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There is no doubt that the pandemic implemented years of change in the way companies in all sectors carry out business, especially in the early years sector. As we get used to the ‘new normal’ we need to look at the ways in which we have changed as a society. 

Today our Marketing Executive, Bethany Wright,  explores the payment innovation introduced by the pandemic and some of the many benefits of contactless payments in childcare settings.

Contactless payments and the pandemic

Covid-19 transformed society’s way of living, with a fear of transmitting the disease by touching contaminated surfaces and being in close proximity to others. This fear urged a global change in which payments became cashless. As a result, the global demand for contactless payment solutions rapidly accelerated last year and has now become the new norm for customers.

Highlighting the impact of the pandemic, a Mastercard survey conducted last year found that contactless transactions grew twice as fast as traditional payment methods. 

There is a clear need and want for contactless payments, here we will dig deeper into the five main benefits of going contactless in your childcare setting.

1. It is quick, efficient and provides more time to focus on the children in your setting.

The quickest and most affordable way to receive payments is Connect contactless. This enables parents to make payments through ParentZone. The payments are made in 5 simple steps and you receive them instantly!

Offering an enriching and fulfilling learning journey for children is paramount for childcare providers, so for many settings. Taking payments can be a timely task that is understandably a big frustration in an already busy environment. It quickly adds up to precious minutes in the working day that could be spent on child development or strategic business planning.

2. It is safe and secure

This is a completely contactless and secure payment system allowing parents to pay you online through the ParentZone app. Parents’ debit and credit card transactions are processed safely and securely in ParentZone with fraud protection. Having safe and secure means of payment will build trust and confidence in your setting.

3. Going contactless meets parents wants and needs and strengthens relationships.

Technology has become a necessity in our everyday lives, both professionally and personally. We rely on it to organise, connect, communicate, schedule, entertain, shop and generally assist us in our daily routines. This is no different for parents. 

We know how busy parents are, especially when they have their children in tow during collection and pick up. A contactless payment method supports busy parents with a quick and convenient way to pay what they owe, without having to take their eyes off their children.

Employing a contactless payment solution isn’t only beneficial in terms of saving time, it can also help improve relationships with parents by creating a greater positive experience for them. For instance, payments can be made quickly and conveniently through their phone on our ParentZone app, and no relationships are harmed by having to regularly chase bills.

4. Contactless payments reduce admin time by up to 80% (compared to Direct Debit and cash).

Results from a survey we conducted last year focused on the topic of payments in childcare settings. The study of 136 childcare professionals revealed that 44% of the participants felt that reduced admin is the greatest advantage of contactless payments. Other responses referenced, time-saving, the improvement of safety for staff, and increasing security against fraud.

The same survey indicated that 61% of nurseries thought that without a tech solution in place which automatically reconciles bills with payments, they spend 5-10 hours per month doing this task manually – and a fifth devote between 10-20 hours. A contactless payment method can reduce the administrative burden, giving settings more time to focus on helping staff, children, and parents feel at ease within the learning environment.

5. Connect Contactless has a competitive rate

We work with Total Processing to give you the lowest transaction fees on the market and save your nursery valuable resources. There are many advantages to working with Total Processing such as:

• 24/7 payments – 99% uptime with payments processed the same day and money in your account the next day.
• Secure – Level 1 PCI DSS Compliant. Guarantee debit and credit card transactions are processed safely and securely with fraud protection.
• Popular payment methods– accept all Visa or Mastercard debit and credit cards and allow parents to pay with speed – how they want, when they want.
• Live insights – get payment data in real-time, complete control of your commercial activity and gain in-depth customer insights.

Our customers say it best…

“I prefer contactless payments to Direct Debit and cash as we make the saving in postings. We have seen a vast reduction in payment posting from a daily routine to one morning a week.”

Craig Jackson – Portico Day Nurseries

Put your valuable resources towards better things. Discover our contactless payment solution with the lowest fees on the market. Go contactless today by completing the Total Processing form on our website.

Not using Connect Childcare or ParentZone yet? You can book a free no obligation demo of our software and see how easy it is to handle more than just payments!