Tablet POS—including Windows tablet POS systems—continues to make waves as increasing numbers of retailers deploy the technology to replace or supplement traditional POS hardware. However, getting the most from a Windows tablet POS configuration necessitates ensuring that you have three critical “add-ons,” including:
- Integrated magnetic stripe reader. Instead of functioning as a separate peripheral, an integrated magnetic stripe reader is built into and interfaces seamlessly with Windows tablet POS hardware. It enables credit and debit card transactions by reading the payment information encoded in the magnetic stripe found on the back of every credit and debit card.
Today, many consumers avoid carrying cash or have only a limited amount in their wallet at any single juncture. When an integrated magnetic stripe reader is part of your Windows tablet POS configuration, you can offer customers significant payment flexibility by accepting card-based payments as well as cash. You need never turn away patrons because you do not have the technology to accommodate payments other than those made in cash—and you will probably be able to increase the average customer’s ticket size because the number and/or price of items purchased by shoppers will not be limited by the cash content of their wallets.
Increased transaction speed is another advantage of adding an integrated magnetic stripe reader to your Windows tablet POS system. Swiping a card through such a reader is quicker than counting cash collected and making change. Lines move faster, allowing cashiers to handle more customers at greater speed than ever before. The shorter the line and the faster it moves, the happier shoppers—and the stronger your reputation for providing top-notch customer service—will be.
- Option to add an integrated barcode scanner. An integrated bar code scanner automatically captures prices and other information (e.g., SKU numbers) on bar-coded tags affixed to merchandise, as well as on manufacturers’ packaging. It benefits retail operations by eliminating or significantly reducing the need for store associates to examine tags and labels to find such information, manually key in data at the POS, and correct any errors. Employees can simply point a scanner at each bar code and potentially ring up dozens of items in a few short minutes. The end-result: increased transaction speed and accuracy, plus better customer service.
Tighter inventory control comprises another advantage of using an integrated bar code scanner with Windows tablet POS. Employees can scan newly arrived merchandise and compare information captured with records of barcodes scanned at the register.
- Capability to handle EMV and NFC transactions. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa. EMV cards have embedded microprocessor chips that store and protect cardholder data. NFC stands for near-field communications. NFC involves the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology for contactless payment; here, information from credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, key fobs, and mobile phones is read by waving these devices across an RFID reader.
Ensuring that a Windows tablet POS system can accommodate EMV is important because, starting in October 2015, Visa and MasterCard will release merchants from 100 percent of penalties incurred for data compromise only if 95 percent of transactions originating in their stores originate from EMV-compliant POS terminals.
As for NFC, contactless payments are already providing benefits in the form of higher levels of control and convenience for consumers and higher throughput for retailers. Retailers will need to accept contactless payments and deploy Windows tablet POS systems that are NFC compatible if they are to remain competitive.
