DFB Dream Maker Podcast: #SuperBanker Movin' Money Tyler
In this episode of DFB’s Dream Maker podcast, we interview Super Banker Tyler Newell, Treasury Services representative at Dream First Bank. He’s been in the financial industry since 2008 and has taken the past six years to hone in on helping businesses be more efficient and secure in transactions, finances, and security.
Join us for the conversation as we talk about the following topics:
- How quick and secure contactless payments are
- The importance of merchant compliance, and how to get there
- How Treasury Services provide custom solutions to common business problems
Let’s dig in!
Contactless Payments
Contactless cards like DFB’s, and digital wallets like Apple Pay/Google Pay, are approved faster than other methods. Customers don’t have to wait around for their transactions to go through - it’s simply a “tap and go” process.
Another important advantage is that fraudsters aren’t able to use illegal swipe devices (called “skimmers”) on the machine to steal credit card information. With each transaction, your card/digital wallet generates its own encrypted code for the transaction, and that code is only good for one transaction. It’s never used or shared again.
Faster Approval, More Secure Transactions
Contactless cards like DFB’s, and digital wallets like Apple Pay/Google Pay, are approved faster than other methods. Customers don’t have to wait around for their transactions to go through - it’s simply a “tap and go” process.
Another important advantage is that fraudsters aren’t able to use illegal swipe devices (called “skimmers”) on the machine to steal credit card information. With each transaction, your card/digital wallet generates its own encrypted code for the transaction, and that code is only good for one transaction. It’s never used or shared again.
Merchant Compliance
Payment Card Industry, PCI, compliance is required of anyone who processes a credit card, but many merchants aren’t aware of the ins and outs of processing transactions - and non-compliance can cost you in fees and penalties. This is another area where DFB is able to help, as we’ve been working with businesses for years, helping them properly set up payment processing options to accept payments from their customers.
Merchant Services Available through DFB
We educate merchants, help prevent fraud, and offer continuous services for businesses who want to accept alternative (non-cash) payments from their customers. You don’t deal with a third party - you get Tyler and his team hard at work to help solve your problem. We’re a direct point of contact, not a salesman you see once and then never again.
It’s not uncommon for us to review a statement and be able to save a business $2,000 (or more) a year on average by eliminating extra processing fees and statement fees! For a small business, that’s a good chunk of money!
Our Partnership with Fiserv
Fiserv, our technology partner, is the biggest credit card processing company in the country. Tyler works closely with their team to ensure our customers are getting the best options to meet their needs. You’ll see him along with Fiserv when you get a new terminal to make sure everything is installed, provide training for the hardware, and there to provide hands-on service for anything else that may come up moving forward.
How Hard is it to Switch Providers?
The hardest part of switching is getting the current provider closed out because independent sales organizations (ISOs) don’t want to lose clients (and can sometimes be hard to contact). On our end, it’s a seamless switch: we can get a business up and running very quickly.
Because Fiserv is such a large company, most existing programs are compatible with the technology and it’s not hard to integrate in-use POS (point of sale) equipment. Rarely do we find proprietary software that ISOs have built, and because we offer better servicing (and likely better rates), people prefer to switch once they compare the differences.
And if a POS equipment change is necessary, our Clover terminals are simple and user-friendly. They help businesses run their day-to-day more efficiently and can even help with marketing and hiring.
About DFB’s Treasury Management Services
We’re not a one-size-fits-all bank. We ask questions and enhance the businesses we serve to save them time and money. Anything we do online with you, we’re here to help with. One unique feature you’ll find only at DFB is our “Fraud Squad”.
We’ve developed a comprehensive 6-point process to review an organization's potential risk to help ensure you are following security best practices to keep your important information safe and secure. When we’re going through the checklist, we ask questions to find the weaker areas where fraud can happen and give recommendations to help tighten up those areas.
From our Fraud Squad audits, here are some common mistakes we see businesses make (so if you’re doing these - it’s a good idea to stop!):
- Viewable WiFi networks. By making your WiFi network invisible, people won’t know it exists and you’ll be less likely to experience hacking attempts.
- Password Post-Its on employee monitors. Some employees like to “store” their passwords this way, and all fraudsters need to do is lean over the counter to see your “private” passwords.
- Not protecting yourself from attacks. Ransomware and other cyber attacks still happen in Syracuse. Take advantage of our Treasury Services and minimize the risk.
One of the other services we offer is “Positive Pay,” which allows a business to upload a list of all the checks they’ve written, and this list is double-checked when checks present for payment later on to ensure they match. This process helps prevent fraudsters from adding extra zeros to checks and can catch other fraudulent activity to help ensure the checks are clear as they were originally written. It’s easy to upload files using the accounting software you already have and we’re available the whole time to help if you need us.
Staying Organized with Treasury Services
We can set up auto-transfers to ensure you pay yourself and set aside money for taxes to organize your cash more efficiently. We can also set up different expense accounts and monitor how you’re spending your money. Technology has made checking your account easier and more convenient than ever. Even when you’re “out and about” you can look up your spending in our mobile banking app.
We’re Proactive, Not Reactive
We get in touch with our customers at least once a quarter, and merchants who do processing hear from us at least annually. We check in to ensure they’re PCI compliant and have all the help they need.
Tyler says, “We want to be proactive in everything we do with them, not reactive. A lot of time, people wait to contact their treasury rep or loan officer once something bad happens. We want to be proactive in protecting them. We’re always available. We’re here to make your ideas work. Reach out to us - we’re here.”
Want to learn more about Treasury Services from Dream First Bank? Contact us online or stop by the bank. If you want ideas on more ways to help make your dreams come true, tune in to our Dream Maker podcast (or search for it on where you find your favorite podcasts)!