Paying bills is considered an unwelcome chore by most people. Consumers want speed and convenience as Fiserv confirmed in a recent bill pay study.  For cash-preferred customers who are not able, or do not want to pay online, it can be a daunting task to wait for long periods of time in a line simply to pay a bill – and know that they will have to do it again next month!

Companies like ENSTAR a natural gas service company, and a QuotePro client, understand this issue and have done their best to mitigate this inconvenience. Christina Veltkamp, Manager of Customer Service and Collections at ENSTAR explains “Summer is our busy season and we needed two full-time cashiers at our offices. Even so, we would often have lines. No one likes to wait in line to pay a bill.  We wanted a convenient and cost-effective solution that would improve our customer service and eliminate the lines.” This led the natural gas company to QuotePro, seeking a solution. Starting with indoor kiosks in their offices, then moving to outdoor versions for 24/7 bill payments proved to be an ideal solution that satisfies their customers.  Our kiosks accept cash, checks and cards.  They even make change to the nearest dollar.

The Move Back to Cash

Digital-only or card-only payments are not convenient or accessible by all customers. Chicago tackled this issue head-on recently as the deputy director of Chicago’s Department of Finance, Tina Consola, spoke about greater accessibility to Chicago’s 18 kiosks. “Cash is still favored by the majority of people, comprising 47% of all kiosk payments. To not allow cash usage at a kiosk forgoes a large portion of the market.” While news reports might make it seem as though a digital-only era is upon us, many people still regularly use cash and even prefer it. Kiosk technology ensures that cash is a payment option while making it easier and more secure for businesses to collect and keep cash in their offices. Even large, multinational corporations are working to ensure that cash payments are an option. Amazon was forced to reevaluate their payment methods at new kiosks when they did not include cash. “After making headlines with its mobile payment-only stores, Amazon Go is backpedaling on its cash-free practices. The company was confronted by a series of new bans from several municipalities and one state, intended to improve the inclusion of unbanked residents by requiring stores to accept cash” says Consola. This is an important shift with implications for kiosk technology in the future and the need for kiosks to accept cash.

Kiosk technology continues to grow and provide more convenience to the lives of many consumers.  QuotePro Kiosks helps businesses manage cash efficiently and securely. Contact us today at sales@quotepro.com to learn more about the many companies who are benefitting from an affordable kiosk option and how we can help you.

We LOVE cash and we can help you handle cash efficiently and securely.

#cash #kiosks #cashmatters