At Total Merchant Supply, one of our core values is to provide each and every one of our customers with a Point Of Sale solution that fits their needs. Which is why we partner with a few different merchant processors that we trust, and “Priority Innovative Solutions” is one that we definitely trust. It’s in the nature of all companies (and all things) to change over time. So while your merchant processor might have been a great fit at one point in time, it may no longer be anymore. Take for instance this situation with our customer, Smokers Depot. See what situation one of Total Merchant Supply’s most loyal customers found itself in.
The Dilemma
Smokers Depot has been a customer of Total Merchant Supply since 2007. They primarily sell tobacco products, tobacco accessories, alcoholic beverages, and scratch-offs. When we initially set up their first store, we put in 1) two Proxis Store Management terminals 2) a standalone credit card machine 3) a scanner and 4) a customer display. Over the years, we installed the same pos system into their second and third locations, inside of Concord Mills Mall. Total Merchant Supply continued to support the Proxis pos software even after it became a dead software. Due to the decline of the shopping mall business model, Smokers Depot had to close both of their mall locations and begin operating out of a single (yet larger) stand alone retail space.
True Effective Rate
One day, during a routine service call, we noticed that Smokers Depot’s backups were being poorly maintained. Pretty soon, it turned into running the risk of losing them all. The age of their POS computers were creeping towards needing to be replaced. Not to mention that the merchant processing company, that they were originally signed onto, had been bought out a few years prior. Upon close inspection of their most recent merchant statement, we discovered a plethora of bogus and inflated fees, such as a “Network & Processor Access Fee”. They also inflated their Durban Debit to $0.22 and 1.05%, well above its standard rate.
Smoker’s Depot had a True Effective Rate of 3.76% with their old processor. So we promptly got a backup of their database and manually entered it into a new & improved subscription-based POS software, “Merchant Advantage POS”. Priority I.S. was the merchant processor of choice to use for Smokers Depot. Thanks to their straightforward merchant statement, zero unnecessary fees; the decision to use Priority I.S. was obvious. With Priority I.S., we got their True Effective Rate down to 2.50%. Ultimately saving them $630/ month.
To make sure the new system was as simple as possible, we chose to put the monthly subscription fee for the pos software into the Priority statement. Even better, to go with their newly integrated merchant account, we installed a brand new POS computer and pin pad.
The Results
Smokers Depot can now take full advantage of their new cloud-based POS system. With all of the latest bells and whistles in place, their new POS system now has an integrated merchant account to help simplify reporting and end of day checkout. By switching their merchant account over to Priority I.S., it saved Smokers Depot the cost of the monthly software subscription fee. With the simplified merchant account statement from Priority I.S., the owner of Smokers Depot can now manage his money better and be more vigilant of chargebacks. So if the day comes when they choose to expand their brand again, they’ll have the tools & system in place to grow with confidence.
As always, we are here to help. Let us know if you have any questions.
Total Merchant Supply is a POS dealer based in NC & SC