How to clean your payment terminal
The incorrect cleaning of your payment terminal could result in damage – we provide important
guidelines to assist you.
Guidelines for the proper cleaning of payment terminals are as follows:
Do not:
Ingenico recommends using a soft cloth impregnated with soapy water to clean the outside of the terminal.
•
It is recommended to use a pre-impregnated cloth for better control of the quantity of liquid on the device. Excessive application of liquid may cause some functional problems.
•
A hydroalcoholic solution can only be used on a pre-impregnated cloth.
•
Some hydroalcoholic solutions may contain isopropyl alcohol. It can be used on every part of the device if the isopropyl alcohol concentration is below 20%.
•
Clean the electrical connections.
•
Spray or pour any liquid, disinfectant or cleaners directly on the payment terminal.
•
Use solvents, detergents or abrasive products, as they may damage the plastic or electrical contacts.
•
Use alcohol cleaning solutions (isopropyl solution 70%) on the plastic display lenses.
•
Wipe excessively – it might cause damage.
•
Get moisture into any openings or use aerosol sprays.
•
Expose the terminal to the direct rays of the sun.
•
Put anything into the slot of the smart card reader.
All about 3D Secure 2.0
In response to the growth in eCommerce transactions, the card industry responded with the creation
of EMV 1.0 (known as 3D Secure today).
This process has helped to reduce fraud and offers a layer of security for both the cardholder and merchant.
However, the process includes an additional step in the checkout process, which requires the cardholder to capture their one-time PIN (OTP) in a separate pop-up window or to enrol in the 3DS service, if it has not been done before.
This is a minor disruption to the cardholder’s journey. In response to these challenges, EMVCo has released revised specifications for EMV 3DS 2.0 in October 2016. The main enhancements include:
Absa is currently engaging all eCommerce gateways to ensure 3D Secure 2.0-readiness by latest Q4 2020. Mastercard enrolment for 3D Secure 1.0 will sunset on 31 December 2020 and Visa by 30 April 2021. This means that new merchants will no longer be able to register for 3D Secure 1.0.
Absa will be facilitating the registration on behalf of the merchants and no merchant involvement is required. The existing 3D Secure merchant ID will stay unchanged once upgraded to 3D Secure 2.0. Merchants enrolled for 3D Secure 2.0 will be able to accept cards that are still only enrolled for 3D Secure 1.0. The same will apply for 3D Secure 2.0-enrolled card processing on a 3D Secure 1.0 merchant.
Supporting in-app purchases on mobile and other customer devices.
•
Enabling merchants to integrate the authentication process into their checkout experiences for both app- and browser-based implementation.
•
Enabling the issuing banks to make risk-based decisions on the transaction authorisation to promote frictionless consumer authentication.
•
Enabling non-payment customer authentication that allows services such as identification and verification (ID&V) for mobile wallets and secure request of tokens for card on file.
Get more control with Absa’s integrated
fuel solution
The Absa Integrated Fuel Solution enables point-of-sale (POS) integration of the merchant’s card
acceptance device with their retail POS/FMS (fuel management system).
Once a merchant has been onboarded, our technical team will visit the merchant’s site, where they will facilitate the integration of the Absa POS device with the merchant’s POS/FMS. This integration, which is achieved through an application
programming interface (API), enables the POS to speak directly to the merchant’s systems. This allows the Absa POS device to form an integrated component within the merchant’s ecosystem.
Merchant benefits
The Absa Integrated Fuel Solution is enabled with all the features and benefits that you currently enjoy, with the following added benefits:
How the Absa Integrated Fuel Solution works
The Absa Integrated Fuel Solution will be available to merchants from 30 September 2020. Look out for more information on this exciting new product.
Increased control – Fuel that has been dispensed will be allocated against the attendant until the tender has been allocated.
•
Reduced losses – The attendant cannot enter the tendered amount manually, thereby reducing potential typing errors when capturing the amount.
•
Improved forecourt efficiency – Once a transaction is closed via the Absa POS, the transaction is allocated and closed against the fuel retailer’s POS, thereby allowing attendants to focus on attending to clients’ needs.
•
Improved reporting capability – The autonomous nature of the integration allows transactions to be allocated in real time. This capability will enable the fuel retail owner/manager to draw reports from their primary system with up-to-date, real-time reports.
•
Optimum uptime through the use of state-of-the-art dual SIM devices.
•
Acceptance of all card schemes in addition to the NEW Absa Fleet Fast Pay (cardless fleet) Solution.
•
The Absa Integrated Fuel Solution integrates via an API with a compatible retailer’s POS/FMS. This allows the Absa POS device to form part of the fuel retailer’s operational ecosystem.
•
The merchant will require an Absa Merchant Account to receive settlements into their account.
•
The merchant does not need to hold an Absa Business Account.
Online authorisation of refunds –
important update
Online authorisation of refunds is a card scheme mandate from Mastercard and Visa.
The mandate requires that any merchants who do refunds on their Absa Commercial Payment POS device, do so with the transaction going through online.
We have reached out to our third-party service providers as well as our device vendors to ensure that we adhere to this mandate. This process will apply from 1 October 2020.
Merchants won’t have to do anything on the device itself. All changes have already been made internally to ensure compliance. The merchant will now send a refund authorisation request online to their cardholder’s issuing bank. The cardholder will receive an SMS advising them of the refund request being received.
It is important to note that not all cards will be enabled for online refunds and in these instances, the refund request may be declined, in which case an alternative refund method would be required.
What is Customer One Merchant
Simplex Onboarding?
Over the years, our Commercial Payment business services have built up a respected and enviable
reputation.
This was achieved through our belief that by collaborating with merchants and industry specialists, we are able to create unique propositions for the seamless acceptance of not only card-based transactions, but also other forms of payment. Our spectrum of merchants fall into the SMME (small, micro, and medium enterprises) range.
If you are new to the bank and fall within the sole proprietor or Pty (Ltd) space, we have a seamless merchant onboarding process with the below capability:
Delivering and activating a device within a day to enable agile merchant onboarding, thereby driving customer satisfaction and creating a positive onboarding experience.
Opportunity:
Proposed solution:
Measure of success:
To provide the best merchant onboarding experience in the industry, allowing our merchants to be successfully onboarded through a fully automated and integrated end-to-end process.
•
Laying down an optimised open-source automated workflow across the existing processes currently used in the merchant onboarding space, to trace and track all leads on a single front-end tool and satisfy expectations by delivering the POS device to the merchant.
•
Colleague: Positive impact on frontline colleagues to enable E2E onboarding for selected merchant products as part of a single and consistent experience that will enable RB to service customers holistically.
•
Enhanced onboarding capability from a frontline perspective.
•
Customers onboarded quicker and able to transact much faster than before.
•
Enhanced customer experience.
Introducing Absa’s eCommerce
Payment Gateway
A payment gateway is a merchant service provided by an eCommerce application service provider,
which authorises credit or debit card payments for online retailers.
Absa has implemented the Absa-owned eCommerce Payment Gateway, which authorises credit and debit card payments for online Absa retailers.
Absa will partner with Cybersource, a Visa-owned international payment gateway. The Absa Cybersource Solution has been successfully running in the rest of Africa for over four years. Cybersource has also been processing eCommerce transactions for Absa merchants for a number of years.
Absa currently handles the processing of eCommerce transactions by way of existing partnerships with third-party payment gateway companies. We refer merchants with eCommerce gateway needs to these third parties. With the Absa eCommerce Payment Gateway product, Absa will now have the ability to offer eCommerce merchants an Absa white-label gateway solution that contains the latest form factors.
The intended target market for this product is small, medium and enterprise South African merchants. This proposed solution aims to achieve the bank’s growth objective strategy with the following benefits:
A direct eCommerce gateway option through Absa for our merchants
•
Latest fraud monitoring capabilities
•
Two integration options
•
Card tokenisation
•
3D Secure Version 1- and 2-capability.
What are the benefits of Absa Merchant
Access Online?
Absa Merchant Access Online is a value-added service, which is a web-based merchant platform for
web and mobile use.
The platform will allow our merchants to self-service, by offering:
The Merchant Helpdesk experiences an influx of merchant queries concerning batch settlements on Mondays and after public holidays. This is due to South Africa’s National Payments System not settling transactions on Sundays and public holidays.
Absa Merchant Access Online will reduce the number of calls currently impacting our Merchant Helpdesk, and give our merchants easy access to their merchant card data.
Target audience
Small merchants with a maximum of one to five merchant numbers or stores will be targeted in 2020. Our merchants the ability to check all settled card transactions.
•
The ability to view all online transactions.
•
A high-level view of the merchant’s analytics via the card issued and acquired data.
•
Contact with the helpdesk via the portal.
•
FAQ on daily merchant issues.
•
The analytical feature will focus on providing the merchant with statistical information on card transactions and clients’ spending in their store.
•
This current version will be a “lite” version and comes at no cost to our merchants.
Why you should think differently about
eCommerce
Accenture reports that, before the nationwide lockdown, with little impact from online competition,
traditional retailers in South Africa were putting most of their efforts into their core brick-and-mortar
stores.
Brick-and-mortar stores were generating almost all retail revenues and profits as South Africans still preferred going to department stores and specialty shops at the local mall. According to a Visa survey, 63% of South Africans said they preferred to make purchases at a mall, and Urban Studies found that 76% of South Africans visited a mall at least once a week. This is in stark contrast to the situation in countries such as the United States of America, where bankruptcy filings have set records, including companies such as Sears, Radio Shack, The Limited, Sports Authority, Toys “R” Us and Payless ShoeSource. In 2017 alone, other venerable brands announced plans to close more than 3 500 store locations.
The recent national lockdown has forced more retailers to either start or improve their online offerings and many consumers who previously were sceptical of making online purchases have since been converted. The restrictions imposed on people and businesses may prove to be the tipping point for eCommerce in South Africa and retailers need to consider gearing their businesses towards online sales.
Even before recent events, research by Euromonitor International predicted that online sales in South Africa would grow almost three times as fast as in-store sales in the period 2018 to 2023. Euromonitor projected that the compound annual growth rate for online sales in that period would top 19%, while it would be less than 6% in physical stores.
Accenture says that retailers need to rethink their digital strategy and technology to create a safe, secure and engaging experience. In a rapidly evolving economy, these are the keys to staying relevant with demanding consumers.
For those retailers who have not made eCommerce an important part of their business strategy till now, CRT Group provides the following tips on getting your online processes up and running:
Develop a professional website and online store
Think of your website as you would think of your store displays; you want to create something attractive for consumers, to draw them in. It is important that you do not frustrate users by using excessive Flash or other web technologies.
The goal is to create a neat and clean space that allows users to easily navigate through your online shopping system. Keep your navigation bar in the predictable locations and clearly label your shopping categories. Your customers should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently. International retail statistics reflect that 75% of online shoppers rely on images when deciding which products to purchase; an excellent product page is the most important foundation for getting started.
Engage shoppers with virtual customer service
Customers traditionally go into a store and speak to a sales representative if they have any questions or concerns. It is critical to keep this same service available, but in a virtual setting.
Use all forms of communication including a toll-free phone number, live support chat system, email and fax. Cater for your customers’ needs and they will reward your efforts by opening their wallet.
Adjust your pricing
One reason why eCommerce is so successful, is because online distributors can provide the same products that you can find in local retail stores, but at a lower price point.
The lack of high overhead costs associated with running a storefront will enable you to pass the savings down to your customers. Be sure to research your competitors’ pricing to list your products competitively.
Reward customers with free shipping
If possible, entice customers with free shipping. You will convert more sales by building the average shipping cost into the product price and running free shipping promotions, than listing the product at a lower price point with an additional shipping charge. Sales conversions are largely based on the perception of a “good deal”, so use the buzzword “free” to your advantage. Accenture concludes that, as our digital world rapidly expands like never before, South African retailers are presented with a mammoth opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of local and global eCommerce pioneers. By combining the powers of traditional and digital retail, building modern digital infrastructure, and improving customer trust and experience, South African retailers will be able to pivot to digital consumers — and pave the way to the next wave of digital commerce.
Best pricing strategies in unprecedented
times
Seldom in the history of retail have customers been more sensitive to price than now. Getting their
pricing strategies right could mean the difference between failure and success for retailers in difficult
trading conditions.
How do you determine the correct pricing strategy for your business during a time when historical data has become all but meaningless in predicting future customer behaviour? Multichannel Merchant states that in an increasingly unpredictable world, retailers with science-based pricing are better positioned to gain real-time insights into changes in demand signals. They can then predict future demand and normalise historical data to optimise supply chain management and build shopper loyalty. Cheryl Sullivan, President of DemandTec, advises that with shoppers on high alert for perceived exploitation, retailers must make well-informed pricing decisions to align them by item and channel with the desired price image. Those with science-based pricing are in a superior position to make informed, surgically focused decisions which accomplish that goal. Sullivan explains that science-based pricing can assist retailers in the following ways:
Quickly identifying new trends: Today’s data-driven analytics and modelling can move rapidly to make sense of channel, price sensitivity and product mix changes.
Prescriptive recommendations to respond with agility:Automated science-based pricing tools work 24/7 to ingest vast amounts of real-time shopper, market, and competitive signals. They generate pricing recommendations that focus on shopper expectations.
Focus on shopper and business outcomes: It is human nature to overreact to sparse data points in times of flux or conversely, to feel overwhelmed and paralysed amid unprecedented uncertainty. Leveraging the toolkit of AI/machine learning-based pricing tools, you can analyse, learn and recommend without all-too-human factors clouding the process.
Balance shopper needs and business goals: Now more than ever, every pricing and promotion decision across every channel has significant impact on your ability to engage shoppers. Price optimisation gives you the ability to align pricing with financial targets across the entire assortment.
McKinsey and Company is of the opinion that, while it’s difficult to take a long-term view in the fog of a crisis that seems to change every day, the companies that emerge in the strongest positions will be those now taking a “through-cycle” view of their relationships with customers and the communities where they do business as part of an integrated approach with marketing and sales. During the worst health crisis in more than a century, they will be at their best, addressing customers’ pain points with flexible payment terms, unbundling and one-time promotions. In short, they will drive long-term value creation rather than seek short-term advantage.
McKinsey says that, while each company faces a unique array of challenges, it can be helpful to consider pricing challenges in the following three main market scenarios:
1. Companies experiencing a sharp and unprecedented drop in demand
Sectors directly affected by social distancing and government isolation guidelines, such as airlines, hotels, and food service, are acutely impacted. As they struggle with decreased demand, they also have excess capacity and heightened price sensitivity. Many of these companies are getting requests for steep discounts and new terms as their competitors scramble to attract the few remaining customers, at times with prices well below cost. But for many companies in this kind of marketplace, we believe that pricing is now beside the point. After health and safety measures are in place, they should focus on maintaining cash reserves and preserving key assets and talent to survive the crisis and fight another day. Serving a few bargain-hunting customers at a loss is rarely a route to long-term success.
2. Companies experiencing an explosive increase in demand
Some companies are now rushing to expand capacity, including those that provide critical products and services, such as medical supplies, shipping, and cleaning, and those whose products are highly sought after by people confined to their homes. While this may seem like a rare opportunity to generate outsized profits, perceptions of price gouging could have serious reputational and even legal consequences. That said, operational concerns may be even more important than pricing strategy, including stabilising the supply chain, keeping products on the shelves, addressing customers’ urgent needs, and maintaining quality.
3. Companies with muted or lumpy demand
Some sectors are not directly affected by COVID-19, but feel the impact of a general slowdown or moderate uptick as people’s lives change at work and at home. Many of these companies have opportunities to take near-term pricing actions that preserve and build value.
McKinsey concludes that retailers should seek opportunities that preserve and sustain value, making each major decision with an eye on the longer-term implications for the company and its employees, customers, communities, and suppliers. They can look for win-win scenarios to support customers and employees at a difficult time, remaining flexible and focused on preserving lifelong relationships. An unwavering focus on value can help organisations avoid extensive cost-cutting exercises that, in the long run, could do more harm than good.
How can you retain customers in tough
times?
Attracting a new customer costs, on average, five times as much as keeping an existing one, and,
depending on the industry you are in, it can cost up to 30 times as much to acquire a new customer
versus retaining an existing customer.
Importance of customer retention
International consulting firm, DCR Strategies, explains that customer retention – the act of keeping current customers that you have already spent money acquiring – is extremely important for any business: “Increasing customer retention rates by just 5% increases profits by between 25% and 95%. Many companies do not realise how important retention is, focusing more on acquisition and sometimes leaving their current – and loyal – customers unsatisfied,” the company says.
Benefits of customer retention
Keeping you current customers happy can save you money on marketing, earn you sustained profit from repeat sales, provide you with valuable free marketing through word-of-mouth, provide you with important feedback on customers’ interaction with your organisation and increase your margins – loyal customers are happy to pay a premium price for your goods and services. Ranga Bodla, Vice President Industry Marketing for Oracle NetSuite, recently shared the following marketing strategies with Multichannel Merchant for retaining customers in the post-COVID-19 retail landscape:
Email marketing communicates beyond promotions
Communicating with customers is more important than ever and email is a crucial tool for this. Providing a personalised email experience has allowed brands to tailor messages that empathise with consumers.
As businesses start to reopen physical locations, email will be an important tool to keep shoppers informed on health and safety practices, modifications for the in-store experience and convenient options like BOPIS and curb-side pick-up. It is important to remember that it is no longer “business as usual,” so every email campaign should be tailored based on the current environment. It is ultimately up to you to set the tone of the message and what and when to communicate.
Tap into VIP customers through SMS marketing
SMS marketing services can be an alternative for reaching VIP customers that have already had a positive experience with your brand. It is much more intimate than email and enables you to connect with customers on a personal level.
SMS marketing is being used increasingly by marketers, as 68% of businesses use some form of texting today. As you update brand messaging and build out a VIP list, focus on growing that segment once identified and reward them with timely, valuable and customised messages.
With a 160-character limit that includes website URLs and mandatory unsubscribe language, it is best to lead with an offer and reinforce a call-to-action without wasting words. To be most effective, SMSs must drive direct value. Strengthen your campaign with multimedia, email and social as a follow-through.
Make the most of what you have
In the absence of store experiences, brands can expand on digital practices in their marketing strategies. Depending on your industry or business segment, it can be hard to keep budgets flat. If you are in that position, now is the time to double down on current digital marketing initiatives. Consumers are at home, likely digesting more information than usual through their phones, TVs, laptops and tablets. This is a good thing for brands because new and creative strategies are not necessarily warranted. Make the most of the channels that you have by ensuring that your message stands out.
Conclusion
Reassess your digital marketing efforts, identify your most valuable channels and put time and effort behind communicating quality messages through them. But remember that diversification is still key – you do not need to bombard consumers through a single medium.
“The most effective marketing strategy will leverage a combination of traditional methods, as well as email, SMS and social media. These platforms will help keep shoppers engaged and translate to more sales opportunities when used effectively,” Bodla concludes.
Top international trend – growth in the
use of parcel lockers
The World Economic Forum (WEF) says that there has never been a time of greater change for the
“last mile”. Consumers order more things online, expecting more control and faster deliveries.
Retailers are seeking innovative solutions to help them address these growing expectations. Daniela Forte from Multichannel Merchant says that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and that retailers must provide the means for customers to get orders when, where and how they want them, which often includes a combination of the following:
According to research conducted by the WEF, eCommerce sales ratios nearly tripled globally from 2014 to 2019. This trend is being fuelled by a multitude of different factors: Urbanisation and the increasing purchasing power of the middle class, an increasing customer base worldwide, a widening range of products that can be purchased online and the emergence of new digital business models, as well as technological advancements in the delivery segments that allow for instant and time-definite delivery.
The WEF reports that the face of urban commercial delivery has vastly changed in the past few years. Delivery vehicles are double-parking and blocking lanes, eGrocers such as Walmart and Kroger, and food-delivery services such as DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates are increasing their online revenue by offering home deliveries in the downtown core via vans, bikes and scooters in increasingly shorter time windows. As a result, demand for last-mile delivery is soaring and is expected to grow by 78% globally by 2030. The WEF is of the opinion that the use of parcel lockers is a desirable option to address the negative impact of the growth in last-mile deliveries.
What are parcel lockers?
DHL explains that parcel lockers are self-service lockers that store parcels for customers to pick up at any time. Parcel lockers offer customers the convenience to pick up their packages from a nearby secure locker that is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This helps to solve the problems that many last-mile logistics providers face that affect their productivity, efficiency and expenditure. Logistics companies incur high costs and inefficiencies when making multiple trips to complete one delivery.
History of parcel lockers
DHL reports that in 2001, Deutsche Post introduced Packstation, which allows for the self-service collection of parcels at any time. The concept took off and is now being adopted all over the world.
Amazon launched lockers in 2011 and introduced Hub by Amazon in apartment buildings in 2018. At POST-EXPO 2018, a Hong Kong-based start-up unveiled a smart locker solution using the internet of things (IoT), cloud and encryption. The software connects consumers, merchants and couriers to create a 24-hour self-service model that is entirely tracked over mobile devices.
Benefits of parcel lockers
Benefits for retailers and logistics service providers adopting storage locker solutions include cost-efficiency, as amassed deliveries to a single parcel locker station is much more efficient than making deliveries to multiple locations. The use of parcel lockers also reduces traffic congestion and the carbon footprint from delivery vehicles. Steve Osburn, managing director of Kurt Salmon, says that automated lockers allow retailers to better space out the order fulfilment work and eliminates reliance on order pick-up stations.
Local examples of parcel lockers
Bizcommunity recently reported that, to ensure that South Africans do not have to wait in long queues at clinics or hospitals to collect their monthly medication, Right ePharmacy and the National Department of Health fast-tracked innovative collect-and-go smart lockers. Seventy locker sites were rolled out in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State. These locally
manufactured secure electronic lockers safely store monthly chronic medication so that patients can quickly and easily collect it close to where they live and work at a time that suits them.
Future trends
Parcel and Postal Technology International reports that eCommerce has driven business to consumer parcel volumes in recent years, which in turn has spurred growth in automated parcel machines (APMs), or parcel lockers. A growing portion of eCommerce items are delivered “out-of-home”, primarily via a Pick Up, Drop Off (PUDO) point or an APM. The latter is growing fast. Finland’s Posti recently announced that it will significantly expand its parcel locker network so that, by 2022, there will be 4 000 Posti parcel lockers in Finland, meaning that up to 85% of Finns will have a Posti parcel locker less than one kilometre from their home. As labour shortages in retail and the last mile grow, we can expect lockers and PUDOs to play a more important role in the future.
Staffed pick-up locations
•
Automated lockers
•
Scan and go
•
Curb side pick-up
•
Courier delivery
•
Ship-to-home.
How to protect yourself from fraud
Times of economic and social insecurity tend to lead to an increase in fraudulent activities, as can be
seen from the rise in phishing attempts and other scams that followed in the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Your banking safety and security is one of our highest priorities. As a result, we have several digital banking systems and security protocols in place to safeguard you against identity theft or any other online threats. This ensures that no matter where or when you logon, you know that you are protected.
In this article, we focus on cheque and card fraud. We will share information on online fraud, identity theft, and mobile and telephony fraud in our December issue.
Cheque fraud
Cheque fraud takes place when a fraudster uses a stolen or counterfeit cheque to pay for goods and services. When the real cheque owner discovers that money has been stolen from his or her account, the victim can be obliged to repay the total sum – even if this happens several weeks later.
How to protect yourself against cheque fraud:
Card fraud
Here are some of the most common scams and how you can avoid them. Lost and stolen card fraud
This occurs when a fraudster posing as you, uses a lost or stolen card. Most lost and stolen card fraud occurs before you report the loss.
To protect yourself from lost and stolen card fraud:
Counterfeit card fraud or skimming
A counterfeit card can be a fake card or a valid one that’s been altered or recoded. Most cases involve skimming – when the data on your card’s magnetic strip is electronically copied to another card without your knowledge. Skimming commonly occurs at retail outlets, particularly bars, restaurants and petrol stations, and at cash machines that have been illegally fitted with a skimming device. The stolen data is then used to create counterfeit cards. Most people are unaware that they’ve fallen victim to this fraud until their statements arrive.
To protect yourself:
Card-not-present fraud
This is a very common type of fraud. It occurs when fraudsters steal your card details and use them to buy things over the internet or by phone, fax or mail.
To protect yourself from card-not-present fraud:
Identity theft on cards
This occurs when a fraudster uses your personal information to open or access card accounts in your name. There are two types:
To protect yourself from identity theft on cards:
If you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud on any of your Absa accounts, contact us immediately.
Don’t accept cheques from anyone unless you know and trust them, especially when a high-value cheque is involved.
•
Be aware that there’s a risk that money credited to your account from a cheque could be reclaimed if the cheque turns out to be stolen or counterfeit.
•
Always consider other ways of accepting payment for high-value items.
•
Keep your chequebook in a safe place.
•
Report any missing cheques to your bank immediately.
•
Always check your bank statements thoroughly.
•
Report any lost or stolen cards immediately the moment you realise that your card has been stolen.
•
Only carry the cards you need.
•
Avoid placing cards in your pockets, where they can easily fall out.
•
Make sure that your cards fit snugly inside your wallet or purse.
•
Take precautions to avoid your card being stolen. For example, don’t leave your handbag unattended or carry your wallet in your back pocket.
•
Don’t let anyone take your card away to process payments. Ensure that you can see when they swipe your card and enter the amount at the point-of-sale (POS) terminal.
•
Check cash machines for signs of tampering before you use them. If a cash machine looks suspicious, move to another one.
•
Avoid entering your card details on shared or public computers.
•
Always remember to log out of any websites where you’ve entered your card details.
•
Only enter your card details on secure sites (i.e. those whose web address begins with “https” and have a padlock in the browser window).
•
Keep a close eye on your statements and report any fraudulent transactions immediately.
•
Application fraud happens when stolen or fake identification documents are used to open an account in your name.
•
Account takeover occurs when fraudsters use your personal information to pose as you and convince your bank to make payments from your accounts, order new cards and so on.
•
Shred or burn bills, bank statements and other documents containing your personal details before disposing of them.
•
If you use social networking sites, display as little personal data on your page as possible.
•
Inform us immediately if you change your address.
Helpdesk and Technical Guidelines
Helpdesk
Technical Guidelines
Read the Point-of-sale device technical guidelines online
Absa Helpdesk
0860 111 222
Other Helpdesk Numbers
• BCX Wireless Solutions 012 686 3300
• X-link 086 009 5455
• Huge Connect 087 820 0220
• Datalinx 086 111 2655
• Telkom Fault Reporting 10177
When to report a faulty terminal?
• Terminal not printing slips • Mag reader does not read all cards • Terminal resets
• Screen flashes/screen fades
Absa Bank Ltd Reg No 1986/004794/06 Authorised Financial Services Provider Registered Credit Provider Reg No NCRCP7 Email Disclaimer and Company Information: Disclaimer
