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Financial Solutions Group offers some of the best bargains around for our services. Now we want you to be rewarded for your loyalty and business!  We are introducing our Referral Program designed especially for you!

The popularity of gift cards and loyalty cards is increasing tremendously.  The market is now estimated at approximately $300 billion annually.  During a recent consumer survey, 37% of consumers said they have purchased or received a gift card or loyalty card in the past 12 months, making these cards one of the fastest growing forms of electronic payment.  

Not only do electronic gift card and loyalty card programs eliminate paperwork and the accounting costs incurred with paper certificates, industry statistics show that gift and loyalty card sales increase 35% over gift and loyalty certificates.  One more interesting fact about gift cards is that studies show 58% of consumers who received a gift card spent more than the original value of their card!

The difference between gift cards and loyalty cards is: A Gift Card is a plastic card electronically loaded with a stored value, then used at the point of sale as a form of tender. It is similar to a pre-paid debit card. You can use a gift card to replace gift certificates, in-store merchandise credits, coupons and cash substitutes. A Loyalty Card monitors dollars spent in your establishment and applies points earned as a reward to your loyal customers. These rewards can be distributed at the point of sale, mailed to customers or loaded directly onto a stored value card.

Listed below are just a few ways you can protect yourself from fraud.  For more detailed information, please contact us.  We will give you a complete checklist.  

1)    Make sure you and your staff are well informed on all procedures.

2)    Always hold the card in your hand and never hand it back to the customer until the transaction is fully completed.

3)    Review the cards built-in security features.  It only takes a moment and could save you the monetary losses. For example, check the 4 printed digits above or below the embossed account number. They should match the first four embossed numbers on the card. Visa always starts with a 4, MasterCard with a 5, American Express with a 3 and Discover with a 6. 

4)    Always obtain authorization. Either swipe the card or key enter it if it won't swipe.  Write the authorization number on your copy of the receipt if it isn't automatically printed on it and, be sure you imprint the card if it did not swipe.

5)    Check the signature. Compare it to the back of the card and ask for a government issued photo ID (for example, a driver's license). 

1)    If someone calls or comes into your establishment and says your equipment is outdated, they probably are just trying to sell you something you don't need. Call your processor, your representative or another informed party before you buy from this salesperson. If your present equipment is working properly, there usually is no reason to purchase something new. 

2)    Long-Term Lease.  Leasing is fine but keep it short-term.  The most important thing to watch with a lease is sometimes the equipment is not compatible with the common networks but is proprietary for a single processor. This means you may have to buy new equipment just to change processors. Also keep in mind, leases are very difficult to break, another reason to only do short-term leasing. There is an upside to leasing equipment and that is, payments may be more affordable to fit your budget. A reputable salesperson with a reputable company (FSG) will design a leasing program that works best for you.