Car wash pay stations can be prime targets for burglars. Whether it’s thieves that break open cash boxes the old-fashioned way or hackers using card skimmers at point-of-sale (POS) machines to swipe credit information. Every pay station type is susceptible to theft.
Yet, there are ways to lessen the risk of having your pay station tampered with. Whether it’s by choosing solidly built kiosks, integrating an alarm, or providing machines that provide contactless payment, you should do what you can to safeguard your pay stations.
The Right Pay Station Makes All the Difference
In some regards, pay stations are inherently more secure than other payment devices or machines. This is because they’re generally self-service, which removes cashier or teller intervention and the potential for employee theft.
Cash and coins are utilized less often than many modern POS pay stations because consumers are opting to use alternative, cashless payment methods.
Still, many car wash pay stations process some amount of currency. Anytime cash is present, there’s potential for theft. Selecting a heavy-duty, high-quality pay station can make all the difference when it comes to loss prevention.
Look for a Secure Pay Station
Your POS system typically includes an automated pay kiosk and comes with features including an easy-to-read touch screen and the ability to take multiple forms of payment. It should also have ways to protect your car wash pay station, including:
- Banknote recycler: The banknote recycler provides change ($1s, $5s, and $10s) from previous cash transactions to minimize the need to restock cassettes. Our banknote recycler also lets you cash out or load the machine without employees needing to touch the cash.
- Minimal-start-up bank: Because our bill recyclers use money from earlier customer transactions, you can begin your workday with half the bank of other cash machines. This means less currency is available for thieves to steal.
- Cloud-based technology: Our pay station’s POS software is networked through the cloud and will automatically send texts signaling when your cash is running high (or low). This way, you’ll know when to empty the cash cassette.
- POS Reporting: Ensure your POS software tracks every time money is removed and added to your pay station kiosk. Your software should also create reports for you that can audit that activity.
- The ability to replenish cash supply without opening the unit: As a bill denomination runs out, you or your trusted team members can rapidly feed notes through the front. Restock your cash balance while keeping the kiosk safely locked and protected.
- Durable construction: The Washify X Station Car Wash Pay Station was engineered to withstand a professional car wash environment, meaning it can repel water and withstand any weather condition. However, its body and door are also solidly built and are strong enough to withstand forced entry attempts.
- A thermal printer: A built-in thermal printer prevents your pay station from running out of ink in the middle of a busy day. This prevents the kiosk from needing to be opened and exposed to potential theft.
Protect Your Car Wash Pay Station With Secure Payment Options
Today’s POS systems include pay stations with marketing capacity, enhanced user interfaces, and a more comprehensive selection of payment options. Additionally, cloud-based POS platforms accelerate card authorization times to help your business boost aggregate throughput.
Payment options that can help you safeguard your self-pay kiosk include:
- EMV Chip Cards: EMV (which stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) chips are the tiny square computer chips embedded on your credit or debit card. They can create a one-of-a-kind transaction code for every purchase. They were designed to protect consumers and business owners from fraudulent activity. According to EMVCo statistics, 73% of Americans use a chip card.
- Contactless Payment: Modern consumers often forgo their credit cards to use near field communication (NFC) payment (touch-free) options. Contactless payments are encrypted and dynamic. This means that every transaction your customer completes is done using a code that is encrypted and unique to their purchase. The code can’t work for any other transmission.
Washify’s credit card and payment processing solutions include end-to-end encryption, multiple layers of malware detection to protect from viruses, and specially configured firewalls to safeguard your network from hackers.
Additional Security Measures You Can Take
In addition to the security features listed above, there are measures you can undergo to deter break-ins and protect your car wash pay station:
- Put in bright security lights and frequently check to make sure they’re working.
- Lock down your pay station by sinking it in rebar-reinforced concrete or brick. This makes removing it from your property practically impossible.
- Position your pay station so it can be seen from the street.
- Install video surveillance cameras and motion-sensing lighting around your property.
You should also use security tape on your card readers to make sure they haven’t been bothered and that skimming equipment hasn’t been tried.
Look for a Secure Pay Station from Washify
The most glamorous parts of a pay station aren’t necessarily its security features; however, they may be the most crucial when it comes to holding onto your hard-earned revenue. So do whatever you can to make your car wash an unappealing target.
Call the team at Washify for more tips on protecting your car wash pay station. Contact us today by completing our online form. A consultant will get back to you right away.
