Sage North America said today that Girl Scout troops in the U.S. who used Sage Mobile Payments saw increased sales of their tasty, tasty cookies during the 2012 Cookie Program. The company supported more than 30 Girl Scout councils representing more than 40,000 troops with its mobile point of sale solution, allowing them to accept credit and debit cards during the group's annual fund-raising cookie drive.

Several Girl Scout councils noted that accepting credit cards made a significant impact on the number of units they sold during the cookie drive.

"Our troops using Sage Mobile Payments saw their average cookie sale transaction increase almost four-fold, from about $20 in 2011 to nearly $80 this year," said Hezron Gurley, chief financial officer of Fresno, Calif.-based Girl Scouts of Central California South.

"As the girls learn about the world of business, they experience firsthand the advantages of evolving technologies like these. They enable more spontaneous purchases, and provide a more secure — virtually cash-free — sales environment," Gurley said.

A council from Northeast Ohio reported that troops using mobile payments increased sales by 27 percent.

Both scouts and their leaders found accepting mobile payments to be a benefit to the effort.

"A post cookie-season survey about Sage Mobile Payments returned comments like 'fabulous and very easy' and 'very convenient,'" said Lisa Rower, controller for Raleigh, N.C.-based Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines. "Troop leaders especially love that the product sends an email receipt to each customer and daily detailed batch reports to them, and that money goes straight into troops' bank accounts."

Rower said the process of taking credit cards was even an educational experience for the girls.

"We see mobile payments as a great way for girls to get exposed to technology that will be a part of their lives," said Rower. "Sage Mobile Payments allows Girl Scouts to learn there are different ways to accept payments, what a merchant account is, and how to swipe a credit card."

Rower said her council will make tweaks to our process and do more targeting of the troops who can benefit most from implementing a mobile payments option next year.

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