East Coast awards ECR Retail Systems five-year contract to provide catering payment services to passengers

ECR Retail Systems, the London-based Mobile Point of Sale (MPoS) specialist, has been awarded a five-year contract by train operator East Coast to provide the first fully PCI compliant payment service for passengers buying food and drink on its services.

ECR’s successful bid for the £1.8m tender means it will supply East Coast’s on-train catering staff with handheld devices to process payments from passengers making purchases from trolleys and buffet cars on all routes. The terminals can also be used for the sale of other items such as newspapers and magazines.

By the summer, ECR will supply 140 handheld units and 60 tablets on 46 trains, replacing the existing system East Coast has been using for the past eight years. ECR is also currently working with East Coast’s catering supplier, Rail Gourmet, in Ireland.

ECR’s solution has been certified as fully PCI compliant – a first for the UK train industry. This means that when passengers make payments via ECR technology on their credit or debit card, they can be sure their transactional data is secure. When payment is made, the buyer receives a printed receipt from the terminal as proof of transaction.

The web-enabled handheld devices can process payments both on- and offline, removing issues of on-train connectivity. They also provide a link to both East Coast and Rail Gourmet head office systems allowing end-to-end transactions and stock control to be tracked in real-time.

Simon Pont, CEO, ECR Retail Systems, said: “East Coast was impressed with the service we deliver for Irish Rail and we’re delighted we can roll out our technology to its on-board catering staff. The fact that the system has been certified 100% PCI compliant is a coup and means passengers can make payments safe in the knowledge their card details are secure.”

Alan Sherwen, IS Manager, East Coast, added: “Customer service is important to East Coast staff and our passengers. ECR’s solution is unique, efficient and secure: three things that were paramount as we went through the tendering process.”