4 of the Coolest POS Innovations Being Tested Right Now
What new technology can you expect from your POS down the line?
31 Aug 2018
Apps
Yep! While most people may still conjure up images of Candy Crush when thinking of phone apps (shudder), the reality of things couldn’t be further from that. Apps are becoming prominent in most sectors, be it banking or F&B. Many POS providers are keen to use apps to their advantage by allowing F&B businesses and customers to be connected directly through an app. While businesses can post vital information about the services they provide and can be found easily through an app, customers can make a table booking online, queue online, pay online and do just about everything through an app that they would have otherwise had to do in person.
In the F&B industry, using eMenus is becoming rapidly more common. eMenus function like regular menus, but have the distinct advantage of being able to cycle between menus, be updated all at once, be readable in darker environments and bypass printing costs. However, the most interesting advantage is that they can be set up to where a customer can place an order without needing wait staff to be present. This concept is now being taken into the retail space whereby a shop’s inventory is made available on a tablet that customers can browse through. Tablet inventories only show what items are in stock and allow customers to see if the exact item (including size, color and style) they want is available.
While QR codes have exploded in popularity in China and other Asian countries, this technology has yet to really take hold in the west. QR codes replace many traditional forms of retail as a lot of data can be stored in a seemingly small amount of space. The applications of this technology are widespread, from QR codes printed on food to completely cashierless checkouts, there is plenty we can do with QR codes in the future. In the F&B industry, QR codes are currently even being used to bypass the hassle of queuing, where customers can print out a queue ticket and not bother waiting in line. Instead, they can scan the QR code on their ticket to know when their table is ready.
Futuristic Payments
You’re already using many of the futuristic methods that are likely to be implemented into payment security. Think fingerprint scanners and Face ID. Many POS providers already integrate credit and debit card payment hardware into their systems. Soon, this technology could advance to where customers simply need to present their faces or have their fingertips scanned. There is even, [1]“a hotel in Birmingham has come forward with a unique innovation in Point of Sales where all customer[s] just have to smile as they check out.”
[1] https://www.completecontroller.com/4-innovations-of-pos-systems-in-retail/
