(Washington, DC) – The National Restaurant Association today announced that TakeCharge – a member benefit payment processing program launched in 2005 in association with First Data Corp. – has saved the restaurant industry approximately $5,000,000.  The program, now with 4,500 participating locations, provides increased payment choices and exclusive rates for credit card processing through First Data to small and mid-size merchants and national chains.

“The National Restaurant Association is committed to providing our members with the programs and services that will help improve their operational efficiencies and increase profitability,” said Todd Mann, senior vice president of Business Development at the National Restaurant Association. “The TakeCharge program, developed by restaurateurs for restaurateurs, has saved the restaurant industry a remarkable $5 million a year by providing strategic payment processing solutions designed specifically for the needs of our collective members.”

The program was the result of a comprehensive development and selection process by the Association with input from its member base. “By choosing First Data to help develop a national payment processing program, small and mid-size restaurateurs are able to receive pricing that is typically not available to them,” Mann said. “We are able to leverage our national membership and its participation in the TakeCharge program to hopefully create further price reductions that will add to the industry savings.”
 
For more information on TakeCharge, please visit our website http://www.restaurant.org/business/takecharge.cfm, call 1-800-617-6285 or email takecharge@firstdata.com.