Acumera, NPCA Collaborate on New Cost-Saving App

AUSTIN, Texas, and COCONUT CREEK, Fla. -- Acumera is teaming up with National Payment Card Association (NPCA) to launch an app designed to significantly reduce hardware and install costs for convenience store retailers.

The NPCA app, which will run on the Acumera Merchant Gateway, will provide NPCA customers with a monitoring service based on the AcuVigil dashboard, which is intended to simplify and speed up remote store support.

"We view this collaboration with Acumera as an opportunity to provide cost savings and improved support and visibility to our convenience store customers," said Danilo Portal, NPCA's chief operations officer. "Not only will convenience store operators save on credit card transaction fees, [but] they can also harness the power of live monitoring through Acumera's AcuVigil dashboard."

The NPCA app will, in many cases, eliminate the need for additional payment processing hardware and will enable secure payments using automated clearing house (ACH) cards that can draw money from consumers' accounts like an electronic check, according to Acumera.

Implementing the app will be more cost effective than a traditional hardware installation, saving stores both time and money, the companies noted.

"Like NPCA, we have been providing technology resources to convenience stores for many years, and this partnership allows us to combine our products to offer a superior solution to both new and existing customers," said Acumera Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Yemington. "Not only do store owners save money with the NPCA app, they also gain access to actionable data that will equip them to better manage their operations. It’s a win for convenience stores, and it’s a win for consumers."

Founded in 2002, Austin, Texas-based Acumera actively manages clients' networks, as well as provides visibility and remote management capability.

Coconut Creek, Fla.-based National Payment Card Association offers dozens of alternative payment options for merchants. The Spinx Co., Flash Foods Inc. and Cumberland Farms Inc. are among the c-store operators that employ its services.