What is a POS Purchase?
Point-of-sale, or POS, refers to the moment a customer purchases your product. A point-of-sale purchase is any transaction. “Point” refers to a location. The point-of-sale is the transaction event itself, while the point of purchase refers to the checkout area.
A point-of-purchase strategy entails finding ways to entice customers to make a higher dollar purchase before the point-of-sale or checkout occurs. Not only does POS financing enable point-of-sale transactions, but it also encourages the customer to spend more.
What is POS Financing?
Point-of-sale (POS) financing is a closed-end credit solution. Like a credit card, it allows the customer to buy now and pay later. But unlike a credit card, the line of credit ends as soon as the customer pays back the agreed-upon amount. POS financing is a solution for high-dollar transactions like personal training that consumers would otherwise not be able to afford or would charge to a credit card. Your customer needs your gym, and you need to sell bigger membership packages and personal training. With POS financing, the customer can purchase your bigger packages, even if they don’t have the cash for it upfront, without fear of going into immediate debt. It’s a new name for an old concept.
It works by integrating with the checkout process. At checkout, merchants can offer POS financing along with other payment options such as Visa, MasterCard, Digital Wallets, and PayPal.
Through some forms of POS financing, both the retailer and the customer can receive the benefits of their transaction instantly. You, the retailer, will receive your money in full, and the customer will receive their product or service. Payments on the product are arranged between the customer and the lender. POS financing allows the customer to make multiple installment payments on a big-ticket item over time. This enables you to close a sale and the customer to quickly get what they need. It’s a win-win!
Why Does POS Financing Matter?
In short, you can grow your business with results unique to POS financing. Developing a strong POS strategy is key to delivering a seamless experience to customers, incentivizing them to come back. POS financing should be an important aspect of your overall POS strategy for several reasons:
- It may lead to higher conversion rates. Customers who couldn’t otherwise afford to purchase from you can now do so with POS financing options. It opens the door to more conversions on higher-ticket items, improving your cash flow and widening your customer base.
- It offers convenience and a better customer experience. The importance of the customer experience cannot be overstated. Part of a positive service experience is how easy it is to make a transaction. POS financing is embedded at checkout for easier transactions.
- It helps you offer an innovative payment option. Customers are undeniably attracted to innovation, and innovative products deserve innovative payment options. POS financing can help you attract new customers and retain existing ones while providing a positive company image. It’s also a powerful promotional tool.
The data doesn’t lie; nearly 40% of point-of-sale purchases are made on credit, and of credit-users, 74% think installment plans are helpful when making large purchases upfront.
Consumers have spoken, and they’ve made it clear that they value purchasing power over credit card rewards and high credit limits. They want payment options that won’t penalize them and send them into immediate debt. POS financing puts purchasing power back in the consumer’s hands, and offering this service will make your business more consumer-friendly overall.
Customers are looking more and more to nontraditional payment methods, and offering a flexible payment plan through Fitness Management’s POS financing can give you a leg up on the competition.
How Else Can POS Financing Grow My Gym Business?
As the lending industry continues to sky-rocket, it’s more important than ever to understand the customer better than anyone else and offer services that cater to the customer’s needs. POS financing is a revolutionary strategy that opens your company up to a business you could not obtain otherwise. Here’s how:
- Earn more sales. A 2018 Forrester Research study found that businesses that offered POS financing experienced a 32% increase in sales — and that number has only gone up. In 2020, POS financing accounted for over 4% of all purchases.
- Incentivize more spending. Also, “bill me later” services incentivize customers to spend more than they would otherwise. The same study found that POS financing, on average, increased the dollar amount of purchases by 75%.
- Offer credit-building services. POS financing may build a customer’s credit, which is of particular concern to younger credit holders looking to establish themselves. These consumers are looking for opportunities to build their credit at every turn. Another win-win!
Can My Gym Business Utilize POS Financing?
The answer is, almost unequivocally, yes! Gyms of all types can benefit from POS financing, and for some, it’s practically a necessity. If you choose to go with POS financing, you’ll be in good company as more and more gyms discover the potential of this new-name, old-concept payment method.
For gym businesses, POS financing offers the opportunity for growth.
Is There Consumer Demand for POS Financing?
Another unequivocal yes. POS financing is seen as a safer alternative to credit cards, and consumers have shown that they look more favorably upon zero-interest POS financing than traditional lines of credit. Buy now, pay later platforms are a simplified, transparent route for consumers who want to make installment payments. One of the greatest aspects of POS financing on the consumer end is that it is predictable. When signing up for a POS financing option, consumers are in the know about exactly how much they will owe and when, and there’s no doubt about when they can expect to clear their debt.
One of POS financing’s biggest proponents is MasterCard, which recently acquired Vyze, a POS financing platform, for an undisclosed amount. MasterCard did this because they know that credit card use is declining among Millennials and Gen Z-ers, who will make up 40% of the market in 2021.
POS financing gives consumers the best of both worlds — they can safely and transparently make installment payments on a purchase without committing to a credit card.
Who is POS Gym Financing For?
POS financing is relevant to all gyms, but especially those who sell high-ticket items and services. For example, large personal training packages and bigger membership options.
For many consumers, purchases with a large finance point but without financing are not realistic. Simultaneously, they may be wary of using traditional credit lines that charge high-interest and come with severe penalties. Acquiring the money needed to make essential, high-dollar purchases may take a while, meaning consumers are delaying purchases they would readily make, and merchants miss out on sales.
POS financing isn’t just for big-name retailers like Walmart. POS financing is becoming more prevalent even for small, casual purchases. Gym businesses can use point-of-sale financing companies, with many benefits to small business owners. Benefits include:
- Increased sales
- Increased average order value
- More return customers
- Less in-house credit checks
- Access to a sprawling multi-lender network
- Seamless customization and integration
How Do I Get Started?
There’s no better time than now to get started. The market still isn’t saturated, and industry experts expect POS to keep growing in popularity.
With this in mind, there’s no time like the present to get started. Here at Fitness Management & Consulting, we can help set you on the right path. Contact us today for more information about what we have to offer!
Where Can I Learn More About POS Financing?
To learn more about POS financing, contact us at Fitness Management & Consulting.
Click here for more details on financing options or call 214-629-7223 or email jthomas@fmconsulting.net for more information. Or, apply now.
An Outsourced CEO and expert witness, Jim Thomas is the founder and president of Fitness Management USA Inc., a management consulting, turnaround, financing and brokerage firm specializing in the gym and sports industry. With more than 25 years of experience owning, operating and managing clubs of all sizes, Thomas lectures and delivers seminars, webinars and workshops across the globe on the practical skills required to successfully overcome obscurity, improve sales, build teamwork and market fitness programs and products. Visit his Web site at: www.fmconsulting.net or www.youtube.com/gymconsultant.
