Laundry Solutions 360°: providing a cashless way to do laundry

The first time I saw a SnapScan QR code on the washing machines of my local laundromat, I was ecstatic. My need to carry cash slowly dwindled during the course of the pandemic. As a result, each time I went to the laundromat, I found myself having to withdraw cash at an ATM before hustling to make change at the Checkers situated nearby. 

Thankfully, the appearance of the SnapScan QR codes put an end to this tedious routine. I could now scan the code on the washing machine with my phone, and within a few seconds, press start to begin my load. This new payment method was the brainchild of Laundry Solutions 360°. 

The commercial laundry service provider developed an affordable and adaptable payment gateway, called LaundryConnect, that laundromats could use to collect payments from their customers. Businesses that offer laundry services can easily integrate or replace their existing machines with LaundryConnect. 

Read more: SnapLinks: making remote payments quick and easy

I caught up with Chris Groenewald, from Laundry Solutions 360°, to learn more about their system, and how it benefits businesses who offer laundry services. 

1. Where did the idea of incorporating cashless payments into washing machines come from? 

While partnering with Lead Laundry to truly understand the laundry environment, we recognised that a full cashless payment system has been a customer requirement for some time now. We wanted to find a solution for the time consuming aspect of dealing with cash as well as reduce the huge risks associated with it.

2. Tell us more about your business journey. How has Laundry Solutions 360° grown over the years?

We developed and piloted our cashless solution three years ago with a local customer. We tested the full solution for a couple of months, before reaching out to more customers. Over the last three years, we gradually grew our customer base. Recently we’ve seen tremendous growth, with more laundromats looking for a safer and smarter payment solution. We have recently entered the student accommodation environment with great success. 

3. What are some of the benefits of your cashless solutions that persuade new customers to use your technology?  

First and foremost, our payment solution reduces the risks associated with dealing with cash. It also means that laundromats can spend less time collecting and counting coins.

We also provide our customers with access to a user-friendly platform, called LaundryConnect, which contains a variety of dashboards and reporting tools. The platform allows laundromats to provide instant support to their customers, monitor their sales in real time and get an overall idea of how their machines are performing.  

Read more: How to build rapport with your customers to increase sales

4. What kind of feedback have you received from laundromats? 

We’ve received some really positive feedback from our laundry partners. Lee Hitchley from The 24 Hour Laundry (Pty) Ltd shared this response with us: 

“We immediately saw a strong uptake with cashless payments and started to receive positive feedback on the much improved convenience from our customers. We also noted a number of other benefits starting to emerge. Our cash flow improved by having trade clear straight to our bank account, reducing the cumbersome and time consuming process involved with collecting and banking small change. An improvement in safety and security was felt with the reduction of cash on-site. [Our] in-house processes were more robust and efficient with detailed back office reporting available to us.”

5. Why did you decide to use SnapScan as one of your payment options?

SnapScan already had a big uptake and customer base in place, so it was an obvious choice for us. The support from SnapScan is world class and we can see the effect of this in our substantial month to month growth.

6. How did you incorporate SnapScan into your technology? 

With the support of SnapScan, we established a direct secure webhook, which allows us to access the relevant customer payment to activate laundry equipment when the SnapScan QR code on a washing machine is scanned.

7. What are the next steps for the company?

Cashless solutions have the potential to revolutionise laundry facilities in the student accommodation environment, and so our focus right now is on this market. We want to reach more student laundries, enabling them to control their businesses better, while ensuring a better environment for all. We are also improving the reporting user interface to create an even better customer experience.

Head to your nearest laundromat or 24 Hour Laundry to experience Laundry Solutions 360°’s cashless payment system first hand. You’ll enjoy the convenience of it. 

If you’d like to share your business’ SnapScan story with us, please get in touch at stories@snapscan.co.za.