With increasing amounts of merchants using online payment technology, the proper management of debit and credit card information becomes a major consideration for the consumer. Ensuring the security of your customer’s most sensitive data is of utmost importance when it comes to building long-lasting, trusting relationships with each of them. 

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of standards that ensure every company that processes transactions maintains a high level of security when it comes to credit, debit, and cash card information. If only one transaction per year is processed, you still must be PCI compliant to ensure that your customer’s information stays safe and sound. Today, let’s talk PCI compliance and why it doesn’t need to be complicated. 

Why is PCI Compliance Important?

Data that becomes compromised negatively affects the relationship with your customers, as well as your relationship with other merchants and financial institutions. Supporting businesses that are PCI compliant means that the customer's data is more secure, and this builds mutual trust which is vital to the success of any company. On the business side, the trust that customers have is incredibly important, but there are numerous other benefits to having a strong security system in place.

• Customer confidence leads to repeat business
• Improves business reputations with acquirers and payment brands
• Aids in preventing widespread security breaches
• PCI compliance makes compliance with other data management standards easier
• Prevents lawsuits, insurance claims, canceled accounts, government fines, and more
• Creates a strong starting point for corporate security
• Improves your overall IT infrastructure
• Contributes to the global effort towards safeguarding data

Best Practices to Improve Your PCI Compliance

PCI DSS compliance has a list of requirements such as maintaining firewalls, using password protection, enforcing the restriction of data access, protecting cardholder data, and more. To aid in the process of becoming fully PCI compliant, the PCI Standards Security Council (PCI SSC) has a vast library of tools and resources to help reach those goals. Despite the requirements, PCI compliance is only the start of data protection, and there are ways to improve your security beyond the PCI standards.

• Monitoring of self-checkout terminals by staff 
• Continually updating of point-of-service software to prevent against data breaches
• Preforming “mini audits” to ensure that data security is up-to-date instead of waiting for an annual review
• Maintaining documentation relevant to PCI compliance, such as antivirus policies and other information
• Minimizing the overall amount of data that you’re collecting from customers if it can be avoided– if no sensitive data is stored, breaches of information are much more difficult
• Encouraging better data safety habits with your employees

Protect Important Data With PCI Compliance

Your data is important to us, and in turn, your customer’s data is important to you. At Celero, we have payment specialists who can help your business become as secure as it can be. Contact us today to learn more about PCI compliance, and what we can do to help.

Let us introduce you to two Celero programs that will streamline your daily operations, improve your bottom line, and provide the verifiable Level 3 Data your company needs to succeed. 

Level 3 Data Processing Overview 

If your company processes commercial card payments for other businesses, then there are major benefits to having Level 3 Data Processing. Level 3 Data means a layer of data is added to each transaction, such as product information, line items, codes, item descriptions, unit prices, and others, and works to improve transaction quality. 

Once a payment is submitted, Level 3 sends the necessary data to Visa or MasterCard for verification. Then, the purchase details and other reported information are shared with the card association or bank, as to better monitor and record purchases. According to QuickBooks, payments may be withheld or come under scrutiny easier and faster, to determine mistakes or fraud, because detailed data verifies purchases. 

Celero Connect

With Celero Connect, running your organization is simple and stress-free. All you need is an internet connection to securely process all forms of payments, including in-person, contactless, curbside, mobile, and online, with just the click of a button. Celero Connect empowers you to unify your income streams by processing all forms of payment on one platform. You can also accept electronic check payments with ease and send out customizable invoices. 

Celero Connect’s user-friendly interface includes a wide variety of helpful features, such as recurring billing capabilities, fraud detection, and enhanced data to aid in your company’s decision making process. With a built-in QuickBooks feature, integration with your accounting system is simple and stress-free. It will save you tons of time on your next billing cycle and enable you to spend more time with your valued customers. 

SwipeSimple

SwipeSimple is another cutting-edge platform that enables you to accept all payments, whether that’s chip, strip, mobile, or EMV. It also prints receipts and invoices with ease, allowing you to speed up the billing process and spend more time with your clients. You can accept payments from your payment terminal, any IOS or Android device, or a web browser. The super simple interface is easy to operate, and we know that you and your team will love navigating it. 

As an added bonus, future transactions are faster, since client payment information is stored so that customized invoices can automatically generate during the next billing cycle. Imagine how much time you’ll save! Plus, automated payment reminders via email and/or text are easy to track in real-time. You can also generate detailed reports and helpful insights that will enable you to better understand the needs of your customers. 

Fintech Designed for Your Business 

Celero Connect and SwipeSimple are designed to meet the unique needs of businesses, and to help you reach your organization’s goals, no matter how ambitious they might be. They’re also seamlessly integrated with Level 3 Data Processing capabilities to keep your customer’s sensitive data safe. When you have the right fintech solution in place, the possibilities for success are endless. 

Contact Us 

Learn more about our business solutions by contacting us today. One of our skilled representatives will be happy to provide you with additional information. We’re here to help maintain and serve your valued clients.

For most individuals, data security is a major concern in their daily lives. With increasing amounts of vendors using online payment technology, the proper management of debit and credit card information becomes a major consideration for the consumer. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of standards that ensure every company that processes transactions maintains a high level of security when it comes to credit, debit, and cash card information. 

Why is PCI Compliance Important?

Data that becomes compromised negatively affects the relationship with customers, merchants, and other financial institutions. Supporting businesses that are PCI compliant inherently means that the customer's data is more secure, and this builds mutual trust. On the business side, the trust that customers have is incredibly important, but there are numerous other benefits to having a strong security system in place.

• Customer confidence leads to repeat business
• Improves business reputations with acquirers and payment brands
• Aids in preventing widespread security breaches
• PCI compliance makes compliance with other data management standards easier
• Prevents lawsuits, insurance claims, canceled accounts, government fines, and more
• Creates a strong starting point for corporate security
• Improves your overall IT infrastructure
• Contributes to the global effort towards safeguarding data

Best Practices to Improve Your PCI Compliance

PCI DSS compliance has a list of requirements such as maintaining firewalls, using password protection, enforcing the restriction of data access, protecting cardholder data, and more. To aid in the process of becoming fully PCI compliant, the PCI Standards Security Council (PCI SSC) has a vast library of tools and resources at your fingertips to help reach those goals. Despite the requirements, PCI compliance is only the start of data protection, and there are ways to improve your security beyond the PCI standards.

• Monitoring of self-checkout terminals by staff 
• Continually updating of point-of-service software to prevent against data breaches
• Preforming “mini audits” to ensure that data security is up-to-date instead of waiting for an annual review
• Maintaining documentation relevant to PCI compliance, such as antivirus policies and other information
• Minimizing the overall amount of data that you’re collecting from customers if it can be avoided– if no sensitive data is stored, breaches of information are much more difficult
• Encouraging better data safety habits with your employees

Protect Important Data With PCI Compliance

Your data is important to us, and in turn, your customer’s data is important to you. At Celero, we have payment specialists who can help your financial institution become as secure as it can be. Contact us today to learn more about PCI compliance, and what we can do to help.

Working to expand your merchant base can be tough, especially if the offers are coming from traditionally high-risk clientele, such as smoke and CBD shops, liquor stores, and cigar stores. At Celero, we believe that taking chances on these types of businesses can yield fantastic results, and our custom-built program helps you do more. Introducing our Strategic Acquisitions Channel (SAC) program.

What is the Strategic Acquisitions Channel?

As businesses like CBD stores become more and more popular, we decided to create a solution to help financial institutions navigate the waters of partnering with these types of businesses, and offering financial protection. SAC is designed to help you say “yes” to more business opportunities and develop a competitive advantage in your market. With our help, you’ll be able to not only increase revenue, but to also set up payment solutions that are unique to the businesses you choose to partner with.

What to Expect With SAC

With our SAC program, we’re interested in creating the best possible market solution for your financial institution that’s sustainable and stable in the long run. To cover all liability, there’s some extra paperwork that needs to be worked through in order to maintain financial protection in these high-risk industries, but a bit more time upfront is all worth it with the profit and investment margins later on. To explain more about the process, detailed below is a quick breakdown of a CBD investment opportunity.

• In COMPASS, outlines for different types of high-risk businesses are available and let you know of the required documentation, as well as a series of questions to look into about the business. Some questions for pre-screening a business may be about how to process for retail stores, and what language can be used when talking about the product
• Available on our website is a form to fill out and submit for consideration to work with the SAC program. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response from our team, and if considered, a formal application packet will be sent to you
• Once the application packet is filled out and all the necessary documentation is submitted, a formal “approval” or “decline” decision will be issued to you. If you receive approval, this exciting business endeavor can begin 

Say YES to More Businesses With Celero

Market opportunities in high-risk industries offer a significant amount of value potential for your financial institution, but they aren’t without risk. Working with Celero helps to ease the risks, and allows you to begin a financially stable partnership with some of the fastest-growing business types in the country. Contact us to learn more about taking on high-risk accounts and mitigating the risks.

In order to attract and retain more merchant accounts for your financial institution, you need to have cutting-edge fintech that can be customized to the needs of different industries. Here at Celero, that’s what we specialize in! We’d like to introduce two programs that will help your law firm clients improve their daily operations and bottom lines: Celero Connect and SwipeSimple. 

Celero Connect

When your clients incorporate Celero Connect into their firms, running their businesses becomes simple, streamlined, and stress-free. As long as they have an internet connection, this payment gateway enables them to accept all forms of payments, including in-person, contactless, curbside, mobile, and online, with just the tap of a button. They can also accept electronic check payments with ease. The user-friendly interface is packed with helpful features, like recurring billing capabilities, easy electronic invoicing, enhanced data to guide their decision-making, and advanced fraud protection. 

Celero Connect offers a data vault that will enable them to store their customers’ most sensitive information. Plus, the built-in QuickBooks feature makes integration with their accounting program a breeze. This incredible fintech solution empowers them to unify their income streams by processing all forms of payment on a single platform. It also helps your financial institution grow because when your merchant clients succeed, so does your organization. 

SwipeSimple

SwipeSimple is another amazing platform that enables law firms to accept every type of payment, ranging from chip and strip to mobile and EMV. They can do all of this from their payment terminal, any IOS or Android device, or the web browser of their choosing. With the click of a button, they can also print receipts and invoices, effectively speeding up their billing process and allowing them to spend more time with their valued customers. It makes it easy to run their business and keep the funds flowing. 

As an added bonus, future transactions are faster, as client payment information is stored so that customized invoices can automatically generate during the next billing cycle. Imagine how much time they’ll save! Automated payment reminders via email and/or text are easy to track in real-time. They can also generate detailed reports that will help them gain a better understanding of their customers’ needs and preferences. 

Customizable Fintech to Help Your Clients Grow 

When your commercial clients grow their revenues, this directly translates into growth for your financial institution in the form of increased interest and/or fees. To ensure that you’re providing them with the world-class support they need to win in the marketplace, it’s essential to find a customizable payment technology that will help them better serve their own customers. Celero Connect and SwipeSimple are designed to meet the unique needs of a law firm and as a result, help your financial institution reach its goals. 

Contact Us 

Are you ready to get started? Learn more about our solutions optimized for a wide variety of industries by contacting us today. One of our skilled representatives will be happy to provide you with additional information regarding Celero Connect and SwipeSimple. We’re looking forward to helping your bank grow!

Ernst & Young (EY) announced that Kevin Jones, Founder and CEO of Celero Commerce, was named Entrepreneur of the Year® 2022 Southeast Award Winner. The first of its kind, Entrepreneur of the Year is one of the preeminent business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who think big to succeed. This prestigious award celebrates the ambitious pioneers like Celero’s very own Kevin Jones, who are tackling today’s biggest challenges— fostering innovation, growth, and prosperity that transforms our communities and businesses. 

The award program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth, and it serves to connect them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world.

EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world, and we’re proud that they have recognized Kevin’s dedication. His hard work has set a lasting tone of excellence, sustainable growth, and innovation for Celero since it was founded in 2018. Kevin won based on criteria set forth by independent judges – entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact – among other core contributions and attributes. His impact on Celero, and on Celero’s wide range of clients, exemplifies these traits.

Upon being recognized as the winner, Kevin said, “I am humbled by this recognition from the team at Ernst & Young. To me, this is a team award that honors the passion and drive of nearly 300 Celero employees and dozens of strategic partners. Furthermore, it proves our concept that small and mid-sized businesses around the country can grow sustainably with the right combination of bundled high-tech, high-touch commerce solutions.”

Since Celero’s humble beginnings in Nashville in 2018, we have increased our capabilities organically, branching out to provide payment solutions and business optimization offerings tailored to the needs of dozens of industries. We now have employees working everywhere from California to Florida, but our goals have not changed in the wake of this growth. We’re still constantly striving to accomplish bigger, better things for small and mid-sized businesses of all markets. From the beginning, we made it our mission to help small businesses and community banks succeed in finding sustainable growth via cutting-edge, customizable fintech. 

Kevin’s award is indicative of Celero's success at these various ventures, and it shows that the innovation and organic growth he has fostered has paid off— our refusal to take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to fintech has given our clients a distinct advantage. We’re proud to offer them world-class solutions, tailored specifically to fit each individual client, because we understand that no two businesses are the same. 

The greatest way forward is through continued innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, exemplified by our Founder and CEO Kevin Jones. Celero is here to help small to medium sized businesses, from banks to nonprofits and everything in between, harness this innovation and prosper in their markets.

Any work conducted at a customer’s place of business or home requires field services technicians. The repair of hardware or equipment in the field, not only requires professional attention but hands-on techniques not learned overnight. Finding the right payment, business optimization, and merchant operations solution is therefore an essential step toward growing your business and giving clients a professional, seamless experience. 

Why not deploy RazorSync, our award-winning software and mobile app for field service management, that keeps getting better and better? For over 15 years, we’ve been growing and supporting field services for startups, small and mid-sized businesses, and national enterprises. Let’s discuss a few of the incredible benefits of this program!

Wide Variety of Powerful Features 

RazorSync includes a customizable panel that can be adjusted to suit each customer’s unique needs, a click-and-drag feature on the timeline, a toggle switch for either the classic interface or the new v7 interface, horizontal navigation, and a quick add panel. Our mission is, and always has been, to make life easier for business owners like yourself, and RazorSync is doing just that for customers in over 65 different industries.

Accepting payments and invoicing is a snap! It makes the process simple, streamlined, and stress-free for both you and your customers. Starting at only $45 per month, you’ll receive mobile payment options, multiple card support, an API, online billing and invoicing capabilities, and customizable invoices. With the simple click of a button, you’ll be able to accept a customer’s payment, send them an invoice via email, and store their information for future transactions. Depending on your company’s needs, you can pick from our selection of plans built for solo pros, small teams, and enterprises. 

RazorSync also offers estimates and quotes, dispatch management, electronic signature acceptance, employee and resource scheduling, a time clock, and top-notch customer support. Whether you have questions about how to navigate the interface or you’re experiencing a technical disruption, our team of experts is available for around-the-clock support via email, phone, and live chat. We also offer training to help you get the most out of our software and mobile app. 

Our payment technology is designed to meet the unique needs of field operators in reaching their business goals, no matter how ambitious. We’ll take the stress of billing away from your business so that you can focus on what’s really important: servicing your clients and helping them to achieve the best outcomes possible. 

Contact Us 

Learn more about our business solutions optimized for field operations by contacting us today. One of our friendly representatives will be happy to provide you with additional information. We’re here to help you and your valued customers.

Your law firm is truly one-of-a-kind, so why should you settle for a one-size-fits-all payment and business management solution? Here at Celero, we offer fintech solutions that are designed to meet your unique needs, help your organization grow, and better serve your clientele. Let us introduce you to two programs that will improve your daily operations and improve your bottom line: Celero Connect and SwipeSimple. 

Celero Connect

When you incorporate Celero Connect into your firm, running your business becomes simple, streamlined, and stress-free. As long as you have an internet connection, this cutting-edge payment gateway enables you to accept all forms of payments, including in-person, contactless, curbside, mobile, and online, with just the tap of a button. You can also accept electronic check payments with ease. The user-friendly interface is packed with helpful features, like recurring billing capabilities, easy electronic invoicing, enhanced data to guide your decision-making, and advanced fraud protection. 

It also offers a data vault that will enable you to store your clients’ most sensitive information. Plus, the built-in QuickBooks feature makes integrating our system with your accounting program a breeze. Celero Connect empowers you to unify your income streams by processing all forms of payment on a single platform. 

SwipeSimple

SwipeSimple is another amazing platform that enables you to accept every type of payment, ranging from chip and strip to mobile and EMV. You can do all of this from your payment terminal, any IOS or Android device, or the web browser of your choosing. With the click of a button, you can also print receipts and invoices, effectively speeding up your billing process and allowing you to spend more time with your valued clients. It makes it easy to run your business and keep the funds flowing. 

As an added bonus, future transactions are faster, as client payment information is stored so that customized invoices can automatically generate during the next billing cycle. Imagine how much time you’ll save! Automated payment reminders via email and/or text are easy to track in real-time. You can also generate detailed reports that will help you gain a better understanding of your clients and their needs.

The Power of Fintech 

As a legal professional, each move you make has the potential to impact your clients, whether that be positively or negatively. To ensure that you’re providing them with the world-class support they deserve, it’s essential to find a payment technology that will help you better serve your clientele. Celero Connect and SwipeSimple are designed to meet the unique needs of a law firm and to help you reach your business goals. Our organization takes the stress of billing away from your business so that you can focus on what’s really important: defending your clients and helping them to achieve the best outcomes possible. 

Contact Us 

Are you ready to get started? Learn more about our business solutions optimized for law firms by contacting us today. One of our skilled representatives will be happy to provide you with additional information regarding Celero Connect and SwipeSimple. We’re looking forward to helping your firm grow!

Few people still carry cash around in 2022, which presents a challenge for places of worship that rely on cash-based donations. Fortunately, we’ve got the perfect solution for combating this issue! Let us introduce you to Celero Connect, the online platform that allows your supporters to donate virtually. 

An Online Giving Platform That Works With You

Here at Celero, we’re dedicated to helping religious organizations by inspiring the generosity of patrons through cutting-edge payments technology. The Celero Connect payment gateway, which includes a wide variety of helpful features and a modern, user-friendly interface, can help your organization increase your donations significantly by meeting your givers where they are—which, in 2022, is online. Over the course of the past year, mobile giving has increased 205 percent, so it’s essential to give your supporters an easy-to-use online donation solution. They want to contribute to your cause and we want to make that as easy as possible. 

Explore the Benefits for You and Your Community

Celero Connect offers donation solutions from anywhere in the world via our Collect Checkout feature. It enables you to insert a “Donate” button directly onto your website, or send a link or QR code prompting your supporters to submit gifts, donations, and tithes. With the simple click of a button, they can securely enter their credit or debit card information and contribute to your organization. As an added bonus, you can generate in-depth analytics to gain insight into the people who are donating to your cause, resulting in a better understanding of your givers and their unique views. Our program makes it fast and stress-free for members of your community to donate whenever they feel inspired to, and greatly reduces the need for handling physical monetary donations.

Perks For Your Community

• Simple design without distracting elements that take away from the cause
• Set the amount and the frequency of donations in one easy step
• Platform securely saves their personal details for future donations 
• Real-time fraud detection and prevention to protect your supporters from hackers 
• Online giving any time, anywhere

Perks For Your Organization 

• Understand your audience through in-depth, optimized data
• Full control of your data through the user-friendly administrative dashboard 
• Celero Connect's iProcess mobile application makes it a breeze to accept donations while on-the-go
• QuickBooks plug-in that will make it easy to track your donations

What Will You Accomplish with More?

When you partner with Celero, your church will have more money to reinvest into your community, amplifying your ability to make a positive impact. Contact us to learn more about how this program can help your organization.

The Celero Commerce executive team created the Duffy Leadership Award in honor of the late great Michael P. Duffy, innovative fintech leader and early career mentor to many at Celero. This peer-driven award celebrates those who exemplify core Duffy values, such as performance, respect, and humility. We’re excited to announce the 2022 first quarter recipient of this award: Director of Infrastructure Imran Khan.

Imran Khan has been a thoughtful and diligent leader in the technology space for many years. Since starting at legacy brand TransNational Payments in 2010, and later joining Celero in 2020, Imran has been a shining example of leadership by example. There is no task that Imran asks of his team that he can't or won't do himself. Imran's work is often in the background—many of the jobs that he and the Infrastructure team do are, by design, hidden from view. Under Imran’s leadership, they do their job to make everyone else's job easier and remove friction wherever possible.

In Q1 2022, Imran and the Infrastructure team resolved 1149 help desk tickets, added additional layers of security to our TransNational applications, and integrated our new Everest team members into our Celero technology platforms.

“Imran leads by example, and his diligence, attention to detail, and kindness are evident on a daily basis,” said Charlie Berard, Chief Technology Officer. “It's a privilege to get to work with someone of Imran's caliber, and to see the impact that he has on his team, our Technology department, and Celero as a whole.”

Perhaps Imran's greatest contribution to Celero is the Infrastructure team that he has brought together. Despite being distributed across 4 different states, their camaraderie, proactivity, and willingness to help are all a testament to Imran's leadership.

“Imran is an exemplary leader whose team proves that Celero can become more than the sum of its parts through collaboration, communication, and supporting each other,” said CEO Kevin Jones. “Despite spanning four different states, Imran’s team has a clear sense of comradery and support for one another, thanks in large part to his leadership.”

The Michael P. Duffy Leadership Award is based entirely on peer nominations. It is awarded to those who go above and beyond for their teammates, performing at an elite level while exhibiting core company values like selflessness and teamwork.

Imran will follow in the tradition of past Duffy winners by attending the third annual Duffy Leadership Summit in 2023. This multi-day event is a celebration of top performers at Celero and an opportunity to discuss important issues. It brings together the top 10 percent of performers across all departments, plus all 2022 Duffy Award recipients. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a special guest speaker show up, or perhaps some signature Nashville entertainment.

Imran Khan will receive a commemorative Duffy Award plaque, following in the tradition of 2020 winners Nicole Becher, Abigail Lucier, Karo Torosyan, Spencer Ellis, Kristia Poppe, and Lea Telonis, and 2021 winners Kim Henley, Marcia Ortez, Jake Speltz, Ashley Faszczuk, and Robert Davis. The next Duffy Award winner will be announced this summer.