As essential businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, gas stations and convenience stores must take new safety precautions for every aspect of their operation – especially high contact touchpoints like POS (point-of-sale) systems and PIN pads.
WHAT TO CLEAN
Avoiding contact is the best way to keep everyone safe. If available, encourage consumers to use contactless payment like tap-to-pay cards or Apple Pay.
It’s critical to frequently disinfect PIN pads and counter spaces that are most heavily touched by consumers. Because of their functionality and sensitivity, screens should be treated differently from other surfaces around the POS system.
HOW TO CLEAN & SANITIZE
The preferred method for cleaning and sanitizing POS equipment follows these steps:
DO NOT SPRAY OR POUR DISINFECTANT DIRECTLY ON PIN PAD OR POS SYSTEM (more info below)
Preferred Method
- Clean the device with mild soap (pH-neutral is best) and water using a dampened microfiber cloth
- Disinfect by wiping 70-90% isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) on the unit with a microfiber cloth taking care to disinfect both the touchscreen and PIN pad as well as other high-touch areas
- Take caution not to press hard on displays or PIN pads to prevent damage
- Employees may use common disinfectants like Clorox wipes on the outside casing.
Alternative Method
- Clean the device with mild soap and water using a dampened microfiber cloth
- Disinfect by utilizing wipes containing less than 1% sodium hypochlorite such as these.
- If wipes are unavailable, then you may utilize a diluted bleach solution on a microfiber cloth. This solution must be heavily diluted, as directed by the CDC
- Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
- Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
If the preferred method is not possible, and you need to use the alternative method, be sure to dilute your bleach solution to contain less than 1% sodium hypochlorite (as directed by the CDC). This will help to avoid damage to POS and PIN pad screens. Keep in mind that bleach usually contains about 5% sodium hypochlorite, which is why it must be diluted.
Again, never spray cleaning solutions directly on a PIN pad. Instead, spray the solution on a cloth and wipe down the device.
Spraying a solution directly on the PIN pad may result in device malfunction by triggering the tamper alert and shutting down the PIN pad.
#COVID19 Retail Tip: DO NOT spray cleaners or disinfectants directly on PIN pads. Instead, spray on a cloth and wipe.
— Professor Passport (@ProfPassportGVR) March 27, 2020
The chemicals can get inside the device and trigger tamper alarms, causing it to shut down.#FlattenTheCurve #Gilbarco @gilbarcoinc #retailtech #fintech pic.twitter.com/ZnDlsfJ7Fh
When wiping down a Passport® POS screen, use the Clean Screen button to safely wipe it down without disturbing the system with errant button pushes.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
- Make hand sanitizer available and visible to the public.
- Use Passport’s reminder feature to enable screen pop-ups reminding employees to disinfect.
- Remember, Passport POS touchscreens are fully functional while wearing rubber gloves.
- It may be advisable to shut down self-serve operations like coffee and other food service.
- Consider ways to offer curb-side pick-up or drive-thru’s.
- Consider minimizing receipt printing to upon request
- When weather appropriate, stores are propping doors open to limit door handle touchpoints.
Need more ideas? CStore Decisions recently aired a podcast featuring Gilbarco customer, Clark’s Pump-N-Shop, on their strategies to keep consumers and employees safe during the outbreak.