Anyone running card only?

[Dustinw]

I am going to close on a site that needs a complete facelift. Just curious if anyone is running a card only site?

I take cash at my other washes but this one is in an area where other car wash( 3 miles away) have had some issues with vandalism over the years.

This site that I am buying has only had one instance over the years but it’s rundown and doesn’t even look like it’s open

It’s concerns me only taking one form of payment

 

[Blanco]

I currently accept all forms of payment. Ive owned quite a few washes before in low income areas where vandalism occurs. In my opinion those customers are not the card type. I was maybe 10% CC. If I wasn't taking coins im not sure what that number would be. Card only I believe IMO would be successful in more high income suburban type demographics. Areas where vandalism rarely occurs and 16 year olds carry their parents credit card.

 

[edredtop]

Education is key.
Our industry is known as a "coin operated" one and that needs to change (no pun intended).
Calling your new business something like "The Cashless Car Wash" or "Credit Card Car Wash" would be a pretty obvious indicator of what you're doing.
I also think you will get a wide range of opinions on this topic, which is good, because everybody's circumstances are different.
My washes have been in predominately higher than average crime areas, so my bias is against expanding cash acceptance.
It can definitely take the wind out of a vagrant's sails if they come to your wash to panhandle and there's no cash being handled by the customers.
We have been moving towards credit card only despite the obvious spoken and unspoken reasons for taking it.
It would be really cool if you took before and after pictures of your project and shared them if you're so inclined.
You have an audience here with a unique appetite for that kind of stuff.

 

[soonermajic]

Agree with Nick Blanco.

Maybe use tokens /qrtrs only? Change their bills for tokens only. Accept qrtrs, but don't advertise it.
That's what we went to & it shut down vandalism.

 

[getnbusy]

I think every site/ situation is different. I would be more inclined to take card only in a higher end place. At my lower end site, the customers expect it to be coin. There are some that would use a card, but the majority want to and expect to use coin

 

[Monsterd]

We recently stopped taking cash on site. Due to theft and the cost to repair, it was deemed a viable choice. In today's age, fewer businesses are taking cash to cut down on theft so consumers are adapting. Offering multiple choices to pay cashless helps, tap to pay, Apple/Google pay and having an App has helped through the transition. Signage informing customers of why we stopped taking cash, has helped with any public kick back.

 

[Greg Pack]

I have a friend with a wash in a solid middle class area and he went cashless in 2022. He was less concerned about crime but was trying to streamline operations. It was taking his manager the better part of a day a week to collect, count, and make the deposit at sites. He thought it was going to be a disaster because when he first did it people would pull in, complain, and say, "I'll never be back"! Revenue actually went up 10% his first year of going cashless. Low income areas might be more of a concerns but anyone that doesn't have a card in this day and age is probably someone I don't want on my lot. Even low income, low credit folks can get a card to pay with. The group of people I see that don't like to use cards are older folks.