Wawa installs a POS system that gives it Internet-based card processing

C-store chain Wawa Inc. is installing Triversity Inc.’s Transactionware Cypress Point-of-Sale software in more than 500 stores. The company says one of the biggest benefits of the new software is that it will enable the chain to process credit and debit card payments using Internet protocol through payments processor Concord EFS Inc. Wawa will install the Triversity software on the Wincor Nixdorf Beetle/S platform running Microsoft Inc.’s Windows 2000.

The company says the use of Internet protocol will reduce processing time from more than 20 seconds per transaction for a dial-up connection to about 2 to 4 seconds. After the first 100 installations, the speed-up in processing time resulted in positive feedback from customers, says Patrick Dougherty, manager of store automation for Wawa.

The Triversity system integrates convenience store functions with the ability to control Wawa’s fuel business. It also gives Wawa the power to create targeted promotions at the point of sale.