Have Mobile Payment options changed your IT Business?
Being able to take mobile payments through mobile devices has been a big buzz in the SMB market. Companies providing these solutions have made it very easy to accept payments from virtually anywhere a cellular connection is available. For many this has changed the way they do business, but has this changed the way IT businesses work?
Many IT solution companies still do a fair amount of break-fix business. This business can be daunting where collections, receivables, and payments are concerned. It is expected for technicians to collect checks when work is complete, monitor and keep track of these payments, as well as return these payments daily to the business accountant.
Mobile device payments change this process significantly. By providing technicians with credit card enabled phone solutions, technicians can provide a simple way for customers to pay their bill prior to departure. This can speed up the collections process and take a heavy paperwork responsibility off of the many times hurried technician.
Beyond just the convenience factor for customers, the paper trail or e-trail of information regarding customer transactions is extensive. Signatures, emails, names, time stamps, and even GPS mapped transaction can help resolve any future legal matters or questions regarding accounts receivables.
Some Professional Services Automation (PSA) solutions are implementing mobile payments into their software giving a complete end-to-end solution for making the headache of collections a thing of the past. The more automation used within an IT solution company, the more scalable the business, which equals more revenues.
A number of payment solution companies such as Square and Paypal, provide free equipment that will attach to iPhone and Droid smartphones as well as the software applications for processing. These solutions allow IT solution companies to manage payments, and Square has even allowed management of employee access and security through its solution. This provides an easy solution to implement whether the IT solution company provides mobile devices to technicians, or if a BYOD strategy is used; the provider can be assured of privacy and security.
It is not yet clear how many MSP or IT solution companies have adopted a mobile payment strategy, but it seems like a no brainer way to create an easier process for getting paid. We would love to hear about your experience with mobile payments. Has it changed your business? Is it an easy solution to implement? Has it been an accepted process for your customers? Technicians? Let us know…
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