Retailers who’ve gone to a point-of-sales system have high hopes for a lifelong marriage. In an ideal world, the system will grow with the store, and adapt to its needs. But sometimes switching to an entirely different POS is the only way to cope with a changing business strategy. Here’s how two garden centers handled the big switch.
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What’s new out there?
Russell Bird, senior vice president for POS solutions with First Data, said recent technological developments make researching a new system worthwhile.
“Where we’ve seen a great deal of traction is with WiFi,” he said. “In garden centers, where you have several locations to check out, you can simply have a WiFi-enabled device for multiple checkouts. If you have power, that’s all you need.”
There have also been major developments in the security arena. Bird described some functions First Data is offering for credit card processing. The card number is now encrypted at the terminal, and when it reaches the host it’s decrypted and sent out for processing.
“When we send back info [to the retailer], it’s a 16-digit number. But it’s not the credit card number. It’s a ‘token.’ It transfers all the risks from the merchant to First Data.”
Bird also outlined some “must haves” for retailers installing new POS systems:
- Ample memory. “Ask ‘how much memory does that device have?’ With new security regulations coming up, you’ll need more and more memory to handle those functions.”
- Debit capabilities. “Debit transactions have seen double-digit growth over the years. And these transactions offer a lower interchange rate. Make sure you have a keypad for debit purchases.”
- WiFi. “Even if you don’t have WiFi today, make sure your system has capabilities to add it later.”
- Security. “And, of course, make sure everything is PCI (payment card industry) compliant.”
| To read about how Evergreen Home & Garden Showplace made The Big Switch, click here! |
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