Podium Introduces Card Readers, Further Enabling Frictionless Payments for Local Businesses

Allowing for more ways to collect payments, the company’s first physical tech offering helps local businesses manage all their payments in one place and drive repeat business, ensuring better conversion and customer satisfaction

Podium, the leading communication and payments platform for local businesses, announced the release of Podium Card Readers, point-of-sale connected devices that provide more ways for local businesses to collect and manage their payments. The company’s first physical products, Card Readers drive repeat business and enable frictionless payments via text and in-store, allowing local businesses to connect payments to the entire customer journey all in one place.

As the newest feature in the company’s payment-processing suite, Podium Card Readers allow local businesses to continue interacting with customers after they leave the store, helping to drive ongoing loyalty and engagement. Podium’s easy-to-use interface – from Card Readers to text-to-pay – lets local businesses uplevel their ability to collect payment without overburdening their team. Providing more ways for customers to pay, including text, swipe, card insert and tap-to-pay, also means more payments are actually collected.

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“Often, legacy card readers from payment providers do just one thing – read the card. They don’t interact with the entire customer journey the way our Card Readers do,” said Eric Rea, co-founder and CEO at Podium. “Our device centralizes every payment flow, making the experience seamless and truly modernizing the payments experience for our customers – ensuring better conversion and overall customer satisfaction. Getting paid will never again be a friction point for local businesses.”

Podium’s Card Readers are available in both mobile and stationary models. Specific features of the readers include:

• Advanced connectivity
  • Mobile card readers connect via Bluetooth to Podium’s mobile app
  • Stationary/in-store card readers connect via secure wi-fi to a computer, tablet or mobile device
• More options and benefits for customers
  • Card Readers support chip insert, chip tap, swiping and mobile wallets
  • Card Readers send text/email receipt automatically after payment – no need to print a receipt
  • Companies can set up recurring payments in person, with subsequent charges occurring via text or email
• Secure transactions
  • Card Readers meet or exceed all PCI compliance standards
  • Companies are protected against fraudulent EMV transactions
• Simplified operation
  • Businesses can see the entire transaction and communication history with every customer in a single thread
  • Podium automatically batches transactions and CNP payments after two days
  • Refunds never expire and are easily paid to the customer through Podium; customers receive an automatic text letting them know their refund is being send to their bank

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“Every day we use Podium Payments in all aspects of our business, between Text-To-Pay and now the new Card Reader,” said Joel Masters, Owner of Portland Window Coverings. “Because of how well Card Reader integrates with the rest of Podium’s platform, you can be having a text conversation with a customer and when the client stops into the store and says, ‘Hey, I was just texting you about an order. Can I just run in here and pay?’ you can locate the text conversation within Podium and it automatically activates Card Reader so you can just select and you don’t even have to create a new payment. After you complete the payment, everything goes into the same conversation with the client where we can reference it in future engagement with the customer. It’s awesome and I love it.”

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