The Georgia Restaurant Association, along with the National Restaurant Association and First Data Corp., announce the Georgia launch of the TakeCharge payment program, designed specifically for the restaurant industry. TakeCharge, developed with the help of restaurateurs, provides increased payment choices and attractive rates for credit card processing to small and mid-size merchants in addition to national chains.
“The National Restaurant Association is committed to providing our members with the programs and services that will help improve their operational efficiencies and increase profitability,” said Peter Kilgore, acting interim president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association. “With National Restaurant Association membership numbers at record-high levels and a strong relationship with our powerful state restaurant association partners, we were able to work with First Data to create a new value proposition for our members, making this program a first of its kind for the Association.
“First Data is helping the National Restaurant Association and the Georgia Restaurant Association deliver on their goals by providing strategic payment processing solutions designed specifically for the needs of our collective members through a program created specifically for restaurateurs,” added Kilgore.
TakeCharge reflects the results of a comprehensive development and thorough selection process by the National Restaurant Association, with recommendations and reviews by two committees of the Association’s Board of Directors, and an organization representing all the state restaurant associations. Additionally, the state restaurant associations have been actively involved in working with the National Restaurant Association and First Data to develop and refine the program to its final form.
“One of the top priorities for the National Restaurant Association and its state restaurant association partners is to create strategic alliances with organizations who can offer the most valuable services and resources for our membership – and this relationship accomplishes that,” said Ron Wolf, executive director of the Georgia Restaurant Association.
“TakeCharge was created by First Data with the National Restaurant Association and its members to empower restaurateurs with First Data’s complete set of payment solutions,” said Neal Korzekwinski, vice president, First Data Revenue Sharing Alliance Group. “With TakeCharge, restaurants get a total payments solution that is customized and designed with the restaurateur in mind.”
In addition to exclusive rates for credit card processing, members will benefit from other advantages of the TakeCharge program, including: easy-to-understand billing; acceptance for all major credit cards provided through First Data’s alliances with various banks; PIN-secured and signature-based debit acceptance through leading networks like the STAR® Network; and the availability of merchandising programs including loyalty and gift cards; Internet Protocol (IP) based, near instant processing; the TeleCheck Electronic Check Acceptance® (ECA®) service; and Dynamic Currency Conversion services that allow consumers to pay in the currency of their choice. “First Data and the National Restaurant Association have collaborated to deliver increased payments choice and affordability to restaurant owners and operators,” added Korzekwinski. “TakeCharge will help more restaurants realize increased profitability through flexible payments solutions and delivers on First Data’s objective of being a partner in developing unique, innovative value propositions for the restaurant industry.”
About the Georgia Restaurant Association
The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) is the voice of Georgia’s Restaurant Industry. With over 14,000 restaurants and bars, and sales in excess of $12.6 billion, Georgia’s thriving foodservice industry provides more jobs (375,000+) than any other non-government employer in the state. The mission of the GRA is to provide a voice and value for its members in five Key Cornerstones: Political Advocacy, Professional Development, Business Generation, Discounted Business Services and Community Involvement. For more information, visit www.garestaurants.org.
About the National Restaurant Association
The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 900,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 12.2 million employees – making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to represent, educate and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.
About First Data
First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC) is a leading provider of electronic commerce and payment solutions for businesses worldwide. Serving 4.9 million merchant locations, 1,900 card issuers and their customers, First Data powers the global economy by making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses around the world to buy goods and services using virtually any form of payment. The company’s portfolio of services and solutions includes merchant transaction processing services; credit, debit, private-label, gift, payroll and other prepaid card offerings; fraud protection and authentication solutions; electronic check acceptance services through TeleCheck; as well as Internet commerce and mobile payment solutions. The company’s STAR Network offers PIN-secured debit acceptance at 2 million ATM and retail locations. For more information, visit www.firstdata.com.
