Improve Customer Interactions and Security with Modern Points of Sale
2015 will bring incredible change and innovation in the retail industry, especially around how retailers interact with their customers including modern point-of-sale (POS) devices. These new POS devices will provide a more personalized and secure shopping experience, allowing retailers to be mobile or stationary at the POS, make tailored offers to customers while they’re checking out, and meet new security requirements. Today several partners announced Windows-based, modern POS solutions that are EMV compliant, including Panasonic, FreedomPay and HP.
Upgrading to fight cybercrime
Today most US retailers are using legacy magnetic stripe technology that is inherently insecure and prone to fraud and theft. Many of the payment processing systems do not adequately protect the card data and related customer information as it passes through the retailer’s networks and systems. Later this year there will be new payment standards designed to protect consumers. Credit card issues are replacing consumers’ cards with those that have chip and PIN technology and in October, US retailers must implement card processing systems that transact with the new technology or they will assume increased liability for credit card theft. The new standards are driven by a global standard called Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV).
Panasonic POS goes mobile and more secure
Panasonic introduced their first tablet-based mobile POS system at NRF. A fully integrated EMV solution, the tablet has the ability to accept any sort of digital payment in minutes. It’s also a mobile POS device with an optional dock for standard counter service, and can house apps and services to meet many essential customer needs. Employees can do inventory management, while associates on the store floor can access customers’ information for cross selling opportunities.
FreedomPay brings the POS hardware to life (with EMV compliance)
Microsoft partner FreedomPay is announcing the FreedomPay Commerce Platform, a secure payment switching technology running on the Microsoft Azure Cloud that works with EMV certified devices, and implements PCI Validated Point to Point Encryption capabilities that safeguard the sensitive card and customer data. FreedomPay’s solution minimizes retailer risk by preventing the sensitive data from being passed through the retailer’s networks and systems, thus removing liability from the business. The platform also allows retailers to engage customers based on the data captured at checkout. Using Machine Learning capabilities and Business Intelligence platforms on Azure, merchants can offer the customer real-time purchase recommendations, loyalty programs, coupons, warranties, and the chance to donate to charity. FreedomPay is enabling merchants to reinvent and personalize their checkout experience to drive better customer engagement.
HP partners with FreedomPay and Microsoft to deliver a mobile, engaging POS experience
HP released a new EMV capable ElitePad Retail Case, a flexible and versatile piece of hardware that enables retailers the ability to switch from a fixed to mobile POS whenever needed, including FreedomPay’s Commerce Platform. This allows store associates to walk around the store with their tablet to help customers, then easily switch it back to a conventional counter check-out service in no time. Retailers can simply dock the mobile unit into the HP Retail Expansion Dock and connect to all of their peripheral systems. The ElitePad can also be mounted and used as a customer viewing display or a fixed POS setting, offering the type of versatility that retailers need in today’s modern retail environment.
More than ever, retailers must find innovative ways to protect, connect, and engage with their customers. Upgrading the POS will also retailers maximize customer satisfaction and promote sales throughout the store, giving retailers another way to compete in the modern retail landscape.
