3 Top Verticals and What They Want in POS

From local independent retailers to global hospitality brands, the point of sale industry is highly diverse. As a payment service provider, you need to know where your customers are headed, so that you can help them meet their current and emerging needs. Let’s look at 3 top business verticals and what they want in a point of sale system.

1. Restaurants

Tablet Systems Versatility is the name of the game for restaurants, and tablet systems help business owners keep all the plates spinning. Tablet systems can be customized for every food service setting, from food trucks to fine dining. Not only do they handle payments, tablets are true business workhorses, providing labor, inventory and back office management apps. Inexpensive and easy to use, tablet solutions will continue to lead the pack for food service.

Maximum Mobility In a fast paced restaurant setting, efficiency is the absolute goal.  When recommending POS hardware to your restaurants, show them that mobile devices are a great time saver in getting tables turned over fast. Tableside tablets streamline ordering, sending the order straight to the kitchen. And when it comes to payments, mobile card readers mean that credit cards never leave the customer’s sight, providing fraud control and peace of mind.

Wireless Connectivity Bluetooth has proven to be an essential feature for POS printers and other accessories. With bluetooth connectivity, servers can place a receipt printer wherever it’s most convenient for workflow, rather than hardwired to a computer. Bluetooth also provides flexibility for scales, barcode scanners and other items that your merchant might need. With a little training, you can help your merchants optimize their POS systems using bluetooth. 

2. Hospitality

Transaction Security: 87% of data breaches in hospitality result from POS system compromise. Thus, POS security is a top concern in hospitality. You can help put your merchants’ minds at ease by explaining the security measures their POS systems employ, from point to point encryption to tokenization. It’s also a good idea to educate merchants about common fraud schemes such as emails phishing and skimmer installation.    

Personalized Experience: In travel, consumers place a high value on a personalized experience. With open API design, many new POS systems allow easy integration of purchasing data into a client’s loyalty program profile. A comprehensive data set can really help your merchants provide a superior and personalized guest visit. 

Omnichannel Integration: Hotels are taking a lesson from retailers, and incorporating in-app options into the hotel experience. Using their phone, customers can check in remotely, place room service orders, and purchase items in the self-service store. Customers can even unlock their room doors using a supplied barcode. Encourage your merchants to explore these omnichannel strategies to build loyalty.

3. Retail

Niche Growth Outside of commodity purchases, consumers are turning from megastores to local, personal shopping experiences. Because of this, now is a great time for small retailers to roll out into their communities. And with comprehensive, all in one POS solutions, overhead costs are cheaper than ever. Today’s POS systems come packed with tools to help your retailers run their businesses efficiently.

Instant Access Cloud based POS systems are a perfect fit for small retailers. Business owners can access data and reporting anytime. And with automated software updates and security patches, your retailers can trust the security of these important systems.

Digital Loyalty Programs Loyalty programs are an enormous draw with young consumers, but no one wants to keep track of a membership card. Digital loyalty programs are a great way to deepen customer engagement. Most tablet POS systems provide comprehensive loyalty programs that can track purchases, email promotions and apply discounts seamlessly. Take the time to educate your retailers about the options they have at their fingertips.

Final Thoughts

While each vertical has its own category-specific needs, we can see several themes in common. POS systems will continue to expand in versatility, offering mobile solutions as well as multipurpose business management tools. Cloud-based software and data access will grow in popularity for all types of businesses. And finally, businesses will continue to focus on providing a personal touch in customer interactions, aided by data collected at the point of sale. By guiding your merchants toward POS systems that meet these needs, you can help ensure their success and yours in the future.