May 18, 2011 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Heartland Payment Systems’ Chairman and CEO Bob Carr to Host Industry Panel at NRA Show to Educate Restaurateurs about “Swipe” Fee Legislation and Data Security
May 22 Educational Session to Help Operators Realize Cost Savings and Protect Against Data Breaches
NRA Hotel-Motel Show
PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bob Carr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Heartland Payment Systems (NYSE: HPY) — one of the nation’s largest payments processors and the exclusive endorsed provider of payment solutions for the National Restaurant Association and 44 state restaurant associations — will host an educational session at the upcoming NRA Hotel-Motel Show (May 21 – 24) in Chicago, IL to help restaurant operators understand two of the most pressing issues facing restaurateurs today: interchange reform and payment card data security.
“Essential Elements of PCI Compliance and Data Security”
“The proposed regulations under the Durbin provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act of 2010, which, if enacted, will lower debit card interchange or ‘swipe’ fees, will be a boon to restaurateurs provided they know how to ensure they receive the maximum cost savings,” said Carr. “There are billions of dollars at stake. Heartland’s average restaurant customer will save $1,992 per year, but not all providers will pass along the savings. One processor is telling Wall Street analysts it will keep more than $300 million of the Durbin savings. By arming themselves with information about the legislation, operators can make sure they get 100 percent of the savings rightfully due to them.”
“Also critically important for restaurateurs is the issue of Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance and data security. The restaurant and hospitality industry has a bull’s eye on its back. It’s the largest target for cybercriminals, accounting for 40 percent of all data breaches in 2010, but restaurants of all sizes — including small and mid-sized operations that are typically seen as easy, low-risk targets — can help remove themselves from the hackers’ crosshairs by complying with PCI guidelines and implementing strong security measures. There’s a lot of noise about this in the industry but we will drill down to the essential details every restaurateur must know,” added Carr.
Carr will be joined by a panel of industry leaders, including Joe Finizio, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA); Gray Taylor, Payments Consultant to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS); George Peabody, Director, Emerging Technologies Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group; and John Marshall, Owner of Main Street Companies in Princeton, NJ, as they share their expert insights on these issues.
This two-part session will be held on Sunday, May 22 in the Technology Pavilion at McCormick Place. Part I, entitled “How Much Your Payment Processing Costs Should Be Going Down on July 21,” will take place from 2-3 PM CT; Part II, entitled “Essential Elements of PCI Compliance and Data Security,” will take place from 3-4 PM CT.
Heartland processing experts will also be available to discuss these and other restaurant management issues at Booth 7413. For more information, visitHeartlandPaymentSystems.com/NRAShow2011.
For more information about the NRA Show, visit Show.Restaurant.org.
About Heartland Payment Systems
Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. (NYSE: HPY), the fifth largest payments processor in the United States, delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, gift marketing and loyalty programs, payroll,check management and related business solutions to more than 250,000 business locations nationwide. A FORTUNE 1000 company, Heartland is the founding supporter of The Merchant Bill of Rights, a public advocacy initiative that educates merchants about fair credit and debit card processing practices. The company is also a leader in the development of end-to-end encryption technology designed to protect cardholder data, rendering it useless to cybercriminals. For more information, please visit HeartlandPaymentSystems.com, MerchantBillOfRights.org,CostOfABurger.com and E3secure.com.
