• Banking

Meet Zeller: we’re reimagining banking for Australian businesses

4 min. read04.05.2021
By Team Zeller

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.

Zeller-eftpos-terminal-business-account-mastercard

Everything your business needs to accept payments, manage your finances, and pay recipients fast.

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.

Replace your Outdated Business Bank with Zeller

Everything you'd expect from a business account — and more. As a business owner, you want to focus on growing your business. Whether your goal is to scale up, increase your profits, or explore new opportunities — our growing range of financial services products enable you to take that next step. We have expanded our product suite to include three new, powerful products that will help more Australian businesses — like yours — to grow. Zeller Debit Card New and improved Zeller Transaction Account Zeller App As with all Zeller products, these new offerings work just as well together as they do with your existing solutions. When used in conjunction with Zeller Terminal, they give you a complete view of your incomings and outgoings — enabling you to get a better handle of your business cash flow. Yet, as part of the exciting evolution of Zeller, you can also opt to use each of these products as a standalone replacement for your current business bank account . Zeller is a new and powerful replacement for your business accounts and cards, enabling you to store, save and spend your money better. Keep reading to learn more about how Zeller is reimagining business banking by developing innovative products to help you run your business better — with no lock-in contracts, monthly fees or need to visit a bank. Reimagining business banking for Australian businesses In 2021, over 3 in 5 Australian business owners reported that they would prefer to manage their business finances through a non-big 4 bank. Tired of the lengthy set-up processes and paperwork, slow settlement, hidden account fees and fine print, it was clear that business owners desired a powerful new alternative. Zeller launched that same year to offer a smarter alternative to outdated business banking solutions serving Australia’s thriving business ecosystem — supporting merchants to grow their cash flow and profitability as they emerged from the pandemic with products that enable them to access their funds faster, gain valuable business insights, manage expenses more efficiently, and sell to their customers in more locations. Now we’ve expanded Zeller’s suite of products to offer a complete financial services solution that’s everything you'd expect from a business bank, but better. The release of these new products marks an important milestone for Zeller in becoming a financial services provider that meets all of your business financial needs — from accepting payments to managing your finances, paying employees and bills, tracking your expenses, reporting on business growth, streamlining bookkeeping and more. With Zeller, you can say goodbye to your outdated business bank. No matter what your financial services needs are, we are developing the solutions to power them — with no monthly fees, no paperwork, no need to visit a branch, and no lock-in contracts. Meet Zeller’s suite of new, powerful financial products Use them all or pick one to plug into your existing tech stack, Zeller offers a suite of financial services products to power up your business — including EFTPOS payments and invoices, accounts and cards, with new solutions for expense management coming soon. Zeller Transaction Account When you sign up for your Zeller Account, you get a free, powerful Zeller Transaction Account that you can use to replace your traditional business bank. Or, simply sign up for your free Zeller Transaction Account and use it without any other Zeller products. It’s the most powerful business Transaction Account for any business stage or type — complete with your own BSB and Account Number. Once set up, you can create as many additional accounts as you like. Zeller Transaction Account comes with features to see a full overview of all of your payments, transactions, expenses, spending and invoices across your top suppliers and customers, and manage expenses in real-time with ease. You can transfer funds to and from your Zeller Transaction Account instantly, then rack all your incomings and outgoings with up-to-the-minute Xero Bank Feeds, to streamline reconciliation. Using your Zeller Transaction Account in conjunction with Zeller Termina l gives you the fastest possible access to your funds, so you can put your money to use. Funds accepted via Zeller Terminal are settled to Zeller Transaction Account nightly, 365 days a year. Zeller Debit Card As you grow your business, you’ll need to purchase stock; pay bills, suppliers and employees; and keep track of it all so your budget is under control. Zeller Debit Card , which replaces Zeller Mastercard, is linked to your free Zeller Transaction Account so you can spend funds as soon as they settle to your account. With Zeller, you can create unlimited, free virtual cards and assign cards to employees in seconds so they can make business purchases in-store and online. Then, add notes and upload receipts so you know where your money is going. If your card ever goes missing, it’s simple to lock or cancel the card in an instant via Zeller Dashboard or Zeller App. Whether it’s a round of coffee for staff, or your business’ electricity, you can pay for it with Zeller Debit Card — plus, you’ll get access to exclusive cardholder benefits and rewards with every dollar you spend. Purchases made in Australia are always fee-free, and there are no annual card fees. Zeller App The Zeller App is the only app you need to manage your accounts and cards, EFTPOS and payments, invoicing and expense management, and more. Whether you operate a startup or a scale-up, you can run all of your business finances from your mobile phone, no matter where you are in the world. With Zeller App , you can: transfer funds fast between accounts order and issue, activate and cancel Zeller Debit Cards for you and your team view sales reports view your entire transaction list and details for all your Zeller Transaction Accounts, Zeller Debit Cards and funds settled from Zeller Terminal add notes to your transactions and more. Zeller App is available and free to download from Apple’s App Store  and Google Play . Zeller Terminal Whether you’re accepting payments in-store, on the go or over the phone, Zeller Terminal ensures customers are able to pay for your goods or services quickly and securely. When you’re just starting out, having an EFTPOS machine helps establish legitimacy with customers and affords incredible efficiencies; you don’t want to be sending customers to an ATM or requesting bank transfers. When you’re operating a busy business, an EFTPOS machine that processes customer payments in seconds helps to cut down queues and increase customer satisfaction — ensuring their final touchpoint with your business is a positive one. Make use of intelligent functionality such as: integrations with 600+ point-of-sale systems to streamline payments custom surcharging to pass on your cost of acceptance in full tipping prompts to grow your tips by 30% customisable receipts for additional business branding and much more. With 99.999% uptime and the option to add a Zeller SIM Card so you can process payments when Wi-Fi or personal hotspot isn’t available, Zeller Terminal ensures you’re always ready to sell. In-person payments cost just 1.4% per tapped, dipped or swiped transaction, while over-the-phone payments cost 1.7% to reflect the additional security measures required to keep your business safe. If your business processes over $250K in card payments per year, you may be eligible for a custom rate. Funds accepted via Zeller Terminal are settled to your Zeller Transaction Account overnight, 365 days a year, and available to spend using your Zeller Debit Card the very next day. Zeller Terminal comes in black and white, and is available from Zeller Shop , with free express shipping and same-day dispatch. There are no lock-in contracts, terminal rental fees or hidden charges. Zeller Dashboard Having the ability to see, track and report on your incomings and outgoings is key to running a successful business. Zeller Dashboard provides one convenient location to see your incomings and outgoing in real-time, manage your EFTPOS terminal settings, create reports, keep track of business performance and more — from wherever you are. Understanding where your money is coming from, and then being spent, is key to healthy cash flow. It also makes tax time easier and enables you to find opportunities to cut spending to support business growth. For example, using Zeller Dashboard you can instantly identify which times and days of the week your business is the quietest. With this information in hand, you can make informed decisions about whether to change your opening times, close on public holidays, reduce your staff, and much more. Zeller Contact Directory works hand in hand with Zeller Dashboard, allowing you to better understand the customers who shop with you and get valuable insights about the businesses you spend with. This powerful functionality gives you one place to see every EFTPOS payment, transaction and account transfer processed with an individual or another business — and it’s included free. Make the switch today Whether your business is big or small, Zeller products can help you run more efficiently and meet your next growth milestone. Plus, all Zeller merchants get free access to live support in under five minutes. Our team of experts is on hand to help you with any queries you may have, and are available via phone call or text, email, and social media. Sign up for your free Zeller Account today in under five minutes to get started, or speak to Zeller Sales about a custom package designed to suit your business needs.

Swap your Business Bank for a Zeller Transaction Account

Discover a better way to store and spend business funds. Zeller Transaction Account is a powerful business transaction account that makes keeping on top  of your spending, transactions, payments, settlements and invoices, and making managing your business financial health simple and straightforward. When you sign up for Zeller, you get a free Zeller Transaction Account instantly  — there’s no paperwork or need to visit a bank. Some business bank accounts are outdated. Many are simply a secure place to store funds. With Zeller Transaction Account, you can replace your outdated business bank account with next-gen technology that gives you one place to see your incoming and outgoing transactions in real time, understand customer and business spending, and track payments across your entire business — right from your computer or smartphone. New enhancements make the Zeller Transaction Account the most powerful transaction account for any business stage or type. Whether you operate a start-up or a scale-up, sell face-to-face or online, or manage contractors as part of an agency, Zeller has the right financial services solution for you. Zeller Transaction Account can be used together with other Zeller products, or as a standalone Transaction Account for businesses that: need a place to settle funds to don’t have an established banking history, yet need a transaction account fast want solutions to help manage expenses across a wide range of employee or contractor types, without the fuss. Keep reading to discover how Zeller Transaction Accounts work. An all-in-one solution Zeller’s suite of products support all of your business’ financial needs. Funds accepted via Zeller Terminal are settled to your Zeller Transaction Account nightly, 365 days a year, and then instantly available to spend with your Zeller Debit Card . Plus, with your own Account Number and BSB, you can invite customers, clients and other third parties to transfer funds directly to your account when paying your business for invoices. Alternatively, Zeller Transaction Account can be used as a standalone business account to store, save and manage your funds. Meet your new Transaction Account Zeller Transaction Account is an all-in-one business account for growth-minded merchants. Complete with BSB and Account Number, it’s packed with all of the tools you need to manage, categorise and spend business funds. Instant setup Create your Zeller Transaction Account in a few simple steps online , with no lengthy paperwork or need to visit a bank branch. In fact, it’s the fastest and simplest way to sign up for a business transaction account, anywhere in the world — most business owners can be set up with a new account in under 5 minutes. You can create as many free Transaction Accounts as your business needs — whether that’s one for every business location, one for saving and another to store petty cash for employees to spend with their Zeller Debit Cards , or any other setup. No matter your business stage or type, Zeller can support the way you run your business. Real-time and unlimited transfers Outdated business banks will make you wait days to receive your funds — and even longer on weekends and public holidays. With Zeller Transaction Account, funds are transferred in real-time. Powered by the New Payments Platform, Zeller enables faster, simpler, smarter payments for every business. With your Zeller Transaction Account, you can send and receive funds in real-time for instant cash flow. All businesses need fast cash flow. Whether you're a market merchant needing their funds settled to buy fresh produce, an agency wanting to pay its contractors faster for completed work, or an online seller needing to pay a drop-shipper to release the goods so you can fulfil orders — Zeller’s nightly settlement gives you the fastest way to access your hard-earned money. Instant, fee-free spending Create and issue virtual Zeller Debit Cards, or order physical cards, online in an instant. Then, connect your card to one of your Zeller Transaction Accounts so you and your staff can spend business funds to make purchases in-store and online. Simple expense management Zeller Transaction Account is the most powerful account for modern businesses. That means you have the ability to upload receipts, add notes, categorise transactions, and assign contacts to transactions so you better understand the customers spending with your businesses as well as the businesses you’re purchasing from. Powerful business insights Real-time transaction lists and reporting, available in both Zeller Dashboard and the Zeller App (coming soon), empower you with the insights you need to run a successful business. Plus, funds settled to and withdrawn from your account are easily accessible, from wherever business takes you. Xero Bank Feeds integration Rely on Zeller’s up-to-the-minute integration with Xero bank feeds to reduce the admin load of manual transaction uploads and reconciliations. When funds are settled to your Zeller Transaction Account, transaction information appears in your Xero organisation instantly. Secure access can be granted to third parties like your bookkeeper or accountant, ensuring you’re working as efficiently as possible from the exact same data. Get started today Zeller Transaction Account gives you complete oversight of your finances to help you make smarter business decisions. Having the ability to see your true financial position at any point in time enables you to identify opportunities for business growth and see where savings could be made. Open your free Zeller Transaction Account online in minutes today.

5 Simple Ways Zeller Keeps More Money in Your Business

Looking for ways to save money in your business? Here are five. The primary purpose of any EFTPOS machine is to enable customers to pay for products or services safely and securely. However, operating a business is expensive — and accepting cards and other cashless forms of currency comes at a cost. Zeller was established to help Australian businesses grow, so it makes sense that together, Zeller Terminal , Zeller Transaction Account , and Zeller Debit Card can save you money. Here are five of the ways Zeller helps keep more money in your business. 1. One low, flat fee. Transaction charges are an expense a business incurs each time an electronic payment is processed. Depending on your payment services provider, these fees can vary widely — making it difficult to anticipate what charges you'll be up for at the end of the month. Zeller processes every tapped, dipped and swiped transaction (including AMEX) for one low rate of 1.4%. Quinton Evens, owner of White Lily Couture , recently made the switch to Zeller. “It started with thinking, how we can use our cash smarter? We looked at other banks and terminal options, but they couldn’t beat our current rate," he says. "When we calculated how much we were paying versus how much we could save with Zeller, it was a no-brainer. Saving $10,000 a year on transaction fees is insane." 2. Automatic surcharging for zero-cost EFTPOS. Surcharging is a part of modern-day life, and an easy way to recoup your cost of acceptance from customers who choose to use cashless forms of payment. The number of customers who carry cash is dwindling, meaning most sales these days come at a small cost — which you can pass on to the customer as a surcharge. For every purchase made with a card or device that is tapped, dipped or swiped to Zeller Terminal, the transaction cost is just 1.4%. As a merchant, you are legally able to pass your cost of acceptance on to your customers – giving you fee-free EFTPOS . Some EFTPOS providers charge merchants an additional fee to switch surcharging functionality on, and make the switch irreversible. This effectively forces merchants to make a definitive decision for their business, one way or the other, and financially commit to it. But how do you know if surcharging is right for your business, and your customers? Zeller Terminal’s surcharging functionality can easily be toggled on from Zeller Dashboard. You can even customise your surcharge amount. With surcharging enabled, your Zeller Terminal will automatically apply a surcharge to every transaction total, after your customer's card is presented, but prior to any card verification and transaction authorisation steps (such as PIN entry or signature). If you decide surcharging is not for you, simply toggle the functionality off. Considering implementing a surcharge at your business? Read our article first to determine if it’s right for your business and your customers, or if there’s another way you can recoup the cost of transactions. 2. Fast settlement. For many merchants, the reality is that funds accepted via their EFTPOS machine aren’t cleared for one or two business days. That means that any payments accepted at the end of the week are often not available to be spent until Tuesday or Wednesday, the following week. The faster you can access your funds, the faster you can put them to work — paying staff, ordering supplies, and investing in your business. That’s why, when you accept funds via Zeller Terminal and have them settled in to your free Zeller Transaction Account, you are able to use your Zeller Debit Card to spend the funds the very next day. 3. Easy tipping. Tipping may not be an ingrained part of Australian culture, but by not offering it you’re removing the opportunity for customers to reward your staff for their efforts. You could be costing your business — especially if you have a large tourist clientele. Some EFTPOS terminals will prompt customers to leave a percentage-based tip, or to key in a specific amount. With Zeller, you have the option to do both, one or the other, or neither. Why not enable Zeller’s tipping functionality, and leave it to the customer to decide whether they want to tip or not? Zeller Terminal enables you to prompt your customers to leave a dip during the transaction flow. This is particularly handy for hospitality-based businesses, however, these days many Australians are also tipping for services rendered. So, how much should you prompt customers to tip? Some sources say 10% is typical. Others say $5 per person, or more if dining at a high-end restaurant. With tipping enabled, Zeller Terminal can prompt your customer to either enter a numerical figure or select a percentage-based tip. You can even customise the percentage-based tip amounts – say, 5%, 10% and 20%. 4. Transaction visibility. In order to appropriately manage your cash flow and identify any opportunities to save costs, you need visibility over your transactions. Any time you have the Zeller Terminal in hand, you can scroll through a chronological list of transactions. Instead of manually counting a cash draw or reconciling your paper receipts, simply tap Transactions from the Navigation menu and a list of transactions will appear. Knowing the state of your takings at any point in time is important. If you operate a food truck, for example, you might have a specific target to meet. With an hour to go until closing time, wouldn’t it be handy to know you only have $150 in transactions to go until you hit your goal for the day? Armed with that knowledge, you might decide to combine some of your items into a special — meaning less food wastage, and a strong end to the day. 5. Fee-free business debit card. Spend the funds settled into your Zeller Transaction Account using the Zeller Debit Card, and you won’t pay any fees for domestic purchases. There’s no annual card fee, either. You can use it both in person and online. We offer this to provide you more affordable business spending. Funds accepted through a Zeller Terminal will be swept into a Zeller Transaction Account overnight, and available for you to spend using your Zeller Debit Card the next business day. You are, however, able to settle funds to an external third-party bank account instead. By sharing your details with us, we may contact you from time to time. We promise we won’t bug you — and you can unsubscribe from communications at any time.

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