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• How the payment industry is changing

  • Tablet POS

  December 31, 2013

  

  The payment industry has undergone some major changes over the last few years, but there are still many merchants that are wary of upgrading their payment solutions and there are a few reasons for this hesitation.

  A recent article from Street Fight Magazine examined the payment landscape. The boom in technological innovation has been driven by the need to bridge the gap between retailers' online and offline services. However, the achievement of this goal depends on improvement in point of sale systems.

  "Many of these services still revolve around a black hole of sorts — the point of sale," the article reads. "Much of the automation and efficiency that technology has brought to ecommerce is still out of reach for the local market because the sellers remain largely offline." … more

• PCI compliance on display following Target network breach

  • Credit Card Terminals

  December 31, 2013

  Earlier this month, during the busiest shopping time of the year, it was announced by Target that the company was the victim of a prolonged security breach that affected at least 45 million credit card numbers. The exact nature of the attack is still unknown, but it is considered one of the biggest retail credit card breaches in history.

  In the aftermath of the attack, many security experts have speculated as to how such an attack could be possible. One article from CRN spoke with several security experts to examine how the complexities of PCI compliance could have played a role.

  According to Rick Doten, the chief information security officer at Digital Management, one of the biggest takeaways is the evidence that a massive breach is survivable.

  "I'm not surprised to see another … more

• Seattle Seahawks use mobile POS system to get fans out of line and back to the game

  • Mobile Commerce

  December 20, 2013

  

  Fans of the Seattle Seahawks football team and Seattle Sounders soccer team are known for being some of the most passionate you can find. At a recent Seahawks home game, 64,338 individuals packed CenturyLink Field and set a world record for noise at a sports stadium at 136.6 decibels. Fans with this much passion want to watch the game and not wait in line for merchandise, food and beverages while the action is taking place.

  This is why the Seahawks have decided to upgrade their point of sale system and deploy a mobile solution that will help speed up wait times and improve revenue in the process.

  A recent article from CIO featured an interview with Nick Johnson, an IT specialist for the Seahawks. With the team being one of the … more

• Mobile POS security an 'afterthought'

  • Mobile Commerce

  December 16, 2013

  

  Many retailers have been rolling to smartphone and tablet POS systems over the last year as a way to improve customer experience. It is much easier for customers to get in and out of a crowded store when the associate helping them find a product can also process the transaction on a mobile POS system right in the aisle. This also cuts the lines at the registers down dramatically during busy hours.

  However, mobile commerce in this manner is still a new phenomenon that is being tested and has kinks to be worked out — specifically when it comes to security.

  A recent article from Dark Readings featured an interview with Mike Park, the managing consultant at Trustwave. He and his team have been testing mobile POS security and found a flaw where a stolen … more

• iBeacon technology could change retail payment options

  • Tablet POS

  December 11, 2013

  

  One of the most talked about mobile commerce payment solution technologies is NFC technology. However, one of the biggest hurdles for widespread adoption has been Apple's reluctance to add a near field communication chip to its popular mobile device product line. It is a feature that has been speculated about for years, but the company has refused to adopt it.

  The company has used other applications like PassBook and retailers that are using iPads as a tablet POS system could have a new payment system in place with the use of iBeacon Bluetooth technology. A recent article from Business Insider examined what this could mean for retailers.

  Any device with iOS 7 has the capabilities to become an iBeacon transponder or receiver. This means merchants using Apple … more

• Study: mobile POS systems have major impact on the future

  • Tablet POS

  December 09, 2013

  

  Over the next few years, many merchants will find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to using mobile devices as a part of the point of sale process. While some have already adopted, others will need to jump on board in order to meet future trends.

  That is the argument that a recent report from IT research firm Informa makes. The study found that businesses have been able to serve more customers during busy times, issue electronic receipts and reduce the loss of sales due to customers' reluctance to wait in long lines.

  "In the longer term, adoption of NFC- and cloud-based mobile payment services could reduce the retailers' need to have many checkout counters," the report read. "Shoppers could scan the items they want to buy using their mobile phones and pay for their … more

• Applebee's deploying tablet POS systems to every table

  • Tablet POS

  December 09, 2013

  

  Retailers need to be aware of the fact that customers wants things to be quick and easy. No one likes to wait in line. This is one of the reasons why smartphone and tablet POS systems have taken off. Associates are able to accept payments from anywhere in the store and customers are able to avoid the lines.

  However, some restaurants are taking this to a new level. This is happening by putting these devices on their tables and allowing patrons to order and make payments at their own pace without getting up or with the help of a server.

  According to an article from Forbes, Applebee's is the latest eatery to get on board with this plan. The company announced this week that it will rollout 100,000 tablets to its 1,860 U.S. locations. This is one of the largest tablet … more

• What will the payment industry face in 2014?

  • Mobile Commerce

  December 04, 2013

  

  As 2013 comes to a close, experts are creating their lists of things that people can look forward to next year. The payment industry is no different and 2014 could have a number of changes in store.

  A recent article from Convenience Store Decisions examined several of the major issues that organizations will need to deal with in 2014. One of them is the impact of mobile commerce options for retailers. This includes several different components including consumers preferring to pay with a mobile device and the need for NFC technology at the cash register.

  The article mentions that there will be a projected 24 million mobile devices in the hands of customers by 2020. As more consumers use their smartphones for daily tasks, it becomes more likely that they would prefer to use … more

• Are merchants ready for the year of mobile POS systems?

  • Mobile Commerce

  December 03, 2013

  

  There is no question that mobile devices are playing a major role in several different aspects of the business landscape. From the ability of employees to work remotely to using applications as a way to improve and streamline information gathering, there are countless ways that organizations can use these gadgets to take their company to the next level.

  A recent article from QSR Magazine asked the question "is 2014 the year of the mobile point of sale system?" The piece features an interview with Jared Isaacman, the CEO of Harbortouch, a cloud and tablet POS provider, and his answer is "yes." He mentioned that the technology has evolved rapidly and will continue to do so as the mobile technology sector continues to integrate with the rest of the business world.

  When it comes to … more

• Examining the current state of interchange rates

  • Credit Card Terminals

  December 03, 2013

  

  For the international business world, interchange regulations are one of the more complicated topics of debate. Understanding the global trends in this medium will be key to setting up a new standard in the industry.

  A new report from Mercator Advisory Group examined the current state of international interchange regulation. It looked into the world of legislators and regulators that are setting interchange fees, and examined whether a reduction or cap on the amount that financial institutes and global card networks can charge merchants interchange fees for accepting payment card transactions would be viable.

  The study found that there is little evidence that a cap accomplishes its intended goal of saving money for both merchants and customers. In fact, it seems like the … more

by Ty Hardison

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