Palmetto Bay, FL - GMSTEK, LLC

As we all know, the world is changing at a faster rate than ever. One area of rapid change has been in payments. In 2019, contactless payment technologies like Apple Pay were just starting to get their spotlight in the US. This tech streamlined the payment process for both customers and vendors. They didn't have to worry about exchanging paper, cards, or with the arrival of a pandemic, bacteria, and viruses.

Now, in 2020, the need for contactless payment is stronger than ever. If spreading illnesses was only a soft concern before, now it's a necessity for every industry today.

The time for touchless technology has come. By the end of March, Mastercard saw contactless payment usage rise by more than 40%. Across the pond, the European Banking Authority (EBA) encouraged the EU to adopt it to fight the spread of coronavirus. Still, companies have been slow to adopt these policies.

FBOs are no exception. As the FBO industry sees new entrants to the market that are foregoing airlines for the safety & security of business aviation, the adoption of these technologies becomes more important.

Right now, most FBOs process invoices at one customer counter. The problem is that the invoices for one flight can list up to a dozen different services, often provided by multiple vendors. Then, FBOs need to compile and research each service price to complete an accurate invoice for payment.

To further complicate matters, pilots can save money by splitting transactions between payment methods. The process is painstaking, long, and involves going back-and-forth. Everyone knows a pilot that has left their cards at the desk for the FBO to figure out which card pays for which service, or simply left the card at the front desk altogether.

How can contactless payment solve this problem?
As an example, we can look at our X-1FBO platform and the NEW! X-1Pilot App. By automating pricing and organizing all of the services required at an FBO, invoice creation becomes a few simple clicks with X-1FBO.

Payment becomes even easier with the X-1 Pilot app. Shown below, this app lets pilots store all their credit cards in one secure place. This pairs up with the X-1PAY Point-of-Sale Terminal, a ruggedized device that can be used anywhere on the ramp. It displays QR codes to represent individual invoices, so the pilot needs to do is point their camera at the QR code, and done- They paid the right service with the right card and have a copy of each receipt in the app before they even step away from the front desk.

Like Samsung and Google Pay, X-1 Pilot is also capable of NFC and MST transactions, all customized for the FBO environment. Both of these allow for instant transfers from up to 4" away. An FBO can carry these terminals at locations across the airport field, so the pilot can make their payments from wherever they are. Even if they've left the airfield, there's an easy fix: the FBO can send the QR code via text or email right to your device.

At the end of the FBO visit, crew members can see all their invoices via the profile section of the app. This seamless integration of technology with FBOs to address payment and COVID concerns is what modern software like X-1FBO enables.

Contactless payments are a great opportunity to protect both users and industry workers from COVID today. Yet, like the X-1 Pilot app, we can also rely on them to adapt the FBO industry for the future. Finance, aviation, and insurance companies are already promoting contactless payments. Now, we want to extend this technology to modernize the FBO industry from the ground up.

The X-1 Pilot app is currently in beta testing at several FBOs across the United States with a wider rollout scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2020. If you'd like to know more or participate in the X-1 Pilot Beta program let us know below.