The entertainment and amusement industries have rapidly adapted to consumer preferences, global pandemics, and changes in technology over the past five years. Organizations in the in-person entertainment industry are spending considerable effort and resources to build content, capabilities, and scale to compete against digital-only organizations. These trends reflect the need to provide a simplified and customized customer experience, states a report from EY.
When it comes to creating a streamlined and memorable experience, everything from sign-up, to usage, to payment becomes an important factor in the customer journey. “Customers expect effortless interactions. . . In an environment where consumers have so many options, [entertainment] companies need to deliver an experience that keeps customers connected and engaged,” says John Harrison, Media and Entertainment leader for EY Americas.
Creating a streamlined customer journey rests in the hands of entertainment organizations to understand the buying journey of their target market. This process comes with hurdles around analyzing and predicting the customer’s needs and implementing the people, technology, and processes to make it happen.
One such hurdle is creating a streamlined payment experience. For many businesses in the amusement industry and beyond, organizations face difficult and confusing decisions regarding payment hardware, software, and application. For example, a report from CustomerThink states that over 60 percent of consumers say that being able to pay with a mobile device makes their payment experience considerably easier. However, retailers are faced with a plethora of options regarding mobile payment acceptance – and that doesn’t include the fact that the business’s cash register must be compatible with these hardware and software options.
A Solution to Customer-Focused Payment Acceptance in the Amusement Industry
After multiple years of seeing companies purchasing separate hardware and software that may or may not be compatible and searching for their own payment path, Innovantage Payment Solutions (IPS) identified a need to support the amusement industry by providing full and partial turnkey payment solutions that enhance the customer experience.
IPS specializes in providing merchants and businesses with complete, secure, high-performing, and cashless payments. From hardware, to software, to payment application and payment path systems, IPS has created a one-stop source for businesses in the amusement and entertainment industries to start taking payments quickly and easily. Whether a company needs a full or partial payment solution, the IPS team works with each customer to provide the ideal hardware and software options to fit their needs and goals.
“When it comes to supporting our customers, we know that creating a streamlined buyer journey is important to them,” says Bill Rorick, President at IPS. For the entertainment industry, this means giving customers multiple payment options to make taking payments simple. “Our team allows customers to start accepting all payment methods – from credit cards to QR codes – so you can have that flexibility.” Additionally, for companies that are looking to upgrade their current payment hardware, IPS supports their seamless transition from magnetic stripe credit cards to EMV chip and contactless/NFC cards.
Another area where IPS supports in building engagement for their customers is through payment management and support. “Our customers love that we manage the payment path for them,” describes Bill. “This allows them more time to focus on their business and engage with customers.” But if problems do arise at any time, the IPS support team is available via phone or online to answer questions on payments setup or technical issues. “One of our values is being customer-focused,” says Bill. “We work hard to provide our clients with everything they need to succeed.”
IPS’s engagement in the industry has continued through their attendance at the Amusement Expo International (AEI) in Las Vegas in Spring 2022. AEI is the only conference and trade show sponsored by the industry’s leading associations in the amusement and entertainment industries, including the American Amusement Machine Association and Amusement & Music Operators Association. The IPS team will also be attending upcoming tradeshows within the point of sale and retail industries during the rest of 2022.
About IPS
Innovantage Payment Solutions (IPS) specializes in providing merchants with complete high performing and easy to install payment systems. We easily customize our solutions to fit a client’s specific needs by providing the complete hardware, software, payment application, and payment path system, or just the portions of the solution the merchant requires. Our knowledgeable team provides the optimal hardware, software, application path, and efficient support needed for any business to start taking payments – in as little as 24 hours.
Learn more about our payment systems services and support on our website.
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