What is SoftPOS?
You may have heard the term “SoftPOS” used more and more during the last few months. If you’re like me, you might have thought this was “SoftPaws”:
Rest assured, the term “SoftPOS” is not related to any animated cats played by Selma Hayek.
SoftPOS actually refers to a technology that allows merchants and operators to accept contactless payments using a POS PC, mobile computer, or kiosks, instead of traditional POS terminals. It essentially transforms any type of physical POS hardware into a payment terminal using software and Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology.
Why Should Your Business Use It?
There are many benefits to integrating SoftPOS into your existing POS infrastructure. Here’s a few that come to mind:
Your Org Won’t Need to Rely on Traditional EMV Payment Terminals
That’s right, you can finally toss the old-school EMV payment terminals from your POS counters and kiosks!
JK, they’ll always be a need for EMV payment terminals, however you can create a streamlined checkout process by utilizing hardware that integrates SoftPOS, or contactless payments, directly onto your POS PC, mobile device, or kiosk.
This solution creates a neat and tidy POS stack, and it’s even more useful when you set up self-checkout kiosks, as you’ll no longer require any type of cradle to accommodate an EMV payment terminal.
You Can Integrate SoftPOS with a Fixed-to-Mobile POS Solution
Fixed-to-Mobile POS solutions are no longer an abstract concept pitched by thought leaders.
Need proof? Check out this rollout from JC Penney and ELO, which incorporates ELO stationary monitors paired with cradles and mobile computers. The ELO mobile computers (M60 and M100) both feature integrated NFC payments, as well as traditional MSR and EMV payments. This creates a fixed-to-mobile POS stack that allows employees to easily accept all types of payments on-the-fly.
The benefit of being able to accept payments on-the-fly is huge. For example, your business can now have the ability to quickly remove a mobile device, help customers with orders, accept payment, and then return back to the POS station to complete any other tasks. Employees no longer have to be tied down to a clunky POS beast with stationary EMV readers; instead they can go directly to the action!
The ELO fixed-to-mobile solution can be replicated and fine-tuned for any type of business or organization, including retail stores, QSR and dining, and hospitality/entertainment.
Better Fraud Prevention and Security
Contactless payments are more secure than traditional mag stripe reader technology. For example, an NFC card or device produces a one-time code for each transaction, which in turn keeps your card information safe and secure. Contactless payments also use advanced technology like tokenization and encryption to safeguard your information.
Remember the news stories about gas stations and card-skimming? Who can forget! Well, those scenarios aren’t going away anytime soon, and card-skimming is still a well-know and practiced scam that claims many victims each year. Card skimming isn’t limited to mag stripe readers; it’s also a threat to any type of EMV terminal as well. Your business can eliminate the risk of card-skimming by simply implementing a tap-to-pay SoftPOS solution.
SoftPOS is Not Just Limited to Android OS
This is a big one, as many business and organizations may be required to use Windows OS to operate their POS software apps. The good news is that SoftPOS solutions are now compatible with Windows OS, in addition to standard Android OS.
Check out this solution that was rolled out at Nebraska Furniture Mart. This Fixed-to-Mobile solution consisted of HP Engage Go Windows tablets running Windows-based POS software. The contactless payment piece was possible through a third-party called FelixPay. FelixPay allowed HP Retail to properly configure the Windows tablet to accept contactless payments on-the-fly. The result is a flexible POS station that allows employees to engage with customers on the floor, and then take payment quickly to complete the checkout process.
The Nebraska Furniture Mart solution can also be replicated for any business or organization.
What Are the Next Steps?
The next steps for implementing a SoftPOS solution are simple. You’ll need to reach out to an IT integrator like PLS, and we can start building out options that will meet any timeline or budget. Are you part of a larger business or organization? Additional help is available from great retail consultants like Kitestring. Please feel free to reach out to our team at info@plsusa.com to start talking about your next project!
