As any Canadian merchant can tell you, debit cards are handled a bit differently north of the border.  The Interac system provides a much different experience for the end user than American Visa-based debit cards.

One of the major differences is how Canadians are accustomed to handling gratuities.  They simply expect that they can enter the gratuity on the PINpad.  It’s the Canadian equivalent of writing the gratuity on the receipt, but it’s far more secure and accurate.

We have heard reports from some of our clients that their customers are reluctant to give tips unless they can do it on the device.  In order to address this concern, CenterEdge Advantage now supports this feature for both your groups and your birthday parties.  In combination with the Verifone Vx810 PINpad, the guest can simply insert their card and enter the gratuity at the same time they provide their PIN.  It even works with credit card transactions, too.

In order to get this new feature, simply contact us to upgrade to CenterEdge Advantage Release 11.2.  You will also need to upgrade to the Verifone Vx810 PINpads, and switch your systems to using Interac EMV (Chip & PIN).  In fact, this is a recommended change for all of our Canadian customers, even if you don’t need the gratuity feature.  If you have any questions about this process or what else is involved, please let us know!

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