June 2010 Archives

Subway may be the first fast-food chain to utilize 2D barcode technology.

By Administrator on June 7, 2010 5:30 PM
Its newest marketing scheme allows customers to use their mobile phones to collect redeemable loyalty points off of Subway products.
 
Subway's marketing scheme will rely on Java-based software provided by Transactor Technologies Ltd., a specialist software development company. Transactor Technologies Ltd. offers comprehensive end-to-end solutions for its clients by providing functions such as customer and transaction management systems.

According to Transactor Technologies Ltd., the heart of its software suite is "Thor Transactor, which provides an open-platform processing engine that seamlessly interacts with traditional transaction capture and processing systems. This provides a bridge between older (legacy) installed systems and evolving or emerging transaction technologies."
 
Thor Transactor incorporates a powerful and flexible points management engine that enables very specific rules to be set for issuing and redemption of rewards. Transactor Technologies Ltd. offers a product relevant to this capability, called Loyalty+Plus. Loyalty+Plus is an application that allows the implementation of many types of functions, such as allowing cardholders to issue and redeem loyalty points. The software also tracks cardholder purchases.
 
Subway intends to follow-up on this campaign by releasing a more dynamiciPhone (News - Alert) application at a later date. It is a wise decision for the company, as iPhones now comprise over 14 percent of the smartphone market. This makes Apple (News - Alert) the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the United States. By developing a variation of this marketing technique specifically for Apple phones, Subway stands to reach a broader audience.
 
More and more companies are embracing mobile-scannable barcode technology, as barcodes can be placed on posters, product labels, or other media - allowing passersby to scan them with their phone to get to companies' websites. This can be especially useful when trying to participate in promotions, giveaways, or sweepstakes.
 
Heineken, the beer manufacturer, recently employed similar barcode technology in an ad campaign. Other companies, like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Papa John's International Inc., are also hopping on the bandwagon, as mobile-scannable barcodes are proving adept at reaching consumers directly.
 
And there are benefits to this barcode technology for industries other than marketing. In the medical field, barcode technology is proving to reduce prescription and medication administration errors, making patient care safer. As pertains to education, Tele.ring, a VMNO with T-Mobile Austria (News - Alert), tapped into NeoMedia's 2D mobile barcode capabilities in order to introduce students to the concept of mobile barcode reading. Students had theopportunity to download the NeoReader for free and scan the QR codes that appeared on the posters, where they could access free mobile content such as ring tones and wallpapers.


Erin Monda is a TMCnet Contributing Editor. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan

Payment processing trends: What every operator should know

By Administrator on June 4, 2010 7:01 PM
While there are many trends in the credit and debit card industry, security is the trend that most restaurants should put at the top of their list. Security goes beyond locking the front door at closing time. Restaurant operators also must secure the sensitive information their customers provide when paying for their services.
 
Identity theft and credit card fraud are chief concerns for consumers and the credit card industry, and should have great significance to the restaurant operator. Card and identity thieves are becoming increasingly more capable.
 
In 2009, there was a considerable increase in businesses affected by security breaches in the hospitality and restaurant industry. In response to the growing threat, major credit card brands like Visa and MasterCard have continued to increase the scope and rigor of consumer protection standards.
 
The PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) has been implemented in phases, with various deadlines, to control the way card data is transmitted and stored. Credit card processors have a looming deadline of July 1, 2010, to ensure their customers operate in a PCI compliant manner.
 
The PCI DSS standard covers many aspects of storing and handling credit card data. The PCI PED (PIN Entry Devices) component is focused on the hardware used at the point of sale (POS) for capturing the 4-digit PIN number on a consumer's debit card. Restaurant owners must ensure that debit card accepting devices are PCI PED compliant, or they risk fines and fees from their processors and the card brands.
 
While the July 1 deadline is directed at the member organizations (banks), processors enabling the acceptance of these transactions are expected to ensure their customers comply with these standards. Many processors are mandating that their customers undergo a PCI audit to ensure compliance and are assessing fees for those customers that do not comply.
 
The goal of these fees is to encourage customer compliance, which will help reduce the risk to both the merchant and the processor. A PCI audit varies in cost, based on the price negotiated by the customer or processor, but is intended to identify security concerns, including devices, software, and processes, that may expose the merchant to the risk of data theft.
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