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Even though our logo is
black and red, CardPayment Solutions is a Green company.
We feel we have
a corporate responsibility in that area, and that we have a head start because
our industry--electronic payments--is (by nature) a Green industry. But that
hasn't always been the case.
Twenty-some years ago, credit card
payments were processed by imprinting the cards on multi-part carbon forms we
still provide those imprinters, called knucklebusters, for specialized uses.
The imprinted slip was once deposited at the bank like any form of payment. A
lot of those slips were used.
The volume of credit card transactions has
increased astonishingly since those days, but now it is all done
electronically. In fact, there are so many transactions that they can only be
handled by electronic means. If we were still using imprinter slips, we would
be drowning in paper and all the attendant waste and the pollution of
manufacturing that paper.
Of course, the electronic credit card
terminals now in wide use print a receipt for merchant and cardholder, but
these receipts are a fraction of the waste of the old slips.
The same
Green equation is true where we provide electronic check processing systems and
debit card acceptance systems, which can eliminate the resources used to create
and transport paper checks.
Our gift card and loyalty card solutions
eliminate paper gift certificates and paper punch card programs with durable,
reusable plastic cards.
Naturally, you will say that the credit card
terminal itself - which is a mini computer requires resources to manufacture
and deploy, including plastics, circuit boards, and the like. This is very
true. But, beyond just ensuring less paper waste from the many millions of
credit card transactions each year, modern terminals themselves contribute to
the proper husbanding of resources.
Old terminals used impact printers
the kind that print with ribbons, like typewriters. The modern terminals that
CardPayment Solutions provides use thermal printers that employ heat sensitive
paper. There are no ribbons or polluting ink.
CardPayment Solutions is keeping a close eye on materials
innovations as relates to the Green manufacture of terminals. Most of the toxic
materials we are concerned about are found in very small amounts in most
terminals. Lead content is a big concern of computer manufacturers because of
its use in CRT displays, which are not part of credit card terminals. Polyvinyl
chloride, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and brominated flame
retardants such as decabromodiphenyl ether are of concern, and we are watching
the implementation of European RoHS and other standards in these areas. Of
course, we do not manufacture credit card terminals, but consistent with other
needs we would always choose the source manufacturer with the highest standards
in these areas.
Modern terminals are also extremely reliable. The
typical terminal has a service life of eight to ten years. So, the resources
that go into manufacturing these terminals are well-spent given their long
service life.
Also, the terminals that CardPayment Solutions provides
are typically open-source terminals, meaning that they can be used by any major
processor. Even if a merchant client chooses to no longer use our services,
they can still use the same terminal. There is no need to discard the terminal
and buy another.
CardPayment Solutions is a leader in providing Virtual
Terminals and Phone Charge systems, which do not use a physical terminal. Where
applicable, the merchant uses their existing computer or cell phone to process
transactions.
Our broad compatibility with the merchant's existing
point-of-sale terminals means that many times we can use existing legacy
equipment without the need to replace.
Terminals do need replacement at
times. Any piece of equipment may fail, or require an upgrade due to functional
needs of the merchant. When CardPayment Solutions receives such terminals, we
adhere to the Green concepts of Reuse, Renew, Recycle. As appropriate,
terminals are used for loaners or test terminals, refurbished by qualified
facilities, or sent to local E-Waste facilities. We do not ship E-Waste to
overseas facilities.
 Additionally, nearly 100% of all
recyclable items we accumulate are actually recycled, including waste items
(like paper) from our office operations.
We are also moving toward a
paperless process for our business workflow. We process internal documents
electronically. Our intercompany communications are largely electronic with
web-based and email-centric training and information exchange. Numbers of our
staff employ video conferencing for meetings, rather than traveling. We
universally use fluorescent lighting, flat-screen monitors and Energy-Star
electronic equipment in our business operations. We encourage car-pooling and
public transit use among our office staff.
There are certainly great
advances still to be made in the protection of our natural resources with Green
practices. It behooves all of us to keep an eye on advances and possibilities
in this area. |
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