Program makes it easier for Flathead Valley retailers to accept all forms of Canadian Payment
December 2011, Whitefish, MT - Vancouver, BC - London, UK - NXGEN, Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and The Daily Interlake today announced an integrated program that will allow Flathead Valley retailers to accept Canadian Interac PIN Debit Cards, reflect credit card transactions in Canadian dollars and promote participating retailers to consumers in the key Canadian markets of Lethbridge and
Cranbrook. Dubbed "Canada Certified", this program was created to accommodate the fact that 60% of retail revenues that flow into the Flathead Valley come from Canadian Visitors.
Until the launch of Canada Certified, Flathead Valley retailers were often left with asking Canadian customers to pay in cash, or with a credit card instead of letting them pay in the way
many prefer, the Canadian Interac PIN Debit Card. Interac is the payment choice throughout much of Canada because it is so entrenched with major reward programs. "The truth is, when people can't conveniently pay the way they prefer, the result is often that they choose to spend less than they might otherwise. We owe it to our retailers and our cross-border visitors to take down those hurdles and make it easy", said Deb Coulson, Executive Director Marketing and Strategy, NXGEN.
"We are excited to see this program get underway as one of the first tangible initiatives of the Building Bridges to Canada Initiative sponsored by Montana West Economic Development and the Whitefish and Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Through our committee work, we are looking to spur initiatives that create win-wins and Canada Certified exemplifies that goal," added Kim Morisaki, Manager of Client Development and Resources of MWED.
"Canadian visitors are a large segment of the non-resident travelers that visit the Flathead Valley and as such are very important to our local economy particularly for hotels and retailers. Anything we can do to make our Canadian visitors feel welcome will serve to increase the number of visits and length of stay." Diane Medler, Director, Kalispell Convention & Visitor Bureau.
Retailers who choose to participate in Canada Certified, will receive free window decals to display and drive accelerated foot traffic. Window decals will signify they can now accept Interac PIN Debit Cards. Additionally, participating retailers will have the opportunity to be part of large ads running in the Daily Interlake special supplement of the Lethbridge Courier in early February. Social Media further promoting Canada Certified will expand the consumer awareness and merchant impact in the coming weeks. Any retailer is eligible to participate in Canada Certified. For details on how to become Canada Certified, please email bstrodtbeck@nxgen.com or call 1 (406) 730-7649.
About NXGEN International
NXGEN, with merchants in more countries than any other MSP, is Elavon's number one ranked MSP. Founded in 1999, NXGEN’s 40% y-o-y growth is the result of continually offering clients innovations that matter. Scale, strength and security mean NXGEN merchants around the world benefit from single platform execution, a full suite of integrated products, value-added servicing, seamless merchant experience, depth management reporting, plus multi-billion dollar rate clout. NXGEN's global headquarters are in stunning Whitefish, Montana.
