Heartland Payments Systems Inc. has signed Martin Eagle Oil Co. Inc. as the first customer for the processor’s SmartLink consolidated-network technology, Princeton, N.J.-based Heartland announced this week.
Martin Eagle will use SmartLink to consolidate its networks for payment-transaction data and back-office information initially at 11 retail locations before expanding to its roughly 100 remaining locations, says Stephen Martin, Martin Eagle president and owner.
Martin Eagle supplies fuel products to locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, and operates Quick Track convenience stores in Texas.
It has been using multiple network types at its different locations, such as dial-up systems and “whatever was available in that area at the time,” says Martin. The company decided to add SmartLink because it wanted a single system to manage its networks and faster transaction speeds, he says.
SmartLink consolidates multiple in-store communication lines into one high-speed broadband line and transmits payment data over a secure sockets layer-encrypted connection. Secure sockets layer, or SSL, is a security protocol that encrypts network connections for data security.
Using the SmartLink system, convenience- and petroleum-store owners can manage and monitor in-store environmental control systems, back-office data such as Internet use, point-of-sale terminals, ATMs, and fleet and loyalty card transactions, according to Heartland.
Heartland is working on additional merchant contracts for SmartLink, including with Warren, Penn.-based United Refining Co.
The processor plans to extend the SmartLink technology to additional retail industries, such as restaurants, says a company spokesperson, who declined to reveal the technology’s cost.
Heartland launched SmartLink in February.
