Processing Credit Cards at Restaurants

When it comes to processing credit cards at restaurants, most of your customers are expecting payment flexibility. This is why so many of them accept Visa, MasterCard and the other major brands.

Restaurant managers and personnel also understand the advantages that processing credit cards can bring. Whether it is a full service or a quick service restaurant(QSR), a card swipe at the point-of-sale (POS) terminal can facilitate a faster transaction that is both safe and reliable.

How Processing Credit Cards at Restaurants Is Done

Here are the basic payment processing procedures you need to comply with:

• Make sure you return the right bank card to the right consumer. During your establishment's busiest hours, credit card payments can quickly pile up. This is precisely why it is very important to double- and triple-check the card and transaction receipt information to ensure that they match up prior to returning them to the consumer.
• Do not assess a penalty charge if a customer does not show if they have made a reservation or for a cancellation without adequate disclosure. If you decide to impose some penalty fee for a cancellation of a reservation, you need to clearly and adequately disclose to the consumer your policy for cancellation. That way you would avoid any possible misunderstandings and possible future disputes.
• Take the right action in accordance with the issuer's authorization response, as follows:
  • Approved - ask the consumer to sign the transaction receipt and match the signatures.
  • Declined - return the card to the consumer and ask for another bank card.
  • Call - call your acquirer's authorization center and inform them that you received a "call" response.
  • Call Center - be prepared to answer the issuer's questions who may also ask to speak with the consumer.
  • Call Issuer - if the transaction is approved, write the authorization response code on the receipt. If it is declined, ask for another bank card.
  • Pick Up - retain the card if you can do so by peaceful means.
• Compare and match the card number. If your POS device does not ask you to key enter the last four digits of the account number, compare the number on the card to the one shown on the POS device or the receipt. If the numbers are not identical, you may have an invalid card.

Processing credit cards at restaurants is considered lower risk than at many other environments, but this is only the case if you follow industry-approved best practices.

(Read more here.)