Integrated payments are at the heart of successful hotel operations. By having a payment terminal that easily connects with your other hotel software, hoteliers can reduce the amount of manual tasks, which also reduces the possibility for human error. By connecting your payment process with special countertop and kiosk terminals, you can streamline your processes and ensure the smoothest possible check-ins and check-outs.
With so many transactions and payments being processed on a daily basis at a hotel, it’s key that all operational components and the staff in charge of those processes work together like a well-oiled machine. In this article, we’ll look at what integrated payments are, why your hotel needs an integrated payment terminal, and the six key benefits that it presents to your hotel.
What are integrated payments?
Integrated payments mean that payment processing can be easily connected with your hotel’s PMS and other software in order to make it faster and easier to process payments and other vital services at your hotel. The more integrated your different processes are – especially when it comes to something as important as payments – the better you can serve your guests and provide a top-notch customer experience.
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The more integrated your payments and the more streamlined processes are at your hotel, the easier it will be for you to upsell and cross-sell because you can encourage guests to purchase additional services or upgrades and easily charge them with little or no extra effort on behalf of your guests or your front desk staff.
Why does your hotel need an integrated payment terminal?
An integrated payment terminal is the best way of optimizing hotel payment processing by connecting the process with special terminals and kiosks that make it easy to manage payments at any phase of the customer journey, whether it be at check-in, check-out, or throughout the guest’s stay.
A terminal that is well-connected allows you to optimize your operations across the guest journey, with an enhanced point of sale system and the help of technology. In the case of a kiosk terminal, guests can check in or out at any time without having to wait in line and even without the help of any staff.
Learn how to go contactless without sacrificing the guest experience.
In the case of a countertop terminal, guests can simply touch their phone to the terminal and use the payment method of their choice, whether that be a major credit card, debit card, or a digital wallet like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay. This also means that payments and transactions are automatically available within your payment or operations tool if you choose the right product with integration possibilities.
6 benefits of an integrated payment terminal in hotels
Now that we’ve looked at the importance of an integrated payment tool and integrated payments in general, let’s take a look at the five different benefits of the best payment terminals in hotels.
1. Integrate with your other software
If you choose an integrated payment terminal that’s connected to your operations and payment software, you have the chance to automatically access payments and connect with your operations while taking the manual work away from your front desk.
You then have the information and data readily available in order to improve other areas of operations such as accounting, marketing and customer service.
2. Streamline your operations
With an integrated terminal, you can better serve your guests by automating otherwise time-consuming tasks like manually processing credit cards.
Furthermore, you can process payments more easily, making the lines at the front desk shorter and even giving guests the chance to check themselves in and out with a self-service kiosk. Learn about the advantages of a self-service kiosk.
3. Improve the guest experience
By automating processes related to payments and other operational tasks, the front desk has more time to focus on providing excellent customer service.
Not only are your front desk staff happier, leading them to provide better service, but a smoother check-out and shorter lines increases guest satisfaction and gives a good first impression. First impressions are important in order to turn first time guests into regulars.
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4. Save time and money
Integrated terminals that automatically connect with your other hotel software save you time and money.
With a terminal for processing payments that connects to your other software, you can immediately access transactions at the time of sale, making accounting easier and more accurate. This allows you to better make decisions based on real time data about prices and other decisions that will affect your bottom line.
When processes are manual, you need more front desk staff in order to reduce wait time, but when you automate processes you can have fewer front desk staff dedicated to manual tasks, allowing them to spend more time on important tasks that will help improve your hotel’s reputation.
Time is money and the more time invested in your guests, the more opportunities you will have to serve more guests, leaving a positive impression.
5. Reduce mistakes
When your front desk team is in a rush, this leads to errors, and errors cost you money. You have to spend time reconciling and making sure your expenses and charges add up. Whether you charge a guest too much or too little, either way, it looks bad on your hotel’s reputation to make mistakes.
Integrated payments allow for peace of mind, eliminating the risk of potentially costly errors by automating processes.
6. Go contactless
More and more guests are looking for a contactless experience, and with integrated payments, this is possible.
Whether guests pay by simply holding their phone up to the countertop terminal, by going through a totally contactless check-in experience with a kiosk, or use mobile check-in that automatically syncs with your PMS, giving guests the option of a contactless journey is great for increasing guest satisfaction.
Conclusion
In this article we’ve looked at integrated payments, the benefits of an integrated payment terminal and why it’s helpful in the hospitality industry. It’s as easy as this: the more you can streamline operations, the better service you can provide because you have more time, which improves the guest experience.
Furthermore, with a connected terminal you can have immediate access to real time data, which will help you as a hotelier make strategic decisions that will positively contribute to growth. Integrating all your software is the easiest way to improve operational efficiency, which is essential to a successful hotel.
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