumer has with the terminal. For PAX Customers, it only takes seconds to push an update on PAXSTORE, BroadPOS, or PxRetailer. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time!

Cleaner and Safer Retail Environments

Recent tests suggest that the new coronavirus can survive on plastic and stainless-steel surfaces for two to three days, which means that the virus can linger on credit cards and payment terminals. Merchants should continue to regularly disinfect their payment terminals to reduce the spread of germs. PAX Technology payment terminals are safe to clean with disinfecting wipes or alcohol wipes as well as a recommended card cleaner with Waffletechnology. For a full step-by-step guide to cleaning PAX terminals and list of vendors for cleaning supplies, view the Sanitization Guide for PAX Terminals.