My Q&A with Wendy Taccetta, SVP at Verizon Business
I recently spoke with Wendy Taccetta, SVP for Nationwide Small Business & Channel Chief at Verizon Business, about their new SumUp Plus Card Reader and what it might mean for small businesses. Below is a summary of our conversation.
Brian Moran: I read about a new product for small businesses called the “SumUp Plus Card Reader.” What is it, and how does it work?
Wendy Taccetta: The SumUp Plus Card Reader is a portable card reader device that allows business owners to connect the device to their phone or tablet to accept swipe, chip and tap payments. The device can process over 500 transactions on a single charge while also accepting chip and contactless payments through a diverse range of companies, including both Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Brian: How can the Verizon/SumUp partnership benefit merchants across the U.S.?
Wendy: Verizon Business is committed to helping small businesses by providing them with the proper tools and technology needed to enhance their business and set them up for success. Currently, Verizon is the only carrier that is offering SumUp as a solution to its small business customers. Through this partnership with Verizon Business, merchants can directly leverage SumUp’s proprietary card terminals and mobile point-of-sale app. Payments through the SumUp Plan Card Reader are done via a Bluetooth connection paired with a merchant’s Verizon smartphone or tablet device.
Verizon Business customers can easily add SumUp integration directly through their Verizon Business account for a one-time cost of $19.99 and an ongoing 2.75% per in-person transaction fee.
Brian: What advantages would small and midsize businesses get from purchasing the SumUp Plus Card Reader through Verizon?
Wendy: For our business customers, digital transformation ranges from how they collaborate with employees to how they transact with their customers. According to a recent Verizon Business Small and Midsize Business survey, technology has taken on greater importance, with 63% of respondents saying they have transitioned to digital, online operations in the past year, and 65% saying revenue generated through digital operations is higher than before the pandemic.
Adding SumUp to our suite of solutions is part of Verizon Business’ commitment to bringing best in class offerings to our customers needing to digitize. And we’ve seen our customers desire to adopt platforms such as our One Talk phone system that enables small business owners to seamlessly conduct business anywhere, our BlueJeans platform for virtual collaboration or our 5G Business Internet for connectivity. Through our solutions, we are providing businesses meet their aims through technological adoption.
Brian: What offers will Verizon extend to their merchant network?
Wendy: Across the board, we’ve seen that our small business customers realize that technology plays a significant role in their success. Therefore, new technologies have become an imperative for small businesses enabling them to meet customer demands and grow their digital footprint.
Among the areas where we have seen our customers digitize beyond payments and transactions platforms such as SumUp are in categories such connectivity and collaboration. Giving customers the ability to transform the employee and business experience with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations we believe has enabled our customers to stay ahead of the curve. For more information about Verizon’s small business solutions visit https://www.verizon.com/business/solutions/small-business/.
Brian: Can any business use the card reader?
Wendy: Yes, while this solution is tailored toward small and mid-sized businesses, the SumUp Card Reader is an ideal solution for any business looking for transparent pricing and seamless integration to conduct business in a frictionless fashion.
Brian: Thanks for your time today, Wendy. Thanks also for all the support that you and Verizon Business provide to small business owners around the country every day!
