As a shop owner, you want your business to run smoothly every step of the way, from your first interaction with customers dropping off their vehicle at your shop through the checkout process and delivering the car back to them. A Shop Management System (SMS) is the brain of your business, and without it, your shop operations will be a clunky, back-and-forth process.

What role does SMS play in your payment processing, and why does integration matter?
Integrating your payment processing system with your SMS helps streamline a process that makes your shop operational. If shop managers want to make their shop run more efficiently, payments need to be integrated into your SMS. The checkout process is the last impression you leave on your customers. If you're spending a lot of time scheduling services, going back and forth about what’s wrong with their car, waiting for repairs, and getting to the shop to pick up their vehicle, the last thing they want is to wait in a checkout line at the end of the day. The end experience sticks with the customer. Integrated payment systems give a polished impression and positive ending to the whole experience.

What’s the difference with integrated payments?
If you're currently using a non-integrated system, such as working with a bank or an independent company, your payment process is not fully integrated with your SMS. This results in a customer experience that involves a lot of back-and-forth communication. There may be a terminal to one side, where a shop employee has to manually process a credit card, print a receipt, get a customer signature, and print an invoice. In contrast, an integrated system streamlines the checkout experience, offering faster transactions, better security, and a more positive customer impression. It’s a one-step process, and the customer can quickly be on their way.

What are some other advantages of integration?
Integration of payments within your SMS simplifies the checkout process in any case. However, Text-to-Pay offers your customers the convenience of mobile payments. They can pay from home, office, or in transit. If they can’t make it to the shop by closing, it offers the opportunity to pick up their car after the shop is closed. It also eliminates a hectic end of the day at the shop with a shorter checkout line. Text-to-Pay offers your customers a huge benefit. If you have other texting software implemented, you are just closing the loop and offering them the option to run in, grab their keys and invoice, and go.

What are the other benefits of integrated payments?
The benefits of integrated payments far outweigh any potential obstacles. The end-of-day process at your shop is simplified, as integration through your SMS makes closing out the day easier. Reconciliation is already complete, and there’s no need to batch out the day. A single report through your SMS ensures everything matches and seamlessly pushes into your accounting system. The result? Faster transactions, fewer errors, better security, improved customer service, and the ability to track data. Click here to watch this blog in action!

If you'd like to learn more about integrated payments and explore this topic in greater depth, be sure to check out our comprehensive whitepaper. It provides an in-depth breakdown, offering valuable insights to help you better understand and implement integrated payment solutions.