Reader Spotlight: Robert Chilcoat, President, N. American Operations, Unattended Card Payments Inc.

UCP provides hardware consulting services to kiosk software providers and enclosure manufacturers embarking on EMV migration. Our team can help determine suitable ready for market solutions using our multi-point requirements questionnaire. We can configure the hardware we stock for use with various gateways and processors.

Describe the most innovative installation/solution you’ve been involved in recently.

Right now we are engaged in a stored value RFID wristband solution that will be used in a variety of entertainment and amusement venues. State fairs, ski resorts, and water parks are just a few of the first adopters of these new closed loop systems designed to eliminate cash shrinkage, and increase satisfaction and visitor experience. Upon entry to the venue visitors use the kiosk and buy an RFID wrist band with a stored value held in a house account. After that they can put their wallet and other belongings in one of the self-service locker rental kiosks nearby and enjoy themselves worry free while being able to make purchases from vendors throughout the venue. 

What is the biggest threat to your business? What are you doing about it?

Traditional self-service in its many forms are facing increasing competition from mobile BYOD type of self-service platforms. Instead of fighting the tide we are riding the wave. Although right now it is more of a swell than a wave. Digital wallet acceptance hasn't had the traction analysts believed it would, however that may change. Most of our self-service card present payment hardware offers NFC capabilities for accepting digital wallet payments. We advise all of our clients to enable themselves to be able to take as many cashless forms of payments as possible. The transition from the "cash is king" mentality to what we see today, with the majority of purchases being done electronically took many years. While we don't believe it will take as long for traditional card payments to be outpaced by forms of digital currency as the previous transition; we do believe traditional card present transactions will continue to have a substantial stake in the payments landscape for years to come. 

What is the biggest opportunity for your business? What are you doing to take advantage of it?

Simply put, it is the migration to EMV that is underway in the United States. This standard has been commonplace in many of the worlds developed economies. However, it is very understandable why it has taken longer for the U.S. to adopt. Considering our vast network of banks and credit unions, and that consumers can get a MasterCard or Visa branded credit card from just about any retailer nowadays, our banking system is far more complicated than those of other early EMV adopters. The sheer number of card issuers and merchant acquirers undoubtedly means more competition, and thus more opinions on how to move forward with uniformity. 

What emerging technology will have the biggest impact on your business and why?

Tablet based self-service. There is a shift towards smaller form factor self-service solutions. Restaurants want self-service ordering at the table. Movie theaters want self-service ticketing kiosks mounted on the wall. More access points in less space is a common ask. There is a lack of semi-integrated payment solutions for iOS and Android, along with a limited offering of compatible hardware with a small footprint. However there are options we have found and successfully deployed with a number of clients.

What about your company culture attracts new employees and helps retrain current ones?

We are a young company with a casual work environment. However we do have our sister company in the UK with years of experience and relationships to draw from. While I like my sales people and operations people to be well versed in each others roles, I do strive to allow them a certain level of autonomy, and thus ownership over the work they do.

If you weren’t a VAR/MSP/ISV what would you be doing?

Can I saw Travel Blogger? How about Champagne Taster? In all seriousness, I think I would be good as a hotelier given the right partners and resources.