case study
Payment system overhaul delivers contactless and
cost savings for the 2016 UK retailer of the year
By Verifone – www.verifone.co.uk
Toolstation is one of Britain’s fastest
growing suppliers of tools, materials and
accessories to the trade. With a multi-
channel offering, customers can buy
online, at over 240 of branches across
the UK, through a dedicated call centre or
via a mobile website. Toolstation opened
for business in 2003 and now has over
11,000 products in its catalogue. The
retailer's industry-leading warehousing,
supply chain and customer service
systems have helped the company claim
the 2016 Retailer of the Year award from
consumer champions Which.
The introduction of contactless/NFC
payment and the need for an improved
in-branch payment experience were
the main drivers for Toolstation’s desire
to upgrade its entire PED estate, while
adding the latest standards of PCI point-
to-point encryption (P2PE) compliance.
An existing Verifone customer since
2010, the retailer also wished to
consolidate several payment contracts
into one single agreement to save costs
and reduce complexity.
Rapid growth meant Toolstation also
needed a payment provider with scale,
who could cope with opening at least two
new branches each month. Toolstation’s
existing Vx 810 DUET terminals, used in
over two hundred branches throughout
the country, needed to be replaced to
support contactless/NFC technology.
Rapid growth and total security
Verifone upgraded almost 870 payment
terminals in a roll-out programme that
took just four weeks. The introduction
of the VX 820 DUET ensured continuity,
consistency and little re-training
for Toolstation’s branch personnel.
Toolstation’s payment service provided
by Verifone was also updated to ensure
the retailer had the latest anti-fraud
security, including compliance with PCI
P2PE standards.
The company also benefited from
Verifone’s next-day technical courier
service, which provided each new store
with fully operational, certified and
compliant VX 820 DUETs, on demand
when needed. Furthermore, Verifone
provided a dedicated Service Delivery
Manager to Toolstation, handling
requirements such as software upgrades
and ensuring the highest levels of
customer service on an hourly basis.
In addition to support for contactless
cards and mobile wallets, the latest
Verifone products also brought enhanced
transaction speed, meaning improved
customer throughput and satisfaction at
the till.
State-of-the-art security means
Toolstation will spend much less with
QSAs and other advisors. The off the
shelf solution from Verifone is pre-
accredited with all UK acquirers and is
fully P2PE certified, ensuring Toolstation
can manage their PCI compliance very
efficiently.
Additionally, by using Verifone’s
managed payment service, Toolstation
is able to track transactions in real time,
manage their terminal estate, perform
software updates and view other activity
via the online Webcom merchant portal.
“We make a promise to provide the
very best customer service, so trouble-
free, secure payments are a majo