Omnichannel has become an industry buzzword to describe a seamless customer experience over multiple channels. 75% to 80% of consumers buy across mediums—meaning they might try out products in-store, research online, engage a self-service kiosk, purchase on their mobile device, etc. In response, merchants are continually expanding their consumer strategy to include multiple purchasing channels (omnichannel) and integrate different methods of shopping into a seamless experience.

While many businesses consider adding e-commerce or mobile payment options to their brick-and-mortar store to be an adequate omnichannel strategy, this is a very limited approach. Consider the exposure rate of providing just three channels—in-store, mobile, and e-commerce—versus perhaps six channels in which a customer can engage with the products and make purchases through mobile phones, self-service kiosks, vending machines, websites, and traditional terminals in brick-and-mortar settings.

Providing a true omnichannel experience requires partners with the capability to handle various transaction types from multiple channels. Apriva’s gateway platform delivers payment solutions across such channels, supporting a seamless customer experience and enabling a holistic payment acceptance ecosystem.

Take the example of a golf course: Historically, golfers might pay for a round of golf at the clubhouse using a credit card and maybe use the credit card again at the restaurant. They may be limited on what they could spend on the driving range and beverage cart by what cash they carried with them.

Today, omnichannel payment solutions such as Apriva allow golf courses to expand their offering and drive revenues through a more flexible customer payment experience:

• Members might pay dues online through the club website, perhaps set to recurring billing
  
• Golfers might schedule and pay tee times through a mobile app
  
• Visitors might make purchases via POS terminals in the pro shop and restaurant
  
• Players might use credit cards for beverage cart purchases using a mobile POS on the cart vendor’s mobile phone or tablet
  
• On the range, people might purchase golf balls through an unattended distribution kiosk that accepts credit cards
  
• The club pro might offer lessons that can be paid on a mobile device
  
• Golfers might use cashless vending machines at the turn for quick refreshments and snacks

All these options make for a better customer experience, and such diverse payment solutions allow merchants to put cashless solutions wherever their customers want them.

This is the real value of omnichannel sales efforts paired with omnichannel payments solutions: The opportunity for improved customer experiences and greater revenues.

~Stacey Finley Tappin, senior vice president of sales and marketing