10 Questions to Compare Salon EFTPOS Systems

What equipment is used in a salon?

Every beauty salon needs an EFTPOS terminal to process customer transactions. With the declining use of cash, and growing demand for convenient and secure electronic transaction options, it’s important to select a tool that can process every customer's payment quickly. You’ll also need a system that will grow with you — one that can handle an increasing transaction volume, and surface valuable insights about the financial health of your beauty business as your client base grows. 

With a wide variety of payment options on the market, where do you start? Here are 10 questions to ask yourself when searching for the right EFTPOS terminal for your salon.

Is it portable?

Portable EFTPOS terminals allow you to provide your clients with a stellar customer service experience, wherever they are. 

Whether you’re treating a client to an at-home massage, or preparing a bride on location for her wedding day, a portable EFTPOS machine is the perfect solution for processing payments. Being cordless, you can accept payments anywhere — as long as you have internet access. Zeller Terminal connects via WiFi, hotspot, and SIM Card, ensuring you’re never in the awkward situation of not being able to process a payment. 

A portable EFTPOS machine can also help improve the in-salon customer experience. Client in a hurry? No problem. A portable machine means you can collect payment from the chair during a blow-dry, so they can be on their way as soon as the job is done. 

Does it integrate with your other salon software?

To be successful in the beauty industry, good communication is vital — and that extends to your salon software. Future-proof your salon operations by ensuring that your software tools talk to each other, and will be able to continue doing so even as your business expands and grows. 

Choose a payment system that makes it easy to add and utilise time-saving functionality, such as inventory software, booking systems, and accounting. You’ll streamline your business operations, save time on admin, and free yourself up to spend more time growing your business.  

Can you process payments over the phone? 

Even though you’re running a face-to-face service, having the ability to take payments over the phone can be good for business — especially during gift-giving holiday periods, when gift vouchers for beauty services are in demand. Having the ability to accept payment over the phone also enables you to take a deposit to confirm appointments, which helps to minimise no-shows.

Your payment system should allow you to securely process a payment remotely, so that your clients feel confident doing business with you. Check out our guide on Processing MOTO Payments with Zeller Terminal.

Does it look good in your salon?

As a stylist, you need a solution that not only works the way you need it to, but looks the part as well. You’ve no doubt spent time and money making your salon look clean and inviting — why ruin it with a clunky EFTPOS terminal?

Modern EFTPOS terminals feature elegant designs, which means that your payment hardware can enhance your salon’s aesthetics, rather than detract from it. Zeller Terminal has been designed to complement your front counter, which means you don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for functionality. 

How quickly can you access your takings?

Collecting payments is one thing, but accessing your money is another entirely. There is a lot of variability in settlement times between payment systems, with some online payment systems taking between three to five working days to transfer money into your account so that it can be spent paying suppliers, staff, and yourself. 

Zeller customers have access to a free transaction account, into which funds accepted via Zeller Terminal are settled nightly. That means you get access to your funds the very next day, and can spend your takings using Zeller Mastercard. There is also the option to have funds settled to any third party bank account — the choice is yours. 

Does it offer your customers a choice of payment options?

Your payment system should have the capacity to process a variety of payment options. Look for a system that can accept the basics — eftpos and major credit cards, such as Visa and Mastercard — as well as contactless payment methods, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

Keep in mind that many payment providers will charge an additional fee for accepting AMEX, and other card types. An extra couple of cents may not sound like much in isolation, but when you process thousands of transactions every year, it adds up.  

Will it help to grow your business? 

A good payment system should do more than just collect your money. It should also provide you with accurate financial insights, so that you can manage your income and cash flow. 

Look for a system that provides an online dashboard with real-time analytics, so you can see how your business is tracking, and make informed decisions based on performance. 

Zeller Dashboard provides insight into the financial health of your business at a glance, allowing you to mark smarter decisions, and grow your salon.

Are the transaction fees transparent? 

Keeping transaction fees to a minimum is important, no matter what type of business you run. Transaction fees can eat into profits, if you choose not to implement a surcharge. However, it can be difficult to compare costs if you don’t know what to look out for. 

Some providers may require you to purchase your hardware upfront, while others may include a terminal as part of a recurring subscription to use the service. 

Whichever payments provider you choose, you can expect to pay transaction fees. These fees are usually calculated as a percentage of the transaction value, however some providers will charge additional fees. Look for a provider that is up-front with their costs, so you don’t end up being charged hidden fees or paying a recurring fee you can’t get out of.

At Zeller, we keep our fees simple and transparent. Once you’ve purchased your Zeller Terminal outright, we offer one low, flat transaction rate for all in-person payments to keep your fees low and simple.There are no minimum transaction volumes, hidden fees or lock-in contracts. You’ll also receive a free business transaction account, and a Mastercard to spend your takings. 

Is it secure?

Protecting your clients’ payment information is common sense. Fraudulent transactions not only cost time and money, but they can also cause long term damage to your reputation. 

Do your homework, and make sure that the company you choose not only has a system for monitoring and identifying fraudulent activity, but also a robust process for dealing with transaction disputes. 

The Zeller Terminal is secure out of the box, and every payment is encrypted from end to end. In addition, your account data is protected behind multiple layers of encryption and authentication, and funds are held securely until you need them.

Learn more about how Zeller is committed to protecting your data. 

Is there support for when you need it? 

While you hope that nothing goes wrong with your payments system, it helps to know that someone is available to help if you ever need it. Check that your provider offers support to solve any technical issues that may arise. 

Zeller’s Customer Success team offers phone and email support seven days a week, from 9am to 1am (AEST). There’s also a library of resources to help you find quick solutions to your questions.

Before you decide on a payment processing system for your beauty salon, be sure to do your homework. Consider the features of each system and how they will benefit your business. 

It’s a good idea to talk to other salon owners, and see which systems they’re using and why they like (or don’t like) them. Ask questions and get quotes from different providers so that you can make an informed decision about which system is best for your business. With so many options available, there’s no reason to settle for anything less than the perfect payment processing system for your salon.