Destin POS Provider Gateway Payments: All You Need To Know

Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out the best point-of-sale (POS) system and payment processing for your small business? As a fellow entrepreneur, I get it. Between managing inventory, marketing your products, maintaining your books, and actually running your business, who has time to become a payments expert?

Luckily, you don’t have to! The payment pros at Gateway Payments have spent years mastering credit card processing, mobile payments, gift card programs, and everything in between so Destin business owners like you don’t have to. I like to think of them as your payment partners who have your back.

In this beginner’s guide, I’ll walk you through everything Gateway Payments has to offer along with payment processing basics every merchant needs to know. Get ready to wow your customers and watch your sales grow!

A Payments Partner You Can Trust

First, a quick intro to Gateway Payments. Founded by payments veteran Josh Foster, Gateway Payments offers customized POS and payment solutions created specifically for Destin’s small business community. Whether you run a restaurant, retail store, salon or really any type of small business, Gateway Payments has the tools to help you succeed.

Gateway Payments is located right in the heart of Destin at 34990 Emerald Coast Pkwy. Suite 326. This local payment processor works with over 400 nearby merchants from Pensacola to Panama City. Unlike some processors that require long-term contracts and hidden fees, Gateway Payments offers month-to-month terms and complete transparency when it comes to pricing.

The Solutions You Need to Grow

So what types of products and services does Gateway Payments offer? I’m glad you asked! Gateway Payments delivers end-to-end payment solutions tailored to Destin merchants across industries and business models. Here’s an overview:

Flexible POS Systems

A POS system serves as the hub for any retail business, capturing sales data, managing inventory, integrating payments and more all in one place. Gateway Payments partners with leading POS providers to deliver the right solution for your needs whether you run a single location boutique or oversee an ecommerce empire. With open API architecture, Gateway Payment’s POS systems seamlessly integrate with virtually any payments processor, shopping cart platform, mobile wallet or other apps you rely on to run your business.

Secure Payment Processing

Of course, seamlessly accepting payments is core to any POS system. Gateway Payments offers personalized payment solutions whether your customers pay instore with credit cards, online through your website, over the phone or using mobile devices. As a leading credit card processor for Destin merchants, they take care of everything from setting up your payment gateway and merchant processing accounts to deploying EMV-compliant terminals and optimizing transactions for maximum approvals.

Marketing Extras

Looking to boost repeat business and customer loyalty? Gateway Payments provides additional offerings like custom branded gift cards and loyalty programs integrated directly with your POS system. These value-added features help you market to past customers and turn one-time shoppers into lifelong brand advocates.

Payment Processing Demystified

Now that you know a bit more about Gateway Payments’ offerings, let’s zoom out and walk through some payment processing basics. Understanding the moving pieces that enable customers to swipe a credit card at checkout or tap “Buy Now” on their phones empowers you to make the best decisions for your small business.

The Key Players

A typical credit card transaction involves coordination between you (the merchant), your customer (the consumer), one or more banks and a credit card network:

• Consumer: The one making a purchase from your business
• Merchant: That’s you! The one selling products or services
• Payment Gateway: The software that connects your merchant account to your payment processor to facilitate realtime transaction data. Authorize transactions with a simple approved/declined message.
• Payment Processor: The behind-the-scenes partner that communicates with credit card brands and banks to approve or decline a transaction by verifying sufficient funds and compliance.
• Card Network: The brand appearing on your customer’s credit card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
• Issuing Bank: The financial institution that issued your customer’s payment card
• Acquiring Bank: The bank that holds your merchant account where funds from credit card purchases get deposited

See? With the right payments partner like Gateway Payments supporting you, accepting credit cards is a piece of cake!

Card-Present vs Card-Not-Present Transactions

When setting up your payment infrastructure, you’ll encounter two terms – “card-present” transactions and “card-not-present” transactions. What’s the diff?

• Card-Present Transactions: Traditional credit card payments with the physical card in hand like when a customer pays instore. Card details are captured using methods like chip/EMV insertion, tap to pay, magnetic stripe swipe or key entry.
• Card-Not-Present Transactions: Any payment without the physical card present including online, mobile app, over the phone or mail order payments. Instead of swiping, customers manually enter card data which is encrypted before being sent to the processor.

The card-present vs card-not-present distinction is important since they require different hardware systems and have different security implications. Fortunately Gateway Payments offers secure solutions for accepting payments in whatever environment you operate in.

Step-By-Step Transaction Flow

Now that you understand the major players, let’s walk through what happens behind the scenes when a customer pays with their credit card:

1. It all starts when your customer initiates a purchase and provides their payment card details using your POS system instore, ecommerce shopping cart online or over the phone.
2. Your payment gateway encrypts and routes transaction data to your payment processor.
3. The processor communicates with the customer’s issuing bank, confirming sufficient funds in their account and verifying other details via the relevant card network (i.e Visa, Mastercard).
4. The issuing bank approves or declines the charges.
5. That approval or decline flows back through the processor and payment gateway to display on your POS system or website cart.
6. If approved, you collect payment and the acquiring bank deposits funds into your merchant account. Done!

While that might sound complex, your only job is to sit back and watch the sales roll in thanks to your payments partner Gateway Payments facilitating everything seamlessly behind the scenes!

Why Gateway Payments Is the Right Fit

After learning the basics, you’re probably anxious to get your new streamlined POS system and credit card processing in place ASAP. But all processors are not made equal. Here’s why you can trust Gateway Payments to take your business to the next level:

Cost Savings: Gateway Payments doesn’t lock you into rigid long-term contracts with hidden fees. Their month-to-month terms and interchange-plus pricing model keeps costs clear and reasonable long term.

Increased Sales: By accepting all major credit cards instore and online with lower processing fees, Gateway Payment solutions make it affordable to accept more types of electronic payments. More payment options result in more sales for your business! Custom loyalty programs also incentivize repeat purchases.

Enhanced Security: Gateway Payments deploys the latest in EMV and tokenization technology to protect sensitive cardholder data meeting PCI compliance standards. That means reduced risk of fraud or costly security breaches.

Business Insights: Robust reporting provides visibility into your most popular products, busiest days/times and most frequent customers enabling smarter purchasing and staffing decisions.

Customer Service: As a local Destin processor, Gateway Payments delivers white-glove service and support you just won’t find with a national payments company located states away. Their expertise navigating industry changes ensures your business stays steps ahead.

How are Inalla Tokens and Destin POS Provider Gateway Payments related?

Inalla tokens and Destin POS Provider Gateway Payments are related through the recent ETB investigation. The investigation has shed light on the use of Inalla tokens in the Destin POS Provider Gateway Payments, raising questions about the security and validity of this form of currency.

Destin Merchants Share Their Success

Still skeptical a POS system and optimized payments can make an impact? Just listen to these local Destin business owners on their experience partnering with Gateway Payments!

Sara James of Coastal Home Decor remarks:

“We switched to Gateway Payments and immediately saved money on our monthly fees. They were so easy to work with getting us EMV compliant and our new system just runs smoother.”

Meanwhile Don Svenson who owns Beachcomber Restaurant says:

“Our old processor’s outdated equipment kept causing headaches during busy dinner rushes. Gateway came highly recommended by a neighboring restaurateur. The mobile POS terminals they set up for our wait staff made all the difference increasing table turns plus their gift card program helped grow our local customer base.”

Across industries from salons to dentist offices and accounting firms, Destin merchants report increased sales and streamlined operations after implementing Gateway Payment solutions. Why wait to join them?

Start Growing with Gateway Payments

Are you ready to modernize your POS infrastructure and payments like so many of your small business neighbors? Here’s an overview of what you can expect when you connect with Gateway Payments:

Consultation: Schedule a call with a Gateway Payments specialist to discuss your business needs for an obligation-free assessment and solution recommendation.

Implementation: Once you select the right payments package, Gateway Payments handles installing or transitioning your POS hardware and software then provides testing and training. Most merchants are up and running within 2 weeks.

Ongoing Support: Gateway Payment’s customer service and merchant success teams continue partnering with you long term to optimize performance through seasonal changes in transaction volume, staff turnover and new product launches. Consider them an extension of your team!

Stop dreaming about frictionless payments and lean operations – make it a reality today! Reach out now to schedule your free consultation with my friends at Gateway Payments. Finally get the POS system and processing partner you deserve!