Merchants seeking to improve the customer experience to spur sales during the current economic crisis are giving ISOs an opportunity to recommend new customer-facing technologies. Many merchants had already completed the 2008 budgeting process by the time the worst of the financial storm hit and “are still spending money into early 2009,” says Mike Griswold, vice president of retail at Boston-based AMR Research.

Experts anticipate a continued focus on technologies that enhance the customer experience, improve operational efficiency, or both. For many merchants, fulfilling customer service objectives and streamlining operations are so critical that investment in self-service is an absolute must no matter what the balance sheet says, according to Jeff Roster, research vice president for retail at Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut.

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As consumers spend less and merchants struggle, new variations on old standbys like gift cards and loyalty programs are attracting renewed interest.“We’re seeing a huge push by merchants to implement rewards and loyalty programs,” reports Christian Murray, director of business development for Global eTelecom, based in Destin, Florida. With business slow, merchants are doing everything they can to encourage customers to come back. “Merchants are looking for help, and this creates a big opportunity for ISOs to upsell loyalty programs,” he says. “It won’t make them a ton of money, but it will be great for retention. It’s one of the few opportunities out there that can make a big impact without a big price tag.”

Merchants like gift cards because they save them time and money, streamline operations, provide security, and increase sales, Murray notes. And with the economy faltering, awareness is rising among merchants that gift cards can make operations more efficient and improve cash flow, he adds.

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Success in the current economy will be driven by new alliances, new partnerships, and new strategies, and the 2009 ETA Annual Meeting and Expo is committed to providing the networking opportunities, knowledge, and resources attendees need.

“This year’s meeting is the perfect opportunity to strengthen and expand your connections to the people and companies that will help grow your business within this uncertain economic environment,” says ETA Chief Executive Officer Carla Balakgie.

The 2009 Annual Meeting Planning Committee has devised a compact yet comprehensive schedule of events to help every part of the payments industry cope with these challenging times. This year’s event, held once again at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, continues the rich tradition of delivering essential networking opportunities and comprehensive resources to the entire payments industry. Activities begin Tuesday, April 21 and wrap up on Thursday, April 23.

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Although PCI compliance among Level 1 and Level 2 merchants has garnered much industry attention, savvy acquirers instead are focusing their attention on Level 4 merchants. Keeping these customers compliant—and secure—is the key to mitigating risk.

The 6 million Level 4 merchants in North America alone pose a significant risk for their acquirers. Defined by Visa as those with less than one million total transactions (or less than 20,000 e-commerce transactions) each year, these merchants represent 85 percent of reported data compromises, and their PCI compliance rates are in the single digits.

Engaging small merchants on security issues, however, is challenging because most are focused on daily business, and few have adequate resources to make compliance a priority. Therefore, it’s up to acquirers (banks and ISOs) to educate them and drive the compliance initiative.

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