4 Ways to Stop Long Lines Forming at Your Next Event

Accepting payments, managing your finances, and paying recipients should be simple. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Our research shows the majority of Australian business owners are dissatisfied with their business banking. The truth is, most merchant services solutions aren’t built to help your business thrive. That’s where Zeller comes in. Today, we’re launching Zeller — giving Australian merchants affordable, accessible, and innovative tools that enable businesses to get paid, access their money, and manage cash flow — without ever having to set foot inside a bank. We’re reimagining business banking through powerful new technology, backed up by local support and personalised service. An innovative SME alternative to business banking “Innovative” isn’t a word usually heard in the context of merchant services. Finding integrated financial solutions to grow and support your business often requires you to weave together multiple products from different providers, which typically means longer processing times, more paperwork, and a more frustrating experience. Large enterprises benefit from financial solutions tailored to their specific needs; traditional banks have shown that they’re more than willing to pour resources into supporting big business. However, this comes at a cost to the everyday Aussies behind our small to medium sized businesses. SME owners are typically forced to fit the traditional banking mold, suffering through archaic onboarding processes only to be hit with high fees, lock-in contracts, and slow processing times when the paperwork is complete. For new business owners, this can present what seems like an insurmountable hurdle to starting and growing a venture. With 67% of businesses stating they would prefer a non-Big 4 bank, it’s clear that Australian business banking is fundamentally broken. A lack of innovation from the incumbents means merchants like you are overlooked and underserved, at a time when they should be thriving. Businesses need new tools, technology, and support to grow. And that’s why we built Zeller. What’s in the box Zeller is all-in-one payments and finance solution for Australian businesses. It helps to accelerate your business cash flow by giving you a next-generation EFTPOS terminal, a free business transaction account, and free business Mastercard, all in one box. 1. Zeller Terminal Our research revealed that 71% of business owners using clunky EFTPOS terminals regularly consider switching providers. High costs and expensive fees, slow deposits that impact cash flow, and a lack of local support are all common reasons for businesses looking to switch. The majority of Australian business owners are dissatisfied with outdated EFTPOS technology currently on the market. Zeller Terminal is an all-in-one card payment and EFTPOS solution. Our next-gen payment terminal allows you to accept every payment from every customer – Zeller Terminal accepts contactless devices, contactless cards, chip cards, magstripe cards, and will soon also accept alternative payment methods such as Alipay and ZipPay. As new payment methods continue to emerge and shape the way Australians pay for products and services, Zeller Terminal will adapt to support Australian businesses to grow. Read more about Zeller Terminal . 2. Zeller Transaction Account We understand that being able to effectively manage and access your cash flow is key to the long-term survival of your business.  That’s why we make sure your funds are available as quickly as possible after taking payment from a customer. Zeller Transaction Account is included free when you sign up for Zeller. Your account is instantly ready to use, giving you real-time visibility over your settlements and spending — no lengthy paperwork required. When you take payment through Zeller Terminal, funds are settled directly into your free Zeller Transaction Account within the day. You also have the option of sweeping your funds into any existing bank account, and they’ll be accessible as soon as your bank allows. Read more about Zeller Transaction Account . 3. Zeller Mastercard By giving you the tools to accept payments, store and settle funds, and spend your money, we're significantly reducing the time it takes for you to get access to your funds. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 60% of small businesses close within their first three years — and the most cited cause for business failure is poor cash flow. As a business owner, fast access to your funds to pay your staff, suppliers, or buy product, is imperative. Read more about Zeller Mastercard . By seamlessly combining these services into a fully integrated solution, Zeller significantly reduces the time businesses spend on finding a merchant services provider, completing lengthy applications, getting set up, and connecting disparate payments and financial services solutions — all while speeding up your business’s cash flow. Watch the video to see how Zeller works in more detail. Your business, your way Merchant services should work the way your business needs, allowing you to pick and choose the business banking products you need to sustain and grow a profitable business. With Zeller, you have the option to choose the parts you need – Zeller Terminal, Zeller Transaction Account, and Zeller Mastercard work just as powerfully together as an integrated solution as they do alongside your existing products. Learn more about our EFTPOS machines and how our newly launched products are changing business banking for the better.

No matter how soon, big, or complex your event is, Zeller takes the pain out of processing payments . Whether you're planning a music festival, farmers market, or charity event: the Zeller Event Rental Program provides event organisers with access to payments technology — without the lengthy paperwork. With no monthly rental fees, and no lock-in contracts, you won’t need to pay for a service you’re not using – Zeller will customise a quote for you and offer you local support for the duration of your event. Keep reading to discover why event payment processing  is easier with Zeller. Get set up fast. We understand that, often, with events, decisions need to be made fast – and sometimes at the last minute. How many EFTPOS machines you need might depend on how many attendees you are expecting, and it’s likely that you won’t know this until you’ve started selling tickets or receiving RSVPs. Having a merchant facility that can be flexible and agile is essential but increasingly difficult to find, with many banks and payment providers offering only 12-month rentals with lock-in contracts. Signing up with Zeller takes a matter of minutes, and a local team member will help you get set up with the EFTPOS terminal rental package you need. Reduce queues with faster payment acceptance. Whether you’re selling tickets at the door, running a merchandise stall, or operating a food and beverage site, customers expect to be able to pay for their purchase quickly. With Zeller, transactions are processed in seconds — meaning you can keep queues moving. After all, long lines can prevent customers from coming back for merchandise, or another drink (or even from joining the queue in the first place). Plus, with Zeller Terminal you can accept Visa, Mastercard, eftpos, American Express and JCB cards, as well as mobile wallets. Having the ability to accept every payment from every customer means no one needs to wait in line, only to be sent to the nearest ATM. Enjoy peace of mind with local support. When events are planned year-round, but their window for generating revenue is limited to the few days or weeks that the event runs, organisers simply cannot run the risk of losing sales to unexpected issues. When you sign up to Zeller’s Event Rental Program, you will be assigned a dedicated account manager who will assist you in setting up your account, and tailoring a payment solution to your event. Additionally, our support team is available from 9AM to 1AM, Australian Eastern Time, and you can find the answers to standard queries in the  Zeller Support Centre . Never lose a sale with WiFi, SIM, and Ethernet connectivity. Zeller offers a streamlined attendee experience with fast, secure, and reliable payment solutions integrated across your entire site. Zeller Terminal connects to the internet via Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot, SIM card, and Ethernet — safeguarding your business against unforeseeable service interruptions, or internet speed issues that often plague large-scale events. And, because it’s wireless, you can accept payment from wherever is convenient across your site. Keep costs down with low transaction fees and simple surcharging. Events are expensive, and increasingly so. It’s essential to find cost-saving solutions wherever possible. When you accept payments with Zeller, you will only ever pay one low 1.4% transaction fee – there are no minimum requirements or hidden charges. What’s more,  surcharging  is made simple: you can toggle the feature on or off, or you can choose only a partial amount to surcharge your customers. By passing on the transaction fee, the only cost you will pay is the price of renting the hardware. Get fast access to your takings. Unlike traditional businesses, events-based businesses experience significant fluctuations in revenue. Organising events typically requires substantial upfront investments in venues, equipment, marketing, and staffing, and these costs must be incurred well before any revenue from ticket sales or sponsorships is realised. This potential cash flow gap means it's especially important to be able to access your funds, as quickly as possible. Depending on which payment services provider you choose, you could access your takings the same day — or you could be waiting upwards of three business days. When payment is accepted via Zeller Terminal, funds are settled to your Zeller Transaction Account that same day. Or, funds can be swept to any other bank account and settled the next business day. Tap to Pay with Zeller App: a fast, scalable solution. If your event requires an even more flexible and mobile payment solution – perhaps you have a large group of volunteers needing to take donations, or maybe you need a card reader that you can slip in your back pocket –  Tap to Pay with Zeller App  is a great option. With nothing but a smartphone required, this payment solution can be set up in minutes. Simply create a Zeller Account, download the Zeller App onto an Android or iPhone mobile device, and start taking contactless card payments directly from your smartphone. If you are an exhibitor at a market or if you only need to take payments sporadically throughout the year, Tap to Pay is an excellent solution as it gives you flexibility without the added cost of renting hardware. What’s more, you will only pay one low transaction fee of 1.4%, or you can pass on the cost of acceptance by toggling the surcharging function on. Track what you’re selling and when and where you’re selling it. If you choose to rent Zeller Terminal 2, this model comes with a built-in point-of-sale system – Zeller POS Lite – enabling you to manage your inventory and track your sales at your event. With this POS, you can easily upload a library of items and deploy it to all your terminals at once. You can add item details and a photo to make products easier to identify and add variants such as size, colour, or style as well as modifiers like add-ons, toppings, or special requests. To help keep the queues moving fast, you can also design the terminal home screen to give you quick and easy access to the top-selling products. Detailed transaction reports will tell you what you're selling and when you're selling it, so you can make informed decisions about ordering more products or adding on more staff. Rent an EFTPOS machine with Zeller for your next event. Interested in renting a Zeller Terminal for your next event? Contact the Zeller Events team to discuss your rental requirements. No matter how big or small your event, we can find a solution that meets your needs and budget. Plus, it’s the perfect way to trial Zeller as your long-term solution. Every Zeller Terminal rental kit comes with your choice of Zeller Terminal 1 or Terminal 2,   Zeller SIM Card , a Zeller Charging Dock, and a roll of receipt paper — everything you need to accept payments at your event. The Zeller Event Rental Program supports: Farmers markets Community events Food and beverage tastings Cultural events Seasonal pop-ups Fundraisers and galas Sporting events Conventions and trade shows Music festivals Arena shows Event venues Sports stadiums And more!

Smart social media marketing drew a two-hour-long line on opening day. The rest is history. Since Fluent first opened doors in 2020, the streetwear store has become a mecca for sneakerheads. Collectors travel from all over to see the rare sneakers on display, while the feature wall – adorned with the latest Yeezies, Jordans, Nikes, and more – entices passers-by to step inside and grab their first pair of kicks. The strength and size of Fluent's newfound customer base is a testament to the hard work that's gone on behind the scenes. Owners Logan and Esha began working on their business plan just under 18 months ago, while working as cleaners. After finishing the night shift at 8 AM, the couple would jump straight into business planning. Since then, they've juggled the creation of Fluent’s first website, two store openings, and become first-time parents. We spoke to Logan and Esha about sneaker culture, the risk and reward of starting a business, and the benefits of selling in-person versus online. When did your love for sneakers begin? Logan: I’ve always been a fan of basketball, and the culture that comes with it – the style, the fashion. I had a few pairs of basketball shoes as a kid, but they were always hand-me-downs from my older brothers. I never actually got a fresh pair for myself. Then I moved to Australia, started getting my own money, and started collecting. Esha: Then, from 2016 to 2019, we did a bit of traveling in America, Canada, and Europe. In each country that we went to, we made a point to find the best, hidden sneaker stores. It became a passion, and we starting thinking we’d like to create something similar at home – because we believe there’s a market for it. When we returned from our most recent trip, we started listing and selling our own collection of sneakers on Instagram – the sneakers we had collected during our travels. We really, really wanted to hold on to those sneakers, but we thought if want to make something, we’re going to have to sell something. So we made the executive decision, and that's what helped us get where we are today. How did you take your first steps into business ownership? Esha: From April 2019, there was a lot of work going on in the background. It was still a hobby at that stage – it wasn’t making enough to be our main income, but it was always something we wanted to make our focus. Our main job was cleaning, and we did night shifts. After finishing at 8 in the morning, we’d have the whole day spare – which is a lot of time to think about how we’re going to kick this off the ground. So, we went from selling on Instagram to setting up our own website. Logan: We figured it would set us apart from other sneaker sellers on Instagram. If you have an online store, you look more authentic. It was the next step in authenticating our brand. I think we only had 20 people on our site the day it launched, but we thought it was amazing – we had 20 people viewing our store! So that's where we started. What made you decide to take the leap from e-commerce to brick-and-mortar? Esha: I was the one who was more reserved and said we couldn’t open a physical store until we have enough revenue, or we have enough clientele. But then the pandemic began, and commercial tenancies seemed more affordable. We already knew that Perth customers like to see you face-to-face, because Logan was out on the road meeting customers all the time, so we looked at what was in our budget. We worked out how many pairs of shoes we needed to sell to afford it, and went for it. If the worst comes to worst, we thought we could just get rid of the car if we had to! Logan: In person, we can show customers the shoes and they can really understand what they’re buying, which helps grow our online presence as well as in-store traffic. It’s also a way to put a face to the brand, and deepen the connection with customers who have been shopping with us since we started. What are you doing to drive foot traffic to your store? Esha: There's always been a couple of things that we envisioned for the store, the two most important being great lighting and a large wall to showcase our shoes. That was one of the attractions for us when we traveled; every store had this amazing sneaker wall. No matter where we set up shop, we really wanted to try and achieve that. So, we built it. Then we teased the launch on Instagram using the wall, and I think it did help in getting customers here. The day we opened the store, we didn’t even have a chance to look outside. So when we pulled the drop sheet and saw the line, it was a rewarding surprise. We didn't check our clocks until two hours later and the line was still going. It was an amazing turnout. Any store owner’s hope is that people turn up when you’re opening, or launching a new product, or anything like that. Logan: Now, everyone who comes to our store can step back and appreciate the sneaker wall. It’s Instagrammable. Customers come in, take a photo and share it on their stories – which helps us grow. How does selling in-store compare to running an online business? Esha: Most customers that buy from you online already know about your products. They already know the price point and the reasons behind it. A brick-and-mortar shop gives us the opportunity to speak with people who don’t. In-store, we’re able to explain the shoes to the customer, which really helps them understand and become educated about why a sneaker costs what it does, and the culture and history of the community. Mums and Dads for example often don’t understand the sneaker game, or why they can be expensive. But when parents come in-store, we can educate them so hopefully they leave with a bit of appreciation about it. They often leave with a pair for themselves, that matches their kids. The customer experience is one of our core values as a small business. How is Zeller helping you provide a great customer experience? Esha: Our first EFTPOS terminal, from another provider, required us to switch apps every time we processed a transaction. It left room for human error. One of the main things we knew we wanted when the business grew was a sleek, user-friendly terminal we could both use, and give to any employees we hire without having to explain difficult processes. Zeller Terminal is ten times easier to use. Ease of use is critical when you're getting a lot of foot traffic. Logan: We recently went to a sneaker convention and found Zeller Terminal helped create a more trustworthy and friendly payment experience for our customers – which we feel is important, especially when you’re dealing with rare sneakers as they’re at an above-average price point. Some other stores were accepting cash or bank transfers, but we were able to continue to accept transactions at the event using Zeller Terminal, without breaking our workflow. And the battery lasted the whole day, which was great as we had no access to power. Do you have any other plans for 2021? Esha: Fluent already stocks Fluent-branded t-shirts, but we’d like to expand the product line. For that, we need to develop a team, find the right materials, and plan for production. The goal is to have a collection underway by the end of the year. That, and making the in-store customer experience as great as it can be. By sharing your details with us, we may contact you from time to time. 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