Discover how the traditional point of sale is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Almost all significant changes at the point of sale (POS) over the past 30 years have been driven by the need to increase the speed and accuracy of transactions for retailers and their customers. 
Today, the latest developments in POS technology have the potential to have an even bigger impact - by moving the POS to wherever the customer may be.

 

 

Imagine the following scenarios:

You add another hour of time to the parking meter with your mobile phone.

All you have to do to pay is send a text message when you park and another when you leave. No coins necessary.Or access your parking app to add another hour to your parking time. No rushing back to the meter.

There aren't any checkout lines at the supermaket.

Your grocery cart is equipped with contactless reader technology that can scan the items in your card and authorize your credit card payment as you exit the store.

You check into a hotel room without stopping by the front desk.

Instead, a room confirmation is sent directly to your mobile phone. To enter the room, you simply touch your phone to a reader on the door for keyless entry.

These examples of mobile POS are happening-or can happen-using technologies and products available today.

Paying for parking without stopping at the parking meter
All you have to do to pay is send a text message when you park and another when you leave. No coins necessary. Or access your parking app to add another hour to your parking time. No rushing back to the meter.
There aren't any checkout lines at the supermarket
Your grocery cart is equipped with contactless reader technology that can scan the items in your cart and authorize your credit card payment as you exit the store
You check into a hotel without stopping by the front desk
Instead, a room confirmation is sent directly to your mobile phone. To enter the room you simply touch your phone to a reader on the door for keyless entry.

 

What are the technologies changing the face of the retail checkout process?

Portable POS Hardware

Highly compact payment terminals can provide a full shift's battery power and wireless access to payment processing systems in the retail environment. This stops lines from forming at the register.

The combination of contactless readers and Near Field communications(NFC) technology lets customers make purchases by waving their NFC-enabled card or device very close to the POS. For example, at mass transit turnstiles

Commerce-enabled mobile devices

Mobile phones are turning into payment terminals with banking functionality. These devices put the POS into the hands of the customer and introduce new ways for merchants to sell and market their products.

Web-enabled phones enable on-the-road payments for merchants that work on site, such as independent contractors. This allows invoices to be settled immediately and offers multiple payment methods to the customer.

These technology enablers not only provide a more efficient checkout experience by reducing the customer's overall shopping time; they also enable retailers to merge sales, marketing and relationship-building with the checkout process.

Specifically, mobile POS offers the potential for merchants to:

  • Provide more personalized service
  • Up-sell to customers
  • Offer products and services where it had not been physically possible to do so before

 

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