Cloud-based POS solutions have been trending upwards over the last two years, with more ISVs offering their small and mid-sized customers an alternative to traditional on-premises, server-based POS systems. While retail ISVs are on the front lines of this evolution, other segments are following suit to meet customer demand. According to Hospitality Technology’s 2018 POS Software Trends Report, 61 percent of merchants said they want their next POS system to be cloud-based.
When you look at in-store technology today, the retail environment has evolved and is successful in providing a good customer experience. But a lot of that innovation such as certain payment experiences has not made its way into the grocery stores. This is largely due to the need to balance high scan volumes by maintaining short checkout lines. But as customer expectations for an elevated experience are starting to shift, there is a growing demand for innovation in the industry.
Payment solution certifications are notably one of the biggest pain points for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). Terminals and mobile card readers are getting more flexible, checkout methods are becoming more varied and retailers are looking to expand their offerings to include new options like NFC/contactless and QR codes. In the midst of all this change, ISVs feel the pressure to develop and certify a broader range of solutions for the industries they serve.
Payments are a major part of retail - and they’re constantly changing. Payment acceptance devices need replacement, software requires upgrades and keeping up with fluctuations throughout the industry can be a challenging task. Frequently, for merchants, there are many questions to be answered when it comes to payments and hiring a dedicated payments expert to answer them can be a significant financial undertaking.
What comes to mind when you think of invisible payments? Is it the Amazon Go experience where a customer walks into a store, picks up the merchandise is automatically charged through their app as they walk out? Is it the instance where a customer uses their Apple Watch to pay for what they’ve bought in the grocery store? Or is it when a rider gets out of their Uber or Lyft as they reach their destination and the app takes care of the payment? The invisibility of payment depends on the consumer perception. It all comes down to how much friction there in the whole checkout experience. Do the consumers have to reach for their wallets? Do they have to use their phones at all to initiate the service even though the payment might be automatic?
