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Time Business News
a day ago
- Business
- Time Business News
How Do Payment Methods Correlate to Customer Satisfaction?
The way customers pay can significantly influence how they perceive your business. Limited or outdated payment systems can lead to frustration, while fast, secure, and flexible options can make shopping feel effortless and enjoyable. Whether you run an online store or a brick-and-mortar location, the right payment setup enhances the overall customer experience. Explore how offering the right payment methods correlates to customer satisfaction. Customers feel more comfortable when they see payment options they know and trust. Popular choices like credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay make checkout feel smooth and secure. If your business only accepts cash or less common methods, you risk losing potential sales. Display accepted payment logos—such as Visa, Mastercard, or Google Pay—on your storefront and website to reassure customers that their preferred method is available. For online stores, integrate widely used digital wallets and ensure your checkout process is intuitive. In-store, use terminals that support contactless payments for added speed and convenience. Train staff to assist customers who may be unsure about their options. While setting up these systems, be mindful of things like merchant account fees, which can vary by provider and impact your bottom line. Familiar, easy-to-use payment methods reduce hesitation and help customers focus on their purchase, not the process. Speed matters—especially at checkout. Long lines or slow systems can quickly sour the shopping experience. Credit cards, tap-to-pay options, and mobile apps like Google Pay or Apple Pay help move transactions along quickly. For in-store purchases, invest in reliable card readers and test them regularly to avoid delays. Online, streamline the checkout process with one-click payment options and saved card details. If a payment fails, provide clear, helpful error messages to guide the customer. Train your team to handle payments efficiently and troubleshoot issues on the spot. In fast-paced environments like cafés or retail shops, quick transactions keep lines moving and customers happy. When payments are seamless, shoppers feel valued—and are more likely to return. Flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services can make higher-priced items more accessible and appealing. Platforms like Klarna or Afterpay allow customers to split purchases into manageable installments, reducing financial pressure. Clearly promote these options at checkout, both in-store and online, and ensure the terms are transparent. For e-commerce, integrating BNPL into your payment gateway can help convert hesitant shoppers. Subscription billing is another great option for recurring purchases—just make sure to offer multiple payment methods, such as credit cards or bank transfers. Flexibility shows that you understand your customers' needs and are willing to meet them where they are. When people feel financially empowered, they're more likely to complete a purchase and return in the future. Security is a top concern for today's consumers. Offering safe, reliable payment methods builds trust and encourages repeat business. Use encrypted chip readers and tokenized digital wallets to protect sensitive data. Display security badges—like PCI compliance or SSL certification—on your website and at checkout to reassure customers. Ensure your site uses HTTPS for all transactions and offer credit card options with built-in buyer protection. Train employees to handle payment information responsibly and avoid storing sensitive data. If a customer expresses concern, be ready to explain your security measures clearly and confidently. Especially for high-value purchases or online orders, a secure payment process can be the deciding factor in whether someone completes a transaction. Today's consumers expect modern, tech-friendly payment options. Digital wallets, contactless cards, and mobile apps are now standard for many shoppers. If your business only accepts cash or checks, you may lose customers to competitors with more flexible systems. Offer widely used methods like Apple Pay, Venmo, and even cryptocurrency if it fits your audience. Make these options visible through signage or website banners. Upgrade your in-store terminals to support contactless and QR code payments, which are especially popular with younger, tech-savvy shoppers. Staying current with payment trends shows that your business is forward-thinking and customer-focused. When people can pay the way they prefer, they feel understood—and that builds loyalty. Payment options do more than process transactions—they shape the entire customer experience. Familiar methods build comfort and trust. Fast, seamless checkouts reduce frustration. Flexible plans make purchases more accessible. Secure systems protect data and reinforce confidence. And staying up to date with modern trends keeps your business competitive. By prioritizing convenience, flexibility, and security, you create a payment experience that supports customer satisfaction and long-term success. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Mint
a day ago
- Automotive
- Mint
The Elon Musk you did not know: From Tony Stark connection to launching a perfume
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, is well known as the owner of Tesla, the electric car maker, and SpaceX, his private space company. He also took over the social media platform Twitter, renaming it X. Until recently, Musk worked within the US government as head of the Department of Government Efficiency - known as DOGE - which was part of Donald Trump's dispensation. After nearly 130 days in the role, Musk announced his departure from the department. His time there and his close ties with Trump kept him in the headlines more than ever. But there are many lesser-known facts about the billionaire entrepreneur, according to a report by Sky news. At just 12 years old in the early 1980s, Musk created a video game called Blastar. Using coding skills he had learned from the age of nine, Musk designed a game where players used their keyboard to shoot alien spaceships. By 1984, the game was sold to PC and Office Technology magazine for $500 (£371) and appeared in their December issue. Read | Elon Musk 'willingly accepted outrageous abuse because…': Donald Trump bids DOGE head farewell | Top 10 points Musk's talent for business showed early. In 1995, at 24, he and his brother Kimbal started their first company, Zip2, which developed online city guides for newspapers. The business began with just $28,000 (£20,000) but was sold for nearly $300 million (£222 million) in 1999. Before the sale, Musk and his brother were almost broke and slept on their office floor—something Musk later repeated in Tesla's early days. He earned $22 million from the sale and bought a McLaren F1 sports car. He told CNN, 'Just three years ago I was sleeping on the office floor, and now I've got a million-dollar car.' Not all Musk's ventures have been long-lasting. In 2022, he launched a perfume called Burnt Hair, described on The Boring Company's website as 'the essence of repugnant desire.' The scent was priced at $100 (£74) a bottle and sold 10,000 bottles within hours, earning Musk a million dollars. He joked, 'With a name like mine, getting into the fragrance business was inevitable - why did I even fight it for so long!?' The perfume is no longer available on the company's website. Besides perfume, Tesla released tequila in 2020 and Musk even sold limited edition Tesla short shorts as a playful challenge to investors betting against the company. Read | Black spot near Elon Musk's eye raises speculations amid reports of drug use Before Twitter became X, Musk founded an online banking and financial service company. The platform merged in 2000 with Confinity, which was co-founded by Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, and was later renamed PayPal. Musk served as PayPal's CEO but was ousted after disputes over the company's direction. eBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion (£1.4 billion). In 2017, eBay sold the domain back to Musk. Read | 'Did Elon Musk get punched?' His bruised eye at Oval Office baffles netizens Musk's life inspired Hollywood. The screenwriter of Iron Man, Mark Fergus, said the character Tony Stark was partly based on Musk, alongside Donald Trump and Apple's Steve Jobs. 'Musk took the brilliance of Jobs with the showmanship of Trump. He was the only one who had the fun factor and the celebrity vibe and actual business substance,' Fergus told New York Magazine. Musk even made a cameo appearance in Iron Man 2 in 2010. Despite popular belief, Musk did not start Tesla. The company was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Musk was an early investor and became Tesla's fourth CEO in 2008, shortly after the first Tesla Roadster was launched. He is credited with taking Tesla onto the global stage. After buying Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and renaming it X, Musk has been working to create an 'everything app.' He wants X to be like WeChat in China, offering messaging, payments, social media, business services and more. X's chief executive Linda Yaccarino said 2025 would be the year X 'connect [s] you in ways never thought possible,' with features like X TV, X Money, and Grok. In January, Musk announced a partnership with Visa to allow users to move money between traditional banks and an X digital wallet, making payments to friends easier.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Purge at Logan Mansion: New Peloton, wedding dresses, a Jeep and more
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Shreveport's haunted house, known for murder mystery dinners and Victorian tea parties, is hosting a 'Purge.' The Logan Mansion, as posted on social media, is clearing out its belongings, including a brand-new Peloton, several lamps, wedding dresses, and a 1999 White Jeep. 'Spirits stay and will not be sold. Join us this Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Mansion for a one-day-only purge event. You'll find an eclectic mix of items: some new, some antique, and some just downright funky. From curiosities to practical treasures, there's no telling what you'll discover,' states Logan Mansion's post. 'No photos will be posted, no previews — just come by, have a look, and see what catches your eye!' Exploring Shreveport's Spookiest Sites: A Look into History and Hauntings Logan Mansion's items included in the purge: A brand new Peloton, several wedding dresses, several lamps, pictures, glassware, Cowboy tubs, Logan Mansion said, 'Yes, I typed that right.' 1999 Jeep with 80K miles Antique furniture and other items from the 1800s and 1900s. They note tours of the mansion are not included. Logan Mansion stated that they accept cash, checks, Venmo, and PayPal. Contact Logan Mansion via proprietor@ for guided tours with ghost stories located at 725 Austin Place, Shreveport. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Square Sets the Table for Crypto-Fueled Caffeine Fixes
Girl/boy math is telling yourself that an $8 matcha latte costs just seven hundred-thousandths of a bitcoin. Soon, that conversion will matter because any shop that uses Square will be able to accept bitcoin payments. Square parent Block said it'll start supporting bitcoin later this year, reaching all 4 million of its sellers by next year. CEO Jack Dorsey said merchants can keep the bitcoin they're paid in or have it automatically converted to fiat currencies (like the dollar, peso, or pound). Previously, sellers could only do the opposite, meaning convert their fiat sales into bitcoin. READ ALSO: E.l.f. Soars After $1 Billion Pow(d)er Move to buy Hailey Bieber's Rhode and Omada Health Preps to Go Public as IPO Market Revives Square rival Stripe started supporting stablecoin transactions last year, acquiring stablecoin platform Bridge in February for $1.1 billion to strengthen its infrastructure. It's actually a circle-back for Stripe, which was the first payments company to process bitcoin in 2014 but discontinued its crypto offering four years later after running into low demand and high fees. PayPal, meanwhile, has been letting shoppers check out with crypto since 2021. PayPal launched its own stablecoin in 2023 and began allowing US businesses to buy and sell bitcoin on its platform last year. As payment platforms give millions of small businesses more exposure to bitcoin, big businesses are also piling into the digital asset — whose price popped 50% from last month to an all-time high of more than $111,000 last week: According to tracker, 114 publicly-listed companies now hold bitcoin, up from 89 at the beginning of last month. Together, they've amassed about $87 billion worth. GameStop disclosed yesterday that it bought $500 million worth of bitcoin to stash in its treasury. Similarly, POTUS Trump's media company said Tuesday it plans to raise $2.5 billion to build its own treasury of the in-demand digital asset. Hype Machine: Block announced its bitcoin expansion at Bitcoin 2025, an annual crypto conference where, last year, Trump said he'd make the US the 'crypto capital of the planet.' Hopes are high that crypto will enter the mainstream under Trump as regulators push for legal frameworks that could help it gain wider adoption (a stablecoin bill is imminent). At this year's Bitcoin 2025, VP JD Vance doubled down on the administration's support, saying the crypto industry needs regulatory clarity ASAP. This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive delivering razor sharp analysis and perspective on all things finance, economics, and markets, subscribe to our free The Daily Upside newsletter.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PayPal's venture arm taps new leader
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. PayPal's venture arm has appointed Ian Cox Moya, 42, as managing partner, the fintech giant said in an emailed statement Wednesday to Payments Dive. Moya's predecessor, James Loftus, exited PayPal to 'pursue another opportunity,' a PayPal spokesperson said in the statement. According to Loftus' LinkedIn page, he joined talent management tech company Velocity Global as chief financial officer this month, after being managing partner of PayPal's venture capital unit from 2022 until 2025. 'Ian has been an integral part of our team since he rejoined PayPal three years ago,' the spokesperson said. 'His deep fintech expertise in the U.S. and Latin America has been pivotal in shaping our global investment strategy, and he has supported many visionary founders across the fintech and e-commerce ecosystems.' Moya was part of PayPal's strategy development in Latin America from 2012 to 2015, and he rejoined the company in 2022 as a partner for the San Jose, California-based company's venture capital arm, according to his LinkedIn account. He formerly led card company Synchrony's venture arm from 2018 to 2021. To date, PayPal's venture arm has poured about $850 million into dozens of companies spanning the fintech, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries, according to the company's website. Among those that have received venture capital are Acorns, FreshBooks, Ellevest, Plaid and Raise, per the company's website. Following Ian's return in 2022, PayPal's venture arm made considerable investments in Latin American fintech startups. In 2023, the company was one of multiple firms that invested $14 million into nocnoc, an e-commerce platform that connects global merchants with Latin America. The following year, PayPal's venture unit and other investors invested $15 million into Ume, a Brazilian payments company that serves small and mid-sized businesses. PayPal has extended its investment dollars beyond its payments purview in recent years. In 2023, the company was one of several investors that placed $30 million in Israeli data privacy management startup Mine. Last year, the venture arm and other investors invested $30 million in Rasa, a generative AI company. Recommended Reading Affirm targets offline growth
