Huntington Lands Services Deal

Cygnus Entertainment, which provides remote ticketing and reservation services for theme parks, cruise lines, theaters, restaurants, golf courses and other attractions, has tapped Huntington Merchant Services to provide real-time, point-of-sale credit and debit card processing for its kiosk and online transactions.

"Cygnus was looking for a provider of credit and debit card processing that could integrate into their system and facilitate their ability to provide very quick point-of-sale transactions," said Marlene Benzmiller, general manager at Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington Merchant Services.

Huntington Merchant Services, an alliance of Huntington Bank and First Data Merchant Services, provides Orlando, Fla.-based Cygnus with real-time authorization of credit and debit card ticket purchases that are initiated online and through Cygnus-operated kiosks located on-site at venues such as Universal Studios. The kiosks, part of a network that Cygnus calls ceOsk, offer consumers a convenient way to purchase tickets, or pick up tickets previously ordered online, right at a theme park or other entertainment site.

After Cygnus receives a ticket order from either a kiosk or online transaction, credit or debit card data is transmitted to Huntington Merchant Services, which processes the transaction, after which Cygnus fills the ticket order. Huntington Merchant Services bills Cygnus on a monthly basis, based on the volume of transactions.

For Huntington Merchant Services, the Cygnus deal opens up a new market for its payment services.

"This was our first opportunity to work with someone who has developed a kiosk environment," said Benzmiller.

Cygnus was impressed with the breadth of Huntington's solution.

"Integrating the Huntington-First Data Merchant Services solution allows us to provide for the demands of different payment options in a cost advantaged manner, while providing a secure and efficient infrastructure," according to Jeff Johnson, chief executive officer of Cygnus Entertainment.

Huntington Merchant Services provides Cygnus Entertainment with technical expertise and efficient processing costs, as well as a high level of customer service and care, said Benzmiller, noting that Huntington assigns an individual relationship manager to each account.

"From a customer service perspective we pride ourselves on working closely with our customers," said Benzmiller.

"We help them with everything from integration and installation all the way to technical questions and customer service," Benzmiller continued. "We're definitely customer service-driven."