New York marketer’s software conversion made easier with versatile credit card processor

September 1, 2023 By Bob Sandrick

Trevor Wendt and his wife, Rachel, represent the Sanborn, New York, propane marketer Wendt’s Propane & Oil. (Photo by Adam Paul)

Trevor Wendt and his wife, Rachel, represent the Sanborn, New York, propane marketer. (Photo by Adam Paul)

Zach Turner had pursued Wendt’s Propane & Oil for years, trying to win the company’s business, but he always came up short. He never gave up, though, and in 2021, he ran into Trevor Wendt, vice president of his family’s firm, at the annual LP Gas Growth Summit.

Turner’s timing was spot-on. It just so happened that Wendt – a propane, oil and gasoline delivery company headquartered in Sanborn, New York – was converting to a new back-office software to manage its operations. The problem was that Wendt’s credit card processing system at the time wasn’t compatible with the new software.

Wendt

“Our credit card processor didn’t have a great interface for us to see who was running the credit cards,” says Rachel Wendt, Trevor’s wife and company office manager. “It wasn’t easy to take payments, wasn’t easy to get reports, and the system couldn’t accept electronic checks.”

Turner, development manager at Tiger Payment Solutions in Kingston, Massachusetts, had the answer. His company, established about 20 years ago, handles all kinds of electronic and online payment methods, including credit cards and electronic checks.

Tiger’s system was compatible with Wendt’s new software. Not only that, but Tiger was also familiar with the propane and fuel industries: Its sister company, Fawcett Energy, has delivered heating oil and propane since 1894 and knew that propane firms are considered utilities and thus eligible for discounts on credit card transactions. It’s something that many propane companies don’t realize.

Wendt formed a partnership with Tiger in 2022, just months after Turner and Trevor Wendt met at the LP Gas Growth Summit, and the credit card discounts started shortly thereafter.

“Zach comes from a propane background, so he knows the business, what kind of service we provide and how important it is to track payments from thousands of customers,” Rachel Wendt says. “His experience in the industry gave us peace of mind.”

Wendt says that anytime she has a question or concern, Tiger responds immediately with answers.

“I’m always connected to the same person at Tiger who knows our issues and our customer base,” Wendt says. “They really strive for great customer service.”

Turner says the partnership with Wendt has also benefited Tiger.

Turner

“We use Wendt’s as a referral quite a bit,” Turner says. “Their new back-office software has its own credit card processor, but they elected to go with Tiger instead. They know they’re being treated fairly.”

For Wendt, the savings on credit card fees that Tiger provides was a major selling point. Tiger’s founder, Rob Fawcett, had learned about the lower rates through his own research and, after applying the discounts to Fawcett Energy, decided to educate other fuel companies on how they could do the same. Today, Tiger has about 1,000 clients in all 50 states.

Tiger makes sure that credit card payments are in Wendt’s account the next morning.

“Other processors delay that three or four days, which can create problems in the propane industry because you need that money from a cash flow perspective,” Turner says.

With Tiger’s system, Wendt’s customers, if not paying their bills in person, can do so online. They can keep credit cards on file so they don’t have to give their card information with each payment. Customers don’t have to worry about making payments over the phone, which takes time out of their busy days.

“We can also do e-checks with Tiger, which is something we’ve never been able to offer before,” Wendt says. “Now we have an easy way to give customers options.”

Wendt’s customers have given positive feedback about the new back-office software and Tiger interface.

“For me, the best thing about having a great partnership with your credit card processor is that it makes my job easier,” Wendt says.

Wendt says the 2021 LP Gas Growth Summit, where they met Turner, was the first one they ever attended.

“I definitely think there is value at the summit,” Wendt says.

Learn about more partnerships that were formed at past Growth Summits.