U.S. Wireless Data Announces Deployment of it's TRANZ Enabler Wireless Solution
18 June 1998
U.S. Wireless Data Announces Deployment of it's TRANZ Enabler Wireless Solution into the Towing IndustryBusiness Editors
EMERYVILLE, Calif.--June 18, 1998--
New Mandates in Some Areas Require Towing Companies to Offer Credit Card Payment Option
U.S. Wireless Data, Inc. (OTCBB:USWDA) announced today that a number of automobile towing companies have begun utilizing the TRANZ(TM) Enabler, U.S. Wireless Data's proprietary wireless credit card processing solution.
The TRANZ Enabler solution will be employed at remote locations where automobile towing jobs are carried out.
USWDA sees the towing industry as one that could rapidly accelerate deployment of its TRANZ ENABLER solution. The New York City area has recently mandated that all towing companies must offer a credit card payment option to those whose automobiles are towed. Other areas throughout the U.S. have adopted similar mandates to those in New York, and other areas are expected to follow suit shortly.
Currently, if a tow truck driver accepts a credit card and uses the traditional "knucklebuster" card imprint machine, then the towing company must pay an additional fee, or a surcharge, to the processor of the transaction. These surcharges can dramatically impact the economics of the tow company.
By using the U.S. Wireless Data TRANZ Enabler, the tow truck driver can swipe the credit card on site and receive real time approval from the processor of the transaction, and therefore avoid the "knucklebuster" surcharges.
U.S. Wireless Data's wireless credit card processing solutions are currently in use by a number of towing companies throughout the United States including: All Boro Towing in Brooklyn, NY, Lombardo's Towing in Hempstead, NY, San Diego Towing in San Diego, CA, Ramirez Towing in Suisun, CA, and Finest Towing & Autobody in Brooklyn, NY.
Norman Teitler, Director of the New York Metropolitan Towing Association, commented, "The towing industry has struggled with the inability to offer payment flexibility without the tow companies incurring significant added expenses. With new mandates requiring tow companies to accept credit cards, the tow companies are forced to absorb the added processing surcharges.
"The TRANZ Enabler wireless transaction processing solution provides an excellent alternative. The ability to accept credit cards out in the field provides customers with added flexibility of forms of payment, satisfies new mandates and allows the tow companies to avoid processing surcharges. The industry can now offer a better service and actually reduce the overall credit card transactions expenses."
USWDA's proprietary enabling technology, TRANZ(TM) Enabler, converts a merchant's existing dial-up TRANZ VeriFone credit card terminal into a high-speed wireless terminal. It provides merchants with a faster and more cost efficient way to transact business. The wireless transaction takes 3 to 5 seconds versus 11 to 20 seconds with a dial-up service.
Going wireless means the merchant no longer needs a dedicated or shared telephone line to carry transaction traffic, thereby eliminating delays, busy signals and the cost to install or pay for monthly telephone service. And because it's wireless, the merchant can transact business anywhere the customer wishes to buy, instead of being confined to a service counter with a telephone line.
U.S. Wireless Data, Inc. (OTCBB:USWDA) has developed, tested and is now delivering new proprietary products, programs and standards for the transaction processing and credit card industry which utilizes wireless cellular digital packet data (CDPD) networks. USWD delivers the fastest and most cost-effective transaction processing solution to retail merchants in the United States today.
The Company has joint marketing initiatives in place with GTE Wireless and Bell Atlantic Mobile.