Selling Signature And Voice Technology
VARs can implement these biometric security advancements, increasing their sales.
A signature in a database can be much easier to keep track of than a signature on a piece of paper sitting in a box, in a warehouse. With electronic signature capture, says Mary Lynne Campbell, IVI Checkmate's (Roswell, GA) director of business development, VARs can offer end users improved productivity and help eliminate errors. Checkmate Electronics, Inc. and International Verifact Inc. merged in June to create IVI Checkmate. The companies had combined revenue of $80 million in 1997. IVI Checkmate is now the third largest electronic payment solutions provider in North America, and a leader in check reading, signature capture, multi-lane retail and smart card systems.
Reduce The Number Of Chargebacks
Having electronic signature capture can save companies money through decreased chargebacks, says Campbell. A chargeback occurs when credit-card customers challenge transactions on their statements. If the retailer cannot provide verification of the transaction, the consumer does not have to pay. "Credit card companies suspend payment to a retailer until the transaction is researched, if a customer challenges a transaction," she explains. "With the old system, those paper transactions were archived, and a person had to manually find the specific receipt. This could have been lost or filed incorrectly. If a retailer can't find the receipt, that business doesn't get paid.
"But," she continues, "if the signature is captured electronically, a data entry person can initiate the retrieval request electronically. Most of the time, the signature is found. The retailer minimizes its charge-back costs, and does so more quickly."
Signature Capture Works In A Variety Of Markets
"There are many uses for this type of technology," says Campbell. Industries where signature capture technology can be used include:
Healthcare - With signature capture, nurses can carry a handheld platform that displays the indicated patient's medicine. It can keep track of what drugs have been given to a patient, who administered the drugs and at what time this took place.
Insurance - Right now, paper forms must be stored or scanned. Insurance policy holders can fill out an electronic form on a portable terminal using software similar to electronic capture.