Advice for equipment to renovate

[wasiknator]

I accept quarters, dollar coins, tokens, cash and credit card via Eport. I was one of the first to have Eports in the SS wash and they have been great.

Customer service is very good and have not had any issues. I have them for the self serve, vendor and dog wash. I use the count down feature as I do not want to deal with complaints about overcharging due to forgetting to stop the wash.

Plan to add an option to use an app, Touch4Wash so customers can start the bay with their phone. It will give loyalty points and will try a limited membership. I am looking forward to see how this app impacts my business.

 

[MEP001]

I thought you could set a dollar amount that if they forget to hit the stop button that's what they would get charged?

You do have to set a dollar amount in count-up mode. Most people aren't going to use all of $10, but if they only use $5 they'll see they were charged more and will complain. That's the only advantage to count-down, if they forget to hold the button to clear it and leave time running, it still times out fairly quickly before someone can pull in behind them and add more time by pressing the button on the swiper (assuming it's set up that way).

 

[Randy]

We’ve been installing Cryptopay with them set at count down with a $6.00 start up, with each push of the button adding $1 of time. So when they don’t have to try to remember to push the stop button when they are done.
We pioneered the ePort credit card readers about 15 or 16 years ago. First installing them on coin boxes and moving on to Bill changers, we’ve installed them on Hamilton, American and Standard. I have one customer who has an arcade and he dispenses quarters from his changer with the installed ePort reader, no one has ever said anything about it. The best timer to use with the add on credit card system is the Dixmor LED-6 or the LED-7 timer.

 

[OASIS WASH]

So are you guys favoring Eport? I already have high speed internet on site for my security cameras. I know its not a game changer, but I was hoping to save the $50/month you spend on the $8 per bay. It would be more if I did my vacs too.

Thanks!

 

[Randy]

So are you guys favoring Eport? I already have high speed internet on site for my security cameras. I know its not a game changer, but I was hoping to save the $50/month you spend on the $8 per bay. It would be more if I did my vacs too.

No I'm NOT FAVORING ePort. It's an option. I'm favoring Cryptopay coupled with a Dixmor LED-6 or 7 timer in a count down mode.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

Eports are junk like I said I threw them in the dumpster for a reason the quality is terrible and the swipers corrode badly they run of cell phone towers and cloudy snowy days I couldn't take credit cards customers had to swipe 10 times before excepted on top of all that it's $10 a month + merchant fees and you had terrible customer service are you convinced yet not to buy them. This was my experience of 6 years owning them before I had high speed internet at my site cameras and a laserwash. Hope this helps this is all what happened to me. Eports is focused towards the vending industry snack machines in a dry environment where high speed internet is not provided with no hard use

 

[pgrzes]

I am a fan of Cryptopay. Been in service for about 6 years, little to no problems. Customer support has been excellent. I have a friend that paid out the azz for an IDX system and has had nothing but problems(no surprise) with it. Nearly 40k he feels he wasted, is planning to trash and change to Cryptopay. I am count up, early I would get a few calls about not pushing the button, but not much anymore.

 

[MEP001]

I talked to someone today who has added Cryptopay to half of his six bays. He has brought in about $300 on it so far with no advertising of any kind, and with count-up and clear signage right on the meter door he hasn't had anyone complain or leave it running to max charge.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I have an 8 Bay. bout 4 years ago I put Crypto in 4 to try it. It took all of 2 months to convince me to add it to the other 4 bays. I have count up. I don't think I have had more than a dozen complaints in 4 years about the authorization hold or failing to press stop. Perhaps because I am also in the gasoline business I was less sensitive to the authorization hold since we have it there as well ($50.00) Perhaps people who also use the card at the gas pump understood the authorization hold.

 

[OASIS WASH]

Thanks guys! This forum is invaluable for us new guys! I appreciate all the advice and support!!

Troy

 

[OurTown]

I have a friend that paid out the azz for an IDX system and has had nothing but problems(no surprise) with it. Nearly 40k he feels he wasted, is planning to trash and change to Cryptopay.

I would like to know some more details about the issues and how long ago your friend bought the system. Just remember that it can do so much more than Cryptopay. In talking to IDX they told me total fees that were around 2.5% (seems hard to believe) compared to 7% for our Cryptopay fees. One thing that Cryptopay has promised for years to make work is gift cards. We will accept gift cards at some point even if it takes replacing Cryptopay with something else.

 

[OurTown]

I just did some total fees math for the 9 months we had Cryptopay installed. The lowest month was about 6% and the highest was 6.95% and the average is 6.375%. Site analytics is an additional $180 per year. The Go Green receipt service is free for the first year and then $180 per year. We are not certain we will renew it though. It would be nice if they charged a small percentage per receipt viewed/printed because I doubt many customers take advantage of it.

 

[pgrzes]

I would like to know some more details about the issues and how long ago your friend bought the system. Just remember that it can do so much more than Cryptopay. In talking to IDX they told me total fees that were around 2.5% (seems hard to believe) compared to 7% for our Cryptopay fees. One thing that Cryptopay has promised for years to make work is gift cards. We will accept gift cards at some point even if it takes replacing Cryptopay with something else.

I dont know all the problems he has had. All I know is that every week something is wrong. He has had to replace 4 or 5 of them from people braking them off the selector doors, he said the ones on the vacuums after being in the sun get brittle and just snap off. He had to rerun some of his high velocity wiring in metal conduits as they were interfering with the swipers. Had a swiper that has been out of service since install, IDX never activated it, Every time we talk about them he gets ****ed and says he wished he listened about the Crypto. It is much easier, easier to work with and actual support. I dont know that the actual costs between the two are really much different. I know every time I check my fees I am around 5.5%.

 

[Randy]

6 or 6.55 Credit card fee's are nothing. Try paying 10.2% sales tax on all of our sales and 8.9% use tax on whatever we buy from out of state.
The ePort readers work well if they aren't in the weather or on a coin box, on the the front of a bill changer they work well. The last time I saw the IDX credit card system it looked like the Coinco credit card system. As long as I'm in the car wash business I'll NEVER buy another piece of equipment from IDX or have anything to do with them!!!

 

[wasiknator]

As I stated earlier, I have not had any problems with Eport. No internet needed. Hold up very well. I am in FL and have them mounted on my bay meter doors, dog wash and vendor which are in the elements daily. Never had Crypto pay or IDX so cannot compare, so can only give my experience with Eport. I pay $7.95/month/eport, 2.5% +.10 per transaction. With these being on vending machines, I think people are familiar with them which may be beneficial. I get daily reports each morning at 5:30am.

 

[Randy]

I know of a few operators who have installed the Nayax credit card system and they to be happy with it https://www.nayax.com/ I don't have any experience with it so I can't really say if it's winner or not. It's just another option.

 

[Greg Pack]

Concerning the refurb, I also do those from the inside out. Make sure all functions and vacuums work great before you make cosmetic improvements. The last thing I do is cosmetic improvements to the building or landscape improvements. You've got one shot at a first impression from the person driving by. When they see the nicely landscaped place that's freshly painted everything needs to be working perfectly when they try it for the first time.

 

[OASIS WASH]

Yes, that is the plan! Luckily the wash actually looks pretty good considering how no money was ever put into the systems.