In a restaurant, the food, the service, and the atmosphere are all crucial to shaping the customer experience – but what about the payment process? When patrons finish eating and they’re ready to head out the door, one of the last things that will affect their perception of your restaurant is how long it takes to get the bill and how swiftly they can complete payment once they hand over their card.

As a restaurant owner or manager, you want to provide the fastest service possible. Your location will want a credit card processing terminal that works quickly and allows patrons to easily pay for their meal right at their fingertips instead of waiting on their server. This results in being able to move on to the next table efficiently and quickly. Meanwhile, you want to keep your fees low, especially on small-ticket orders. All of that means you need to take the time to choose the best credit card processing for restaurants like yours. Here’s how to do it.

The Best Credit Card Processing for Restaurants

As a restaurant, you have several priorities in mind. The right credit card processing service will help you check all of these boxes with minimal effort.

 Pay Less in Fees

Corner coffee shop with lots of low ticket orders? Bar that closes out a lot of small tabs? Bakery with popular to-go items? No matter what your restaurant sells, if you find yourself with lots of orders of $15 or less, it is important that you find a processing service that won’t eat up all your profits in fees. At NMA, we offer special programs that can waive transaction fees for small ticket orders. Reduced fees mean your restaurant keeps more of its profits, and that’s a major focus for NMA. Since we specialize in small, local businesses like yours, we prioritize putting more money into business owners’ pockets so they can thrive.

Close Tabs Faster

When people are ready to leave, they don’t want to wait. Likewise, those who have just come through the door want to be seated quickly. That’s why it’s essential that your restaurant invests in a service that allows you to get tables cleared faster. With NMA, you’ll enjoy the ability to quickly adjust tip amounts and close-out tabs to get customers in and out the door more quickly.

When customers get seated quickly, they’re more likely to come back. Additionally, when their bill arrives promptly and they aren’t sitting around waiting for their receipt, they’ll leave satisfied. This will result in you spending less time worrying about day-to-day operations and leave you more time focusing on the culinary excellence and incredible service your space is known for.

 Accept Payments At The Table

With security and hygiene both being top-of-mind for patrons these days, your restaurant must meet these concerns with modern payment solutions. Contactless payment terminals are an impressive addition, but what if you had a mobile POS that could be placed at each table that way patrons never have to worry about their card leaving their sight?

With NMA, that’s entirely possible. Simply bring the POS table-side for customers to pay with ease or, if you’re a counter-service restaurant, offer contactless payment options to reduce touchpoints. Both options keep your restaurant cleaner and your customers happier, all while boosting their confidence in security when eating at your restaurant.

 Reduce Backend Labor

Closing down at the end of the day shouldn’t eat away at staff time. With modern hardware and software solutions, like those offered by NMA, your restaurant can easily generate daily and weekly reports for the entire restaurant or for a single server. This makes reconciliation easier than ever while reducing administrative hours.

With customized reports, your restaurant will find it simpler to balance the books and make sure you’re performing at your peak. No more sitting down to compare numbers or manually tracking orders and tips. The right credit card processing machine will do it all for you so you can focus on what really matters: serving customers great food!

 What to Look for in a Payments Provider

As you consider all of these priorities and look to find the right credit card processing service for your restaurant, remember the following considerations. The credit card processing provider you choose should have:

  • Highly available support. If your restaurant’s payment machines are down, you’re losing money. That’s why you need to partner with a credit card processor who is available 24/7 with customer and technical support.
  • Responsive teams. In addition to having around-the-clock service hours, you also need to make sure the provider responds to problems. You should be able to reach the team by phone or email and get a response in a timely manner.
  • Low fees. Special programs, like those from NMA, can greatly reduce the amount you pay in fees. To make sure you’re getting a good deal, request a fully disclosed quote in writing from any service you’re considering. Fee transparency is important when partnering with a merchant services provider.
  • Small business focus. You’re a local restaurant serving a growing community, and that means you deserve a credit card processing partner who understands your needs. At NMA, we don’t focus on big retail chains – we focus on small businesses like yours.

When you find a provider who meets your needs, make sure you get in touch with them. They always should be easy to reach and happy to answer your questions. You should also read reviews to make sure the promises they make are fulfilled. Ultimately, the provider you choose should work with you and for you to ensure your restaurant’s success, day after day.

 Find a Merchant Account That Works for You®

Here at NMA, we love servicing local restaurants like yours. With our services, we hope to provide a low-fee experience with modern hardware and software to ease reporting, increase security, and help you ensure complete satisfaction for every patron. Reach out to our team to learn more.