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Groupon launches Breadcrumb iPad app, vows to not be a typical POS
Yesterday, Groupon POS appeared in the iTunes Store, but was quickly pulled. Now we know why. Breadcrumb POS, which is the official name of yesterday's leaked point-of-sale iPad app, is now officially available, bringing a simple interface and a handful of financial incentives. The application, which can be downloaded for free, charges vendors a credit card processing fee of 1.8 percent plus 15 cents per transaction, assuming you're swiping plastic from MasterCard, Visa or Discover. In an effort to get small businesses signed up, however, Groupon is offering to cover the fees on the first $5,000 in credit card transactions, a savings of $90 by our calculations, plus whatever you'd be paying per swipe. The app enables you to log transactions, manage menu items and issue refunds, in addition to processing credit cards and emailing receipts. The POS uses Breadcrumb Payments for processing, with deposits posting within 24 hours, and can be paired with a card swiper and optional printer (you can email receipts if you'd prefer). There's also free 24/7 telephone support, should you run into any issues while using the system. Breadcrumb POS won't replace the more sophisticated Pro version, which is available starting at $99 per month, and retailers will still be able to use the Groupon Merchants App for redeeming vouchers and processing supplemental payments. If the new Breadcrumb POS sounds like a fit, snag some more info at the source link below.
Groupon POS builds upon Breadcrumb with simplified point-of-sale interface for iPad (update: pulled)
Last year, Groupon acquired Breadcrumb, a New York City-based startup known for its affordable iPad-based point-of-sale system. Now, a new Groupon-branded version of the tool, called POS, arrived in the iTunes store this morning, giving merchants a venue to process and track customer tabs, with a much simpler interface. The app, which appears to be a significantly dumbed-down version of Breadcrumb, is compatible with an optional cash drawer and printer, according to the iTunes listing, but doesn't appear to offer advanced management functionality, such as time sheets and advanced reports (though basic stats are tracked). Groupon POS is available for download now at the source link below -- subscription info is lacking, but based on the limited functionality here, we wouldn't be surprised to hear that it's free. Update: Groupon has pulled the app from iTunes pending a future launch of the POS product, which will be released under a different name.
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]
