Why cashless is king in the laundry

Why cashless is king

in the laundry

By Lucinda Dean, Industry Reporter

Could COVID-19 spell the end of cash transactions? In response to the pandemic, many businesses have refused to accept cash due to hygiene concerns. Cashless transactions are the new norm and the trend looks here to stay.

Indeed, even pre-pandemic, cashless was an established and popular form of payment, especially among millennials and Generation Z, who are so hip they only ‘carry’ digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay and the like.

Coin-operated laundries are the dinosaurs of the 21st Century. Accommodation providers can

either adapt by upgrading to cashless systems, or perish.

Boost your bottom line

Remember when gett ing 20 cents pocket money to spend on lollies at the corner store each Saturday was a big deal? The value of that 20cent coin was tangible because back then, 20 cents bought 20 lollies. In today’s tap-and go society, money is just a number and it’s easier to spend more when it’s a nebulous idea rather than cold hard cash.

This is a boon for operating a cashless laundry on your premises because it is easier to make minor price adjustments and up-sell services to guests who literally do not notice the laundry draining their cash.

Customised reporting means it easier than ever to track and analyse consumer behaviour. The data rich information, ie whether it is a single or multipurchase; average ticket, date, location and time of purchase, means you can eff ectively target your marketing to incentivise guests to spend more money.

Why retrofi tting is a switched-on idea

There are myriad conversion solutions on the market, which means you don’t have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. One cutt ing-edge wireless technology allows you to convert your existing machines, old or new, into ‘smart machines’, by simply plugging in a mobile device. Guests use their smartphones to scan the QR code on the machine, or they access a mobile website to select the washer or drier they want to use. Payment is cashless by credit card or Paypal; or via a kiosk installed in the laundromat so guests don’t have to use their smartphones to make credit card payments.

Who said maintenance?

By going cashless, you’ll no longer have problems with coins gett ing jammed or having to deal with damage caused by vandalism and theft . When upgrading to cashless, always choose a provider, which off ers good aft er-sales support, including warranties and qualifi ed service technicians, so they bear the brunt of any ongoing maintenance costs, not you.

Convenience all-round

Guests no longer have to stockpile gold coins just to operate machines and owners / managers can keep track of this revenue generating area of their business from anywhere – and make informed marketing decisions.