Drive & Shine, Elkhart, IN

Full-service carwash

SiteWatch® Xpress Card Clearing Delivers “Extra” Benefits

Challenge: To handle the growing volume of credit card transactions at a busy site without slowing down the line.

Solution: Use DRB Systems Xpress Card Clearing to process transactions in less than three seconds.

Being able to process transactions quickly is important to Haji Tehrani, the owner of four Drive & Shine Carwashes in the Northern Indiana area. That’s one reason why Haji decided to install SiteWatch® Xpress Card Clearing at his busy multi-profit centers. With its ability to clear credit card transactions in less than three seconds, our new SiteWatch product clearly met Haji’s expectations.

“We’ve been very pleased with the fast transaction speed we’ve gotten from using Xpress Card Clearing,” said Haji. “We process a high volume of vehicles on busy days. In the past, clearing credit cards slowed us down considerably, because we had to wait 15-18 seconds for each authorization. Now, thanks to Xpress Card Clearing, we can process the same transactions in 2-3 seconds, which adds up to a substantial time savings, given the large number of our customers who pay with credit cards.”

Another unexpected side benefit has been the impact that installing Xpress Card Clearing has had on Drive & Shine’s up-sell opportunities. Time that Haji’s employees used to spend waiting for credit card clearance can now be spent talking to customers, and educating them about extra service packages and other profit centers such as the quick lube.

“The most significant benefit of Xpress Card Clearing has been the impact on up-sell opportunities,” said Haji. “Our employees now use the extra time to advise our customers on additional services, which is definitely making a difference in our bottom line.”

Taking the time to talk to credit card customers about your extra services makes a great deal of sense. According to the marketing studies that we’ve read, consumers are more prone to buy “extras” when they pay for their purchases with credit cards rather than cash. For example, a recent study by Visa found that fast food customers spend over 20% more per visit when they use credit cards. This finding is supported by first-hand experience at the popular Subway chain of sandwich shops. Their customers spend about $8 when they use a credit card or debit card, compared to between $4 and $5 when they pay with cash.

The “extra benefits” you can get from SiteWatch Xpress Card Clearing will only increase as a growing number of your customers decide to pay with plastic.

Bottom line: By using SiteWatch Xpress Card Clearing, Haji is able to process transactions 80% faster, while still giving his employees more time to sell customers extra services.