Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: RTS and gift cards

This is topic RTS and gift cards in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-25-2007, 01:33 PM:

We are looking at adding gift cards thru our RTS system. Is anyone here using them? Any problems/hassles?

When you redeem a card, do you just swipe it like a regular credit card or are there additional steps? I'm wondering about the "learning curve" for my staff.

Thanks for any advice.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 10-25-2007, 02:10 PM:

It's very easy and straightforward. Training will take about 5 minutes.

Posted by Lance C. McFetridge (Member # 95) on 10-25-2007, 04:28 PM:

Very easy to use. They will assist you with ordering the mag cards, and setting up the system. I guarantee you will wish you had done this a long time ago. I know I did. Very easy to implement with the staff.
lance

Posted by David Zylstra (Member # 4230) on 10-25-2007, 05:08 PM:

I don't use RTS, but I am rolling out gift cards with our POS vendor (we paid for a custom in-house app instead of going with a 3rd party - our only cost will be for the cards instead of additional processing fees from the 3rd party).

Shop around for a gift card supplier! (our quotes ranged from $.18 to $.32 per card -- minimal quality difference between them).

Check your local state's rules on gift cards and unclaimed property - here in Michigan the government is spelling out some rules for gift cards under the consumer protection act as well as the unclaimed property act (unclaimed property acts deal with cash that is considered abandoned and must be forfeited to the government). With some of the recent consumer complaints about gift card companies applying "inactivity fees" to balances many state governments are coming up with rules on how gift cards are handled.

Be careful if you allow recharges of card balances - I've read that in some cases a company's gift card program **might** be subject to rules that credit card companies have to abide by (i.e. a rechargeable gift card could potentially be classified as a credit card - to be safe some companies choose not to allow recharges).

Since gift cards usually work like credit cards the only learning curve is the selling side.

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 10-25-2007, 10:49 PM:

Mike, I'm using RTS and Gift Cards. No problem at all. Simple to redeem and sell.
GC sales went up considerably after adding the cards.
RTS suggest's using plasticprinters.com for cards.
Plasticprinters bend over backwards to make sure all works smoothly.
No processing fee's with RTS, just pay for the cards.

You can also use the same cards to issue passes on if you want. Either in addition to or instead of adding cash.
You can also if so desired use the same cards for RTS loyalty rewards as well.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 10-25-2007, 10:54 PM:

Ditto everything above.

You use your regular credit card wedge... no additional hardware, modules or charges... just the cards.

You can put money, passes and sales points on them, based on any promotional program you might want to do (or not).

We're very happy with the system. Plastic Printers also did ours, and we've had no problems.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-19-2007, 06:51 PM:

Thanks for all the help above, guys. We got our cards yesterday and we're working on the 'marketing plan' right now.

So far as I know, we're the only indie movie theatre in the state (and the only business in our town) to offer our own branded gift cards. [thumbsup]