VeriFone unveils three new payment products

The Vx 670 portable payment system meets the Payment Card Industry (PCI) requirements established by Visa International and MasterCard International to ensure that PIN-based payment transactions meet the highest level of security.

Weighing less than one pound with built-in thermal printer, the Vx 670 is the industry's smallest all-in-one integrated payment solution. The payment system accommodates consumer PIN debit entry and is highly suited for the growing pay at the table application and virtually any mobile point of service use for restaurant, hospitality, delivery and transportation operations. The Vx 670 is a complete "PAY Anywhere" card payment acceptance solution that is both merchant-and consumer-friendly and can be configured for use at any point of service, including at the table (TablePAY), at the consumer's car door (CarsidePAY) and for home delivery (DeliveryPAY).

"The Vx 670 complies with the industry's most stringent standards for security protections to guard against fraud and misuse and offers innovative ergonomics, exceptional performance and functionality," said Paul Rasori, VeriFone vice president of product marketing. "The Vx 670 features a breakthrough design that was purpose-built for the needs of the hospitality industry and others who need to bring payment acceptance to the consumer."

The Vx 670 is the first system developed with VeriFone's patent-pending MAXui design and provides a stunning high-resolution, white backlit display, features large blue backlit keys and incorporates an integrated printer, communications module and rechargeable battery. It can be configured with Wi-Fi for TablePAY and CarsidePAY or with GPRS cellular for DeliveryPAY.

Mobile, Always-On Connectivity

The Vx 670 utilizes higher-speed 802.11g Wi-Fi for mobile, always-on connectivity, particular suited to TablePAY and CarsidePAY use, with transactions often taking less than a second to complete, compared to 12-14 seconds or more for dial transactions. The Vx 670 also offers WPA-level encryption security, the benchmark for enterprise wide Wi-Fi security. A GPRS communications option supports DeliveryPAY for mobile services of all types.

The Vx 670 is available with a base station that includes an easy to use charger for high-volume environments requiring a central location for sharing systems and accommodates a spare battery to ensure uninterrupted operation. The system can be equipped with an easily removable, standard 1200 lithium ion (Li-ion) or optional extended life 1800 Li-ion battery for quick swapping. It will also support USB and dial-up modem modules for the ultimate deployment flexibility.

A tapered design and ergonomically balanced midpoint help the VX 670 fit comfortably in even the smallest hands, and the rugged, drop-resistant, spill-resistant case holds up to the most demanding conditions and can slip into a convenient holster. The hidden integrated thermal printer with its dual-tear bar quickly produces receipts, is whisper-quiet and simple to reload.

Security was a paramount design parameter for the Vx 670, which meets all current requirements for PCI-PED devices. It utilizes WPA-PSK (pre-shared keys) to protect Wi-Fi transactions. Also, VeriFone's VeriShield architecture prohibits rogue applications from being loaded onto the Vx 670. A powerful 32-bit ARM9 processor provides the Vx 670 with computing horsepower to rapidly process secure transactions and run multiple value-added applications.

Separately, VeriFone Holdings today announced a rugged and secure drive-thru consumer-operated payment solution, the QX720, that supports credit, debit and contactless cards and integrates with existing VeriFone payment systems for easy implementation.

Designed for convenience-oriented service businesses that operate drive-thru facilities, like quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and pharmacies, and unattended locations such as parking lots, the QX720 is encased in a rugged, weather-resistant housing to withstand the environmental rigors of outdoor use and to resist vandalism or tampering. It features a display that is highly readable in sunlight and an interface that leverages VeriFone's expertise in customer-activated payment systems to ensure consumer ease-of-use in drive-thru and other types of unattended operations.

"The QX720 reflects VeriFone's experience and dominant market share in the QSR industry, which has high demands for speed, durability and ease of use," said Paul Rasori, VeriFone vice president of marketing. "Over the past two years, that industry has widely adopted electronic card payments and experienced increased throughput and increased per-customer sales. Now the industry wants to realize those benefits in the drive-thru lanes where they take in an estimated 60% of total revenue."

The QX720 can be mounted at the payment window, where it interfaces with via a small junction box with electronic point of sale systems and existing VeriFone payment systems such as the VeriFone MX870 or the Vx Solutions family. Optionally, it can be mounted at an order board utilizing a serial link and power extension.

The QX720 is designed to meet PCI PED certification requirements and provides consumers with a secure payment experience as they can keep their cards in-hand in outdoor environments and also utilize PIN debit or the new contactless cards. The system utilizes a familiar, dip-insertion style card reader for magnetic stripe credit and debit cards and the keypad features rugged metal-cap keys in an ATM-style interface.

Also today, VeriFone Holdings unveiled its "ON THE SPOT" payment systems solution, designed to reduce the increasingly common problem of credit card "skimming" in restaurants. With ON THE SPOT, customers can pay faster, safer and easier whether dining at the table, utilizing carside takeout and home delivery, or going through the drive-thru.

At the National Restaurant Association Show 2006 in Chicago today, the company launched two new products that enable payment ON THE SPOT: the Vx 670 for pay at the table, carside service and home delivery, and the QX720 for drive-thru lanes. Both systems allow consumers to swipe their own credit or PIN-based debit cards when paying for their meals, eliminating the need to hand over the card to a server or cashier. ON THE SPOT leverages VeriFone’s established self-service payment systems technology already in common use in grocery stores and other retail environments.

"Full service restaurants in North America were the earliest adopters for credit card payment, but have lagged behind in recent years on card acceptance options that meet changing consumer needs," said Jesse Adams, VeriFone's executive vice president, North America Sales. "VeriFone recognized a need in the industry and applied our expertise to develop a suite of products specifically for restaurants that provides benefits for both customers and restaurant operators."

By allowing patrons to slide their own card rather than handing it over to another person, completing payment ON THE SPOT helps eliminate employee "skimming", an increasingly common practice in which cards are swiped through a specialized data capture device that records the card holder's account information, which can then be used for card fraud and identity theft. These new products allow the customer to control his or her card throughout the payment process.

The benefits of paying ON THE SPOT extend beyond security. With the Vx 670, for example, customers can initiate their own payments, reducing the number of steps for closing out checks from eight to three, speeding up the entire payment process, freeing up server time, and increasing table turns. The QX720 will speed up payment in drive-thru lanes, allowing quick-serve restaurants to provide faster service and realize increased revenue. Restaurant owners may also benefit from reduced credit card processing fees when customers use PIN-based debit cards, which incur lower processing fees than signature-based debit and credit payments.

"Our research shows that customers desire the same safe, convenient payment options in restaurants that they already enjoy in other areas of their lives," continued Adams. "In fact, more than 70 percent of full-service restaurant patrons who participated in a February intercept survey conducted by Moore and Symons noted that they would be comfortable paying ‘on the spot’ and almost 60 percent noted that they are concerned about the security of their payments using the current method."

The VeriFone Vx 670 is designed for secure payment at any point of service and, utilizing either secure Wi-Fi or GPRS cellular transmission, allows payments to be made at the table, at the customer’s car for carry-out orders and at the customer’s home for delivery orders. The device weighs less than one pound, features a built-in thermal printer and allows consumers to enter their own PIN number for debit card transactions.

The VeriFone QX720 is designed for convenience-oriented service businesses that operate drive-thru facilities, like quick-service restaurants and pharmacies, and unattended locations such as parking lots. The QX720 is encased in a rugged, weather-resistant housing to withstand the environmental rigors of outdoor use and to resist vandalism or tampering. It features a display that is highly readable in sunlight and was designed to ensure consumer ease-of-use in drive-thru and other types of unattended operations.