Use customers Drivers License or ID card to add "new customer".
Okay, for real - this is genius:
The Authorize.net API is really great. It reads 3 line track data from a credit card, and transcribes that data into all the required fields for a swipe to complete, and then processes the transaction automatically. It saves a ton of time and hassle compared to a third party swiper.
Why don't you do the same thing for custom info? You can use the same card swiper to run a drivers license at the "new customer" screen. It could pull the first name, last name, address, and city state zip. All you would need to ask for is their phone number and email address! This should totally be possible and would be a huge time saver, not to mention a "wow factor".
Ryan (CTO, Pinellas Computers)
shared this idea
This IS genius – but I don’t want to build this system for all 200 types of drivers licenses we’ll get asked about.
Sorry everyone :)
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Chris Fagerstrom
commented
I'd looked into this before for our shop. In many states it isn't legal to store the information collected in this manner. Here is a snippet from CA ecplaining what you can/can't do. In MN where I am it's the same. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1798.90.1
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Ryan (CTO, Pinellas Computers)
commented
I really think this should be revisited. I would happily make the decoder for FL licenses.
I could just imaging having all the fields (first name, last name, address, city, state, zip) all filled automatically.
I will throw in my original Matrix 27"x40" double-sided movie poster.
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2090FiX
commented
Genius :)
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Ryan (CTO, Pinellas Computers)
commented
Honestly though, drivers licenses don't have super secret data on them... It's just your name, dob, and some other public information. You can actually calculate anyone's online... http://www.highprogrammer.com/cgi-bin/uniqueid/dl_fl
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Ryan (CTO, Pinellas Computers)
commented
But, you must concur, the genius... lol
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2090FiX
commented
California has magnetic stripe... wow factor, maybe, but most people might be a little paranoid about you swiping and capturing more than just the needed info from their Drivers License...