Point of sale
Latest
Visa warns that hackers are scraping card details from gas pumps
Cybercrime groups are actively exploiting a weakness in gas station point-of-sale (POS) networks to steal credit card data, Visa has revealed. The company's fraud disruption teams are investigating several incidents in which a hacking group known as Fin8 defrauded fuel dispenser merchants. In each case, the attackers gained access to the POS networks via malicious emails and other unknown means. They then installed POS scraping software that exploited the lack of security with old-school mag stripes in card readers that can't read chips.
Juul will require retailers to scan IDs before selling its vapes
By May 2021, anyone looking to purchase a Juul e-cig will have to have their ID scanned. Juul announced today that it will soon require all retailers to use an updated point-of-sale (POS) system. When Juul products are scanned, the POS will prompt the retailer to scan the customer's ID. Anyone under the locally mandated age will be prohibited from buying Juul products. The POS will also block sales of more than one vaporizer and four refill packs, so users won't be able to buy in bulk and presumably share with their underage friends.
PayPal announced integration with iPad point-of-sale maker Revel Systems
We're almost at the day where you won't have to carry cash or a card to pay for goods and services. Surely you've used Square at a farmer's market, coffee shop, or bookstore, but the payment market is expanding to card-free areas of commerce. PayPal has announced a partnership with Revel Systems, a business that provides point-of-sale platforms that use an iPad to process payments. While PayPal is currently pushing its own device, the Beacon, the company seems to understand its competitors have a bit of a head start. To close that gap PayPal has worked with point-of-sale services from Booker to Leaf to build its reach. Revel is just the latest such expansion. Revel Systems are used in stores for major retailers such as Dairy Queen, Popeye's, and Goodwill, and provide PayPal a massive potential new revenue source. Revel Systems CEO has this to day about the arrangement. The Revel Systems and PayPal relationship will be very impactful for the point-of-sale industry as a whole. PayPal is leading the trend of digital secure payments on the consumer level, and Revel is leading the way for the next generation of mPOS, creating a collaboration that is set to deliver a new experience to customers. For years people have been using PayPal to shop online, and the integration with Revel now brings the same convenience and security to brick and mortar retail and food establishments allowing consumers to pay on the go. Users will be able to pay into the Revel point-of-sale system with PayPal via their iOS or Android apps. This integration also introduces new time-saving features like the ability to order and pay for meals or products before you even head out to the store. The deal puts PayPal in more store fronts and helps promote businesses that use the Revel system by listing them in app as nearby retailers who accept PayPal. Revel currently has over 2,000 clients who use it's system.
Shopify announces iPad-centric POS system
Shopify has been around a while as an online storefront provider; one of the best stores for buying items that have made it out of Kickstarter and into production -- BiteMyApple.co -- is a good example of an online Shopify store. Now Shopify is making it possible for store owners to open physical storefronts to sell their wares with an iPad-based point-of-sale system called Shopify POS. A complete "store in a box" that includes a card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, and mount for an iPad supplied by the store owner runs US$499. Should you not need the cash drawer, the price goes down to $399, and if you run a pop-up store (say, selling art at festivals or food products at a farmer's market), a system is available for just $149. If all you need is a card reader, which can be had for $19. There's also a $49 monthly fee, and a swipe rate of 2.1 to 2.5 percent depending on the Shopify plan used. The free Shopify POS iPad app is the key to the store, listing all of the products in a store and then providing a way for customers to pay for the goods. Receipts are either printed on-site or sent through email. The app gives store owners the ability to sell both online and in physical stores, managing inventory for both and providing the analytics to show what products are flying out the doors and which are collecting dust. Shopify POS is available today. [via MacRumors]
Heckler Design unveils attractive WindFall Cash Drawer for iPad point-of-sale systems (Updated)
For shopkeepers who want to keep their cash and receipts straight when they're using an iPad-based point-of-sale (POS) system, there are a few choices available for cash drawers. Back when Square announced the Business in a Box bundle, they company chose an iPad stand designed by Tempe, Ariz.-based Heckler Design. Now Dean Heckler and his team have announced availability of a full-fledged cash drawer. The WindFall Cash Drawer for iPad (Updated: will be part of a bundle priced at US$399) would look great in any store, and comes in black grey, grey white, bright red and hand-polished stainless steel. Heckler Design will be selling the WindFall Cash Drawer as part of its Modern Shop Hardware line, and store owners can also work with ShopKeep.com for a full point-of-sale solution that's an alternative to Square Register. As part of the bundle Heckler will sell, they're planning to include the new Star Micronics DK-AirCash wireless cash drawer controller and Star Micronics receipt printers. More info is included in the full press release below. Show full PR text Heckler Design Introduces a Sleek, Next-Generation Cash Drawer for iPad POS The WindFall Cash Drawer offers an innovative alternative to the traditional cash register PHOENIX (Aug. 6, 2013) – Heckler Design, a made-in-the-USA product design company, today introduced a stylish, modern alternative to the bulky, commonplace cash drawers currently available for tablet-based point-of-sale systems. The new Heckler Design WindFall Cash Drawer offers the smallest footprint and sleekest design of any cash drawer on the market today. The new drawer will be available to purchase through ShopKeep POS, a launch partner for the WindFall Cash Drawer. Made in the USA, it features heavy steel construction, an automatic drawer, innovative till layout, integrated mounting options, and compatibility with a variety of currencies. The drawer also integrates seamlessly with the WindFall stand for iPad, complete with secure mounting and cable management. WindFall Cash Drawer is a part of the WindFall Modern Shop Hardware collection by Heckler Design. It will be available in black grey, grey white, bright red, and hand-polished stainless steel. "The sheer size of the conventional cash register made them more of a barrier between the shop owner and customer and limited the ability to have a personal checkout experience," said Dean Heckler, founder of Heckler Design. "The WindFall Cash Drawer was designed to free up counter space, serve as a conversation piece, and deliver the best checkout experience possible. Now there is a sleek, aesthetically pleasing alternative to the traditional register." "Tablet-based point-of-sale has changed the look of the countertop forever, so it makes sense that the cash drawer should modernize too," said Jason Richelson, Founder and CEO of ShopKeep POS. "The WindFall Cash Drawer turns a functional piece of hardware into a stylish countertop design feature, following the same sleek lines as the classic WindFall iPad stand. "ShopKeep has been proud to offer Heckler Design products to our customers for almost two years. We were the first to sell the WindFall iPad stand, and we're excited to be the first to offer the WindFall Cash Drawer." This fall, in addition to its WindFall Modern Shop Hardware bundle, Heckler Design will offer a complete bundle for next-generation iPad-based point-of-sale, which will include the newly released Star Micronics DK-AirCash and Star Micronics receipt printers. The WindFall Cash Drawer will be available through ShopKeep POS with other popular point-of-sale solution providers to follow. It will also be available through www.HecklerDesign.com. About Heckler Design Heckler Design, known for its renowned OneLessDesk, creates beautifully simple, commercial-grade products for design-conscious consumers and businesses. Heckler Design's products currently include office furniture, desk accessories, iPad stands, and point-of-sale hardware. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., all of Heckler Design's products are designed by Dean Heckler and made in America. More information is available at www.HecklerDesign.com. About ShopKeep POS The simplest way to make smarter business decisions, ShopKeep POS is the affordable, complete platform for running a shop from an iPad with real-time reporting on the web or from your smartphone. Backed by award-winning customer care, the ShopKeep POS iPad App rings sales, accepts card transactions and mobile payments, prints and emails receipts, and can print orders remotely to the kitchen. At only $49/month merchants can manage inventory, employees, and customers and view ClearInsight® Reports from any web browser. Find out more at www.shopkeep.com.
Square updates Register app with a focus on restaurants
Millions of merchants across the US have embraced the Square Register app to accept credit card payments without the need for a merchant account, expensive equipment or high fees. Now Square has updated the free Register app with new features that target a fast-growing segment of Square's business -- restaurants. As you'll recall from a previous TUAW post, Square now sells a full point-of-sale system called "Business in a Box for Square Register" that includes a cash drawer, a couple of Square card readers and an iPad stand. A receipt printer is extra. Now the new update to the app allows order modifiers that make taking orders and serving food in restaurants a lot more efficient. Those order modifiers can be used to make a custom meal order for a customer. Want to hold the mayo and have extra bacon on that BLT? That's not a problem for the app to handle, and by placing a receipt printer into the kitchen the cooking staff sees the special order immediately. Restaurants are a huge and growing market for Square. The company says that the number of food-related businesses using Square has just about tripled and the amount of money processed by those establishments has more than quadrupled.
Groupon launches Breadcrumb, officially enters the point-of-sale system market
A few months ago, Groupon quietly scooped up a New York-based startup by the name of Breadcrumb, which, back then, was presumably regarded as a sign of POS-related things to come from the deal-sharing company. Today, nearly five months after its snappy acquisition, Groupon's officially relaunching launching Breadcrumb, marking the outfit's formal entrance into the point-of-sale game with its own iPad-based system. Groupon says Breadcrumb will be a great choice for all business owners interested, thanks in large part to its "easy-to-use and affordable" POS iPad system -- one which will start off at $99 per month and will include an all-in-one Breadbox that packs all the necessary tools to get up and running, as well as handy 24/7 support from restaurant and bar geniuses. You can get a better feel for what Breadcrumb's all about in the video below -- and please, please don't forget to clean after yourself.
Daily Update for October 10, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Groupon launches iPad-based restaurant point-of-sale system
Groupon is primarily known as a company that provides special deals to consumers via a free app, but they've now branched out into the restaurant point-of-sale (POS) system market with a new offering called Breadcrumb. Breadcrumb runs only on the Apple iPad, and client establishments pay US$99 a month to run the service on one iPad or $199 a month for two iPad kiosks. Larger restaurants get a discount, with the cost for five iPads at $299 per month and up to 10 iPads at $399 per month. Clients can either buy their own iPads or purchase iPads through Groupon at cost. Breadcrumb has been tested at about a hundred New York locations, but today the system launches across the US. Items such as cash drawers, receipt printers and the bane of chefs everywhere -- kitchen order printers -- can be added to the system easily. Unlike competing systems, there's no long-term commitment to use the system. The system literally takes only minutes to learn, it's easy to enter menu items and prices into Breadcrumb, and the system can be used by managers to dive into sales, food cost, labor cost information or get reports via email. With Breadcrumb, Groupon is not only going head-to-head with traditional restaurant POS providers such as OpenTable, Aloha and MICROS, but will compete with mobile payment leader Square with a much more restaurant-oriented offering. [via AppleInsider]
CyanogenMod releases SimplyTapp NFC payment app for CM9, launches CM9.1
If you decided to change your NFC Phone's OS over to CyanogenMod 9 to avoid all the skinning and restricting, now you have a mobile payment option called SimplyTapp. Produced by the modding group and two of its members, the app requires free or paid NFC cards from CyanogenMod or retailers like McDonald's and Whole Foods. Card user info is guarded in the cloud, which "allows separation of the card credential from the vulnerable handset," for increased security, according to CM and SimplyTapp. CyanogenMod also announced a new version of its ICS-based CM9 OS, version 9.1, which will fix bugs and add new devices. A stable release will be coming soon, but meanwhile, why not head over to Mickey D's and freak them out by paying with your modded Galaxy Nexus?
PayPal buys Card.io visual credit card scanner platform, is neither Here nor there
Thought PayPal was done upping its mobile payment game when it unveiled its triangular Square competitor earlier this year? Think again. Despite Here being, well, here, PayPal's not satisfied having but one way to scan your plastic, and so it's snapped up Card.io. In case you've forgotten, Card.io gathers credit card info visually using a smartphone's camera -- no scanning dongle required -- to save fingers and thumbs from having to enter payment info manually. Oh, and for folks fearing that PayPal would pull the plug on other apps' access to Card.io's SDK, not to worry -- PayPal assures us that Card.io's technology will remain available to developers.
New York restaurant adopts iPads, saves money
The next time you're at the Brooklyn (NY) Tap House choosing from the wide variety of beers on tap, don't be surprised if you see iPads at the bar or an iPod touch in the hands of your waitperson. The gastropub has installed a point-of-sale system from Albuquerque-based POSLavu that uses the Apple devices in place of a much more expensive traditional restaurant POS system. The main attraction for the POSLavu system, according to restauranteur and co-owner Hugo Salazar, was the price. Many restaurants use systems from Micros or Aloha that can sport price tags of US$20,000 or more; the bottom line for the devices and software at the Brooklyn Tap House was about $7,000. Salazar and partner Steve Escobar say the system has some advantages. The iPads tend to start conversations at the bar, and they can be used to check web sites to settle bar arguments. The order flow is much smoother, with orders taken wirelessly from the iPod touch devices in the hands of waitstaff and then printed in the kitchen. Inventory is updated immediately, and the owners can check sales and more from literally anywhere in the world. On the negative side, customers often think that waitstaff are texting friends instead of taking their orders. The staff has broken iPods (one wonders if the Tap House has ever heard of LifeProof or OtterBox cases...), and connectivity to the local Wi-Fi network for sending orders has been an issue. Still, the owners are happy with both the POSLavu system and the Apple technology, with waitstaff often pointing out to customers that they're using an Apple-based system.
99Bill smartphone card reader pushes mobile payments for China, pretends it's never heard of Square
Jostling for attention among a crowd of China-focused smartphone card readers, 99Bill's card reader has now been officially revealed. It plugs into your headphone jack and communicates with apps on both iOS and Android. The familiar-looking reader supports both passcode and signature security -- China matches several European countries where passcode cards are the more common option. The company has already hooked up with three insurance companies, but it's keeping quiet on the rates it'll charge per transaction and any further expansion plans. 99Bills lays down why it should be your go-to choice for smartphone payments in mainland China right after the break.
Square gets a few more Chinese clones, Jack Dorsey may or may not be flattered
Never mind what PayPal has just unveiled today -- look at these mobile phone credit card readers from China instead. If you ask Square CEO Jack Dorsey, we're sure he'll have to a thing or two to say about these familiar-looking dongles (and not to mention the various weibo microblogging services that were inspired by Jack's Twitter platform). Coincidentally, all three of these pictures above showed up on Sina Weibo earlier today, albeit from different accounts with very little detail in each post -- we'd like to think they're trying to make a point one after the other. So who's behind these little plastic bricks from the Far East?Starting from the left (courtesy of Xiaomi Vice President Li Wanqiang) we have Lakala, a well-known Chinese payment service provider whose POS terminals are featured in major supermarkets and convenience stores. We spoke to the company's CEO Sun Taoran who assured us that this is a booming business in China, as credit cards are more popular than you'd expect these days (most large eateries, supermarkets and even karaoke bars in domestic cities will happily accept them); and of course, he'd certainly want a slice of that massive smartphone pie over there. The Beijing-based company also said its dongle will function even without a phone client installed, but it wouldn't further elaborate at this point. Expect to see Lakala's product launch in May.
Square's new Register app turns the iPad into a full-on point of sale terminal
Square continues to add functionality to its mobile payment platform, and the latest addition is its new Register app for iPad. The refresh brings a sleeker interface and greater Card Case integration along with analytics to break down sales by transaction type and chronology to track your business' performance. Additionally, you can set up custom permissions to limit employee access, create customer loyalty programs and there's an improved inventory system feature as well. Naturally, it still relies on Square's trusty card reader for swiping cards and charges 2.75 percent per transaction using Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. Small businessmen, your payment chariot awaits, so check out a video of the new Square Register in action after the break.
Isis partners with VeriFone, Ingenico, ViVOtech and Equinox, prepares to take over the world
So, you've got the carriers on board, and the banks and even the handset makers. Problem is, without compatible registers and point of sale terminals, your mobile payment tech is worthless. Thankfully Isis, the NFC wallet system that aims to crush Google's buzzed-about platform, just scored a host of partners including VeriFone and Equinox that make a pretty large chunk of world's payment terminals. Those companies, along with Ingenico and ViVOtech have agreed to support Isis on future hardware and, in some cases, update the software on machines in the field to communicate with the app. For a few more details hit up the PR after the break and prepare for the Isis invasion to kick off sometime towards the middle of the year.
ShopKeep point-of-sale mixes iPad with cloud service for small retailers
WNYC reported this week on the emergence of the iPad for point-of-sale terminal use, particularly in small establishments that want to minimize the space requirements of a traditional register while adding a bit of Apple cachet to go with their cash drawer. Stephen Nessen's story highlighted a Brooklyn artisanal ice cream parlor, Ample Hills Creamery, which has deployed the ShopKeep POS system to handle the counter. Rather than requiring an in-store server to process transactions, ShopKeep's iPad app sends the sales data directly to the company's cloud service for reporting and accounting purposes. While the data transfer requires Internet access, an outage won't shut down your checkout line; the app will store all the transactions locally while offline and then batch them up to the cloud when service is restored. The company also suggests going with a hybrid Cradlepoint router that can instantly switch from conventional to 3G/4G wireless connectivity as needed, or work in mobile-only mode for food trucks or craft fairs. Basic service covering one register starts at $49 a month (that's BYOiPad, and you still need to buy your cash drawer, printer and other gear). ShopKeep, launched in August of this year, is reportedly intuitive and easy to use, but it's suited primarily for outlets with 20 270 items of inventory or fewer; large and complex stores apparently aren't a good match. While the iPad probably won't replace the vast majority of POS systems anytime soon, the fact that the 17-month old device has shown up subbing into retail contexts ranging from wine lists to menus to cash registers shows just how flexible this Swiss Army Tablet has become.
Amazon, 7-Eleven team up to bring delivery convenience to your corner store
Allow us to set the scene: It's late Friday night. You've just finished working and decide to hit up the local 7-Eleven on your way home for a Slim Jim, Mountain Brew and... your Amazon package? Why, yes, as absurd as it seems there could very well be a P.O. Box-like locker in your nearby Kwik-E Mart's future. The whispering winds of hearsay flew by the ears over at The Daily and delivered this little nugget of Bezos-backed possibility. According to the source, a Seattle chain already has one of the prototypes in its possession, with a nationwide rollout potentially headed for next summer. So, how's it work? Apparently, you'll be offered a choice of 7-Eleven delivery locations during the online checkout process, after which an emailed bar code can be scanned by the locker to reveal a pin that gets you access to your Amazon stash. Alright, it's an undoubtedly convenient idea, but how's about they also throw in some of those Android-based tablets? Now that's point-of-sale.
Big US retailers adopting Apple products: Say goodbye to the cash register
Earlier today TUAW reported on how one New York City restaurant has adopted the iPad as a menu and point of sale system replacement. Now All Things D is reporting that Apple products -- predominantly the iPad -- are being purchased in droves by major retailers across the country. Home improvement chain Lowes is reportedly deploying 42,000 handheld devices to stores in the U.S. and Canada. Other major deployments have been announced by rival Home Depot, Nordstrom, and Urban Outfitters. As noted by All Things D's Tricia Duryee, some of the retailers haven't spilled the beans on what devices they're actually fielding, but it's anticipated that they'll be Apple devices -- iPhones, iPads, or iPod touches. While the devices can be easily set up to accept payments, many of the retailers are initially using the devices for customer service use cases: looking up answers to customer questions or checking availability of products. Pacific Sunwear, AKA PacSun, will be rolling out iPads in 300 of its stores, and plans to increase the distribution of the tablets to up to 600 more locations by next year. PacSun is using an application by developer Global Bay to assist customers in ordering items that are out of stock in the stores. Global Bay CEO Sandeep Bhanote mentioned that one retailer it helped has seen a 12 percent increase in average order transaction when customers receive service from associates carrying in-store Apple devices. For PacSun, the iPads are anticipated to let store associates close five more transactions a day -- and that's more than enough to cover the cost of the equipment and software. How about you, TUAW readers? Other than at Apple Store retail locations, have you started seeing a lot of Apple products at your favorite retailer? Let us know in the comments.
Daily Update for August 23, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top stories of the day in three to five minutes, which is perfect for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
