Tyro and Ingenico have transformed the traditionally slow and manual terminal return process into a fast, frictionless experience. By integrating smart logistics, real‑time SMS communication, and a merchant‑friendly drop‑off model, the new Easy Returns solution cuts turnaround times, boosts merchant satisfaction, and brings terminals back into circulation sooner—all through a collaborative, agile, and industry‑first approach.
Index
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The Challenge
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The Solution
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The Results
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The Partnership Approach
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Looking ahead
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Key takeaways
Think about the last time you returned something. Whether it was an online purchase or an old device, you probably wanted the process to be quick and painless. For businesses returning payment terminals, however, the experience had traditionally been slow and manual.
Tyro Payments, serving over 76,000 Australian businesses, recognised this friction as an opportunity to improve the merchant journey. As part of its commitment to making payments and banking simpler for businesses, Tyro identified an opportunity to transform terminal returns into a faster, more intuitive experience that matched merchant expectations.
The Challenge
When a merchant needed to return a payment terminal, they faced a cumbersome process. They had to wait for satchel deliveries, coordinate with couriers, and then wait again while the terminal made its way back through the logistics chain. For a cafe owner managing staff schedules and supplier deliveries, or a retailer handling peak shopping periods, this added another layer of complexity to already busy days. The extended turnaround times also meant terminals stayed out of circulation longer, delaying their availability for other merchants.
Tyro recognised an opportunity to do better and identified three clear objectives:
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Improve the merchant experience during returns
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Reduce the time terminals spend in transit
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Create a digital solution that genuinely simplifies the process
The challenge was significant, and the solution would require both technical innovation and strong collaboration.
The Solution
Working with Ingenico, Tyro reimagined the returns process from the ground up. The key insight was simple: instead of creating another task for merchants, integrate the return into their existing routines and engage them where they already are.
The new process is straightforward. Merchants receive an SMS with a return reference number and can drop off their terminal at convenient locations they likely already visit. There's no waiting for packaging, no scheduling pickups, and no paperwork to complete.
Behind this simple experience sits sophisticated technology. The system connects with order management platforms, sends real-time tracking updates via SMS, and handles issues digitally for faster resolution. It validates contact information, monitors shipments, proactively follows up when delays occur, confirms completion, and automatically collects merchant feedback via SMS surveys.
The Results
It demonstrates that practical innovation often focuses on removing friction rather than adding features. By transforming a multi-day process into a five-minute task, Tyro improved both merchant experience and operational efficiency.
Since implementation, over 3,000 terminals have been processed through the new system. The impact has been significant. The average time taken for a Merchant Terminal to be returned to Ingenico has reduced from 12 days to 8 days, bringing valuable equipment back into circulation weeks earlier and reducing the need for replacement inventory.
The operations team at Tyro described the practical benefits:
"The SMS process has made a positive difference. The process itself is great and has resulted in fewer follow-up calls (for satchels), and when follow-up calls are received, it is a much simpler process to provide the reference number as opposed to ordering a new satchel. Not having to wait for satchel deliveries has reduced the overall turnaround time and is a better experience for merchants."
Easy Returns also generated additional value: higher merchant adoption of terminal returns with less promotional effort, fewer delivery complications, and reduced operational costs.
The Partnership Approach
The project's success reflected a partnership approach built on three core principles.
Co-creation: Instead of implementing a standard solution, Ingenico collaborated with Tyro to design an approach specifically addressing their operational requirements and merchant needs. The solution emerged through joint development rather than a one-size-fits-all product.
Agility: The teams piloted the solution in select states, collected merchant feedback, and refined the approach based on real-world results. This iterative process was essential for developing a first-to-market solution without an existing template to follow.
Speed: After validating the concept, the priority shifted to rapid deployment across all Australian states. Delivering value to merchants quickly took precedence over extended refinement cycles.
Looking Ahead
The success of Easy Returns has opened the door to further innovation. Tyro and Ingenico are evaluating additional service locations and exploring how the same principles might apply to other operational challenges merchants face.
The broader goal remains consistent: making every aspect of payment services as straightforward as possible throughout the entire merchant journey.
Key Takeaways
The project also illustrates the value of attending to the complete service lifecycle. While the payments industry often focuses on customer acquisition and the transaction experience, Tyro has shown that operational touchpoints, like returns, play a vital role in merchant satisfaction, retention, and cost efficiency.
Sometimes the most valuable innovations are those that make necessary tasks effortless.
FAQs
What is Tyro and Ingenico’s Easy Returns solution?
Tyro and Ingenico Easy Returns is a joint, Android‑based service that turns a return into a friction‑free, instant experience for merchants and shoppers.
What problem does Easy Returns solve?
Easy Returns removes friction from the return journey, delivering instant, error‑free refunds, a consistent digital experience for shoppers, and lower operational overhead for merchants.
How does Easy Returns improve the merchant experience?
Easy Returns transforms the return workflow from a time‑consuming, error‑prone process into a single‑tap, digital experience that keeps the checkout line moving; eliminates paperwork; provides immediate proof of refund to the buyer; lets merchants deploy the feature across their entire POS estate with minimal effort; drives higher shopper satisfaction and repeat purchases.
What technology powers the new easyreturn return process?
Easy Returns runs as a native Android app built by Tyro on Ingenico’s AXIUM terminals. The solution leverages the AXIUM Android‑based OS (with its secure, PCI‑compliant payment engine), the AXIUM App Store for instant deployment, and Ingenico Manage 360 for over‑the‑air updates. This stack lets merchants trigger a one‑tap refund directly on the terminal, with encrypted, in‑terminal authorisation and automatic receipt generation.
