USA Technologies Announces Next Generation ePort Connect
MALVERN, Pa., Apr 16, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- USA Technologies (NASDAQ:USAT) today announced a series of major enhancements to its unique end-to-end, back-end payment and telemetry service, ePort Connect(TM).
The new features include expanded services to help vending, kiosk and self-serve POS operators improve efficiencies, grow their business and customer satisfaction through industry leading cashless payment solutions.
The ePort Connect is the marketplaces leading payment and telemetry service for unattended, cashless point of sale, offering a comprehensive service plan that handles:
- Cashless transaction processing and wireless communications;
- Merchant account and terminal ID set up;
- SIM account activation and card distribution;
- Consumer support for billing inquiries;
- Access to online reports down to the machine level, and by fill for accounting and settlement.
"USA Technologies is the only company in the payment industry that offers a complete turnkey solution for virtually every unattended cashless need. From cashless transaction devices, to wireless services providers and card processors, to customer service calls and transaction settlement," said Stephen P. Herbert, President and COO, USA Technologies. "Because we specialize in small-ticket purchases, our ePort Connect solution gives operators access to favorable negotiated fees and relationships that USAT has already established with card processors and card associations for small ticket transactions."
We have listened to our customers, and made significant improvements to our service based upon their input. Enhancements to the ePort Connect service include:
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Interoperability and compatibility
- Server-to-server capability that allows USAT's servers to transmit data (e.g. DEX data) to other systems, such as MEI's Easitrax, Crane's Streamware, and others.
- Ability to accommodate different cashless payment devices such as MEI and CoinCo.
- Ability to utilize different credit/debit card processors, and cashless technologies, from traditional swipe, to contactless, NFC, and pre-paid loyalty and gift card offerings;
- Improved integration with 'back office' software packages such as SAP and others, allowing customers to integrate their systems with our Service for streamlined route settlement and accounting;
- Faster credit and debit card authentication response;
- New ePort deployment services;
- Over-the-Air Updates(TM) for customers using ePort devices;
- Streamlined device activation process;
- PCI - DSS Level 1 network security with Visa CISP;
- And soon, machine health alerts to notify operators via web reporting or email of payment mechanism malfunctions, or out-of-stock conditions.
USA Technologies has worked to base ePort Connect on open architecture, allowing the technology to collaborate and interface with other networks when transmitting data. The goal of open architecture is to make ePort more accessible and network compatible and interoperable to give ePort Connect customers' maximum flexibility in the online and wireless marketplace.
"We are actively working with the National Automated Merchandiser Association (NAMA) to develop open architecture standards for the vending industry," said Mr. Herbert. "We also worked extensively with AT&T to improve the ePort technology platform and wireless communications to dramatically improve the quality and reliability of the ePort Connect cashless payment service."
USAT has reduced the authorization time for debit and credit cards, whether magnetic swipe or contactless, down to a few seconds to further improve consumer convenience and satisfaction.
The new Over-the-Air Updates feature is a valuable tool that allows operators to implement changes made to credit/debit card standards, encryption, or enable/disable device features remotely. The new service ensures operators maintain the most up-to-date system functionality. Updates are transmitted to cashless terminals wirelessly and automatically.
Using the Over-the-Air Updates feature, recently USAT instantly updated more than 10,000 terminals wirelessly with new contactless specifications for a major credit card company.
The Over-the-Air Updates offering overcomes the need for operators to visit each cashless terminal to physically download updates and make the necessary changes. This feature, offered only by USAT, improves efficiency, and saves on time and cost.
USA Technologies now offers the highest level of network security compliance set by the US Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.
The company received confirmation from Visa that it has achieved Level One Service Provider Compliance under the PCI Security Standards Council PCI-Data Systems Security standards (PCI-DSS). This confirmation immediately follows the company's recent Level One Merchant compliance certification in October 2008.
Click to Visa CISP http://usa.visa.com/download/merchants/cisp-list-of-pcidss-compliant-service-providers.pdf
USA Technologies has the industry's broadest cashless payment installation base with nearly 50,000 ePort terminals deployed, and 35 million credit or debit card transactions recorded over the past several years. The Company processes transactions for many global brands in the vending, kiosk, commercial laundry and other industries.
About USA Technologies:
USA Technologies is a leader in the networking of wireless non-cash transactions, associated financial/network services and energy management. USA Technologies provides networked credit card and other non-cash systems in the vending, commercial laundry, hospitality and digital imaging industries. The Company has agreements with AT&T, Honeywell, Blackboard, MasterCard and others. For further information on USA Technologies, please visit www.usatech.com. To view a Company overview presentation, visit http://www.usatech.com/company_info/dl/USAT_company_overview.pdf
Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act:
With the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties that may individually or mutually impact the matters herein described, including but not limited to, ability to reduce operating costs in the future as anticipated, ability to maintain the gross margins in the future as anticipated, product acceptance, the ability to continually obtained increased orders of its products, the ability to meet installation goals, economic, competitive, governmental impacts, whether pending patents will be granted or defendable, validity of intellectual property and patents, the ability to license patents, the ability to commercialize developmental products, as well as technological and/or other factors.
SOURCE: USA Technologies
USA Technologies:
George Jensen, Chairman & CEO
Stephen P. Herbert, President & COO
800-633-0340
sherbert@usatech.com
or
Investor Relations:
Porter, LeVay & Rose
Marlon Nurse, Vice President
212-564-4700
Copyright Business Wire 2009