Kimberly Berg
Well-known member
Here's a review of the SmartCard Reader Cleaning Cards from Kleen-Rite (Item #CCC2040).
When I installed the ePort credit card reader on my Hamilton changer 9 months ago, Tiffany with USA Technologies told me that I don't need to do any cleaning or maintenance on the unit. Really? Hard to believe! Well, it's been a busy summer at my carwash and my ePort is getting a lot of use! In the last month, I've noticed that some customers are having trouble getting their credit card to work, and I was thinking about how to clean it. I tried wrapping a gift card with a paper towel (lightly sprayed with rubbing alcohol), when I swiped it I didn't get any dirt on the towel. Hmmmm, but the problem has continued. Then, the recent issue of Kleen-Rite's "Kleen-Scene" came out, and it addressed my very problem (page 28-29). Taking it as a sign, I called Kleen-Rite and spoke to one of their helpful staff members. They recommended the SmartCard style (Item #CCC2040) as it has textured bumps that help capture dirt and grease (see photo in the magazine). They come 40 to a box and the price is $18.25.
Well, they arrived yesterday and I was eager to try it today. The cleaning cards are individually wrapped, and when I opened the package, I could feel the card was lightly moistened with some chemical. According to the instructions, I swiped the cleaning card a couple of times, and was very surprised to get so much brown dirt off the interior contact points. I swiped it 4 times, using all clean edges. By the time I was done, the cleaning card was dry and I threw it away.
Just wanted to share my experience. I want to make it as easy on my customers to spend their money at my carwash, and having clean validators and credit card readers are essential!
Ps. According to the "Kleen-Scene" magazine, the Dirty Money Project (recently conducted by New York University) found over 3,000 types of bacteria on $1 bills, including food particles, drug residue, germs, grease, feces, dirt and animal DNA (YUCK!) And, many of those contaminants can also be found on credit and debit cards. So, it makes sense that your credit card reader needs to be cleaned, at least occasionally.
When I installed the ePort credit card reader on my Hamilton changer 9 months ago, Tiffany with USA Technologies told me that I don't need to do any cleaning or maintenance on the unit. Really? Hard to believe! Well, it's been a busy summer at my carwash and my ePort is getting a lot of use! In the last month, I've noticed that some customers are having trouble getting their credit card to work, and I was thinking about how to clean it. I tried wrapping a gift card with a paper towel (lightly sprayed with rubbing alcohol), when I swiped it I didn't get any dirt on the towel. Hmmmm, but the problem has continued. Then, the recent issue of Kleen-Rite's "Kleen-Scene" came out, and it addressed my very problem (page 28-29). Taking it as a sign, I called Kleen-Rite and spoke to one of their helpful staff members. They recommended the SmartCard style (Item #CCC2040) as it has textured bumps that help capture dirt and grease (see photo in the magazine). They come 40 to a box and the price is $18.25.
Well, they arrived yesterday and I was eager to try it today. The cleaning cards are individually wrapped, and when I opened the package, I could feel the card was lightly moistened with some chemical. According to the instructions, I swiped the cleaning card a couple of times, and was very surprised to get so much brown dirt off the interior contact points. I swiped it 4 times, using all clean edges. By the time I was done, the cleaning card was dry and I threw it away.
Just wanted to share my experience. I want to make it as easy on my customers to spend their money at my carwash, and having clean validators and credit card readers are essential!
Ps. According to the "Kleen-Scene" magazine, the Dirty Money Project (recently conducted by New York University) found over 3,000 types of bacteria on $1 bills, including food particles, drug residue, germs, grease, feces, dirt and animal DNA (YUCK!) And, many of those contaminants can also be found on credit and debit cards. So, it makes sense that your credit card reader needs to be cleaned, at least occasionally.
