U.S. Wireless Data Launches Online Real-Time Merchant Site
Company Changes Name of Wireless Express Payment Service (WEPS) to Synapse
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2000-- U.S. Wireless Data, Inc. (USWD) (OTCBB: USWDA - news) today announced the debut of a new online credit and debit card transaction reporting capability, Synapse Merchant Reports, that offers merchants up-to-the-minute information about their card acceptance activity in a format customized to their individual business needs.
A service of Synapse(sm), U.S. Wireless Data's wireless payment transaction enabling platform that can be used by any business or organization that accepts cards, Synapse Merchant Services helps businesses to realize increased efficiency and profitability with in-depth, real-time business management reports.
Through the new online site, business managers have the opportunity to monitor their card transactions as they occur, analyze the data any way they like, and review a level of detail that empowers them to make better management decisions. Synapse can report and analyze almost any kind of data that can be captured, enabling merchants to evaluate the transaction data in dozens of reporting scenarios. For example, merchants could measure sales, returns and voids by date, time and terminal location; and use that information to take corrective action to maximize profits by adjusting staffing, relocating under-performing kiosks, or changing inventory levels.
Synapse Merchant Reports expands the suite of Synapse Online Services, which also includes Synapse Portfolio Manager. The latter has been used for more than a year by USWD's clients--merchant acquirers, ISOs, and card processors--to manage their merchant portfolios. The online, real-time reporting has proved to be such a valuable management tool that U.S. Wireless Data has made Synapse Merchant Reports available not only to their clients' wireless merchants, but to their landline merchants as well. The new capability also provides interactive messaging for more efficient communications between merchants and their card services providers.
``An important attribute of Synapse Merchant Reports is its flexibility. As different merchants express needs for new kinds of reports, Synapse will create and add them to the currently available options,'' said Kristine Demareski, Vice President of Product Development for U.S. Wireless Data. ``This allows U.S. Wireless Data to provide the best service possible and help our clients make their customers' businesses more successful.''
Synapse Merchant Reports enables USWD's clients to deepen the scope of the wireless payment service they offer their customers. For instance, merchant Volume Services America uses Synapse to enable wireless payments at concession stands at a number of major stadiums around the U.S., including New York's Yankee Stadium, San Francisco's Pac Bell Stadium, Jacksonville's ALLTEL Stadium, Tennessee's Adelphia Coliseum, Minnesota's Metrodome, San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, and New Orleans's Superdome and Convention Center.
``Synapse Online Services allows me to manage the operations of all my stadiums right from my desk. I can produce consolidated reports for all locations, or I can view real-time activity at each stadium, by individual terminal, if necessary,'' said Sonja Thomas, Cash Manager at Volume Services America. ``Synapse's Internet interface makes custom reporting very user friendly. I am very pleased that we now can provide these analytical tools to our individual site managers, so they too can benefit from having so much valuable data at their fingertips.''
U.S. Wireless Data will be providing demonstrations of the Synapse Merchant Reports site at Booth 120 at the Electronic Trade Association Conference on August 24-26, 2000 in Chicago.
The Electronic Transaction Association Conference also marks a name change for the service previously known as WEPS(sm), Wireless Express Payment Service(sm), to Synapse.
``As we expand, we realized that the acronym WEPS wasn't the best way to convey our service on a global level,'' said Dean M. Leavitt, Chairman and CEO of U.S. Wireless Data. ``SYNAPSE comes from the Greek words sunapsis, which means ''point of contact,`` and sunaptein, which means ''to join together.`` We think it aptly describes the wireless payment solution that can join together any wireless hardware, any wireless carrier, and any processor to create a turnkey payment solution.''
About Synapse
The Synapse platform provides a gateway that unites all of the parties in a wireless point-of-sale (POS) transaction. It creates a seamless interface among a merchant's wireless terminals, wireless carriers, and back end transaction processors. This enables businesses that require mobility (i.e., not tethered to a telephone or electric line) and/or faster transaction speed to accept wireless point-of-sale card payments--credit, debit, EBT, and other card transactions--that are processed as fast as cash. Synapse is opening new markets for card payments by making card transactions practical for taxis and limousines, delivery services, quick service restaurants, home maintenance and repair services, outdoor fairs and markets, sports stadiums and arenas, performance halls, and outdoor recreational facilities such as golf courses and amusement parks. In addition, Synapse's Internet-based tools offer online, real-time transaction monitoring to enable detailed data analysis, remote diagnostics and automated terminal activation for merchant acquirers, ISOs, and card processors. Their customers--both wireless and traditional wired point-of sale merchants--can access their transaction data online and use it to achieve greater business efficiencies. In addition to enabling wireless card transactions, Synapse can be used with a variety of hardware (e.g. ATMs, handheld devices) to effect wireless transaction efficiency in many data applications, for many industries. |
