The concept of a mobile point of sale (POS) system has been around for a long time. We’ve all seen the credit card machines come to the table at a restaurant now. However, the game has been significantly changed in recent years with the independent POS providers. You get a small machine that connects to a smartphone or tablet, allowing you to use it quite literally anywhere there is cellphone signal.
This is a massive gamechanger to a wide range of industries, not just the restaurant industry. It’s a simple case of investing in the small card reader (swipe, chip and/or tap), and connecting it to your smartphone through the provider’s app. Access to this technology is now for just about anyone.
A Boost To All Industries
The restaurant industry was probably the first to adapt to the notion of mobile POS systems. They saw the benefit of being able to bring the machine to the table rather than taking a person’s credit card away to the counter. People feel more secure being able to see their credit card the entire time as there is less opportunity for copying or stealing the card.
Now, so many industries have adopted the use of mobile POS systems. In the retail sector, shop assistants can ring up sales on the floor instead of sending customers to a queue. For deliveries, people can now pay by card rather than needing to have cash on them when the driver comes to the door.
Giving The Little Guy Access
Credit card machines used to be extremely expensive to purchase and the bank charges that went with them just didn’t make them viable for small businesses. This meant that these businesses had to rely on cash sales, which isn’t always convenient. It’s also a security risk, having lots of cash in the store or on you as a mobile trader.
There will always be fees involved in credit card and debit card transactions, but these have started to come down significantly with the increase in mobile POS systems. The machines themselves are also a lot cheaper to purchase and operate.
Allowing More Options For Traders
Looking at the mobile aspect of these new systems, the world has suddenly opened up for mobile traders. People who sell their wares at fairs or markets or even who accept horse racing bets can now offer credit card as a payment option rather than just cash. Service businesses that come to your home or office can also provide it as a payment option. These businesses are no longer bound by cash only, or considering using electronic funds transfers as another option.
The average consumer also far prefers having this option available to them as less and less people carry cash with them these days. As technology advances, people have become comfortable with the idea of storing their cards on the smartphones or smart watches and making use of tap and pay options. Now, retailers and small businesses can keep up with the trends.