A look at a few of the popular web-based point-of-sale platforms designed for small businesses
By: ALICIA HOGLUND
Eyecare Business June 1, 2014
ARCHITECTURE
A Walk in the Clouds
A look at a few of the popular web-based point-of-sale platforms designed for small businesses
BY ALICIA HOGLUND
the digital devices created to make your personal life easier are now doing the same for business. With the advent of cloud-based point-of-sale platforms, small businesses can break free of their brick-and-mortar chains in favor of a more on-the-go business model.
Here, we examine a few of the popular point-of-sale apps on the market, based on user ratings from the iTunes app store, that can help streamline your business and take it to new heights—and locations.
SQUARE
Square is a great first step into the cloud-based point-of-sale game. It offers a suite of tools—Square Reader, Square Register, Square Market—that work together to create an all-in-one solution for small or large businesses.
Upon sign-up, users are provided with Square Reader, a free credit card reader that plugs directly into an iPhone, Android, or iPad for in-store or on-the-go credit card payments. Reader securely encrypts credit card information at swipe, offers a flat 2.75 percent per-swipe rate (3.5 percent + $0.15 for manual entry), and accepts all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover). Customers can choose a print receipt or an emailed copy.
Square Register allows users to record payments, track sales data, and manage inventory, including setting up stock alerts when products are low. And with its new Offline Mode sellers can use Square’s mobile register, including accepting credit card payments, when temporarily without an Internet connection.
Square Market allows subscribers to open an online store—for free—in minutes. Setup is easy and there are no monthly, listing, or setup fees; the same flat-rate, per-swipe fee applies for credit card purchases as well as an 8 percent per-pickup order rate.
COMPATIBILITY: Most Apple iOS devices running 6.0 or higher and Google Android devices running 2.3 or higher
LightSpeed Cloud is a another comprehensive point-of-sale and inventory management system with a wide variety of features. As long as you have Internet connection, LightSpeed Cloud turns your iPad or web browser into your P.O.S., allowing you to accept payments and manage sales, inventory, and customers from any location and automatically back up information without the worry of data security or hardware problems.
The inventory monitoring capabilities include purchase orders, inventory counts, reporting, label printing, and serialized items. However, these features come at a cost. Though there is no contract, no hidden fees, free updates, and free and unlimited customer support, there is a fee for service: subscriptions start at $79/month with a free 14-day trial.
COMPATIBILITY: iPad mini retina, third- or fourth-generation iPad running iOS 5.0 or higher
The recent news of website security breaches is causing many consumers to look for alternative ways to purchase goods online without worrying about identity theft. Here are the key benefits of two popular payment solutions, both of which can be added to an existing web store as a simple and secure payment option for both customers and businesses.
PAYPAL/PAYPAL HERE
ONLINE...
✓ Fast, secure payment options via credit card or bank account transfers
✓ 2.2% – 2.9% + $.30 fee per transaction
IN STORE/ON THE GO...
✓ The PayPal Here app, which comes with a card reader compatible with most Apple devices and Android smartphone platforms, offers a competitive 2.7% per-swipe fee and 3.5% + $0.15 for keyed transactions. For an additional 1% cross-border fee, businesses can accept non-U.S. cards for the standard 2.7% rate
Part of the Intuit suite of products, GoPayment is a mobile payment app that allows businesses to accept all major credit cards at any time and from any location. Simply plug in the provided card reader to a compatible mobile device and start accepting payments. Customers can sign for their purchases with their finger and receive an instant receipt via text or email.
GoPayment offers two pricing plans: Option 1, the most popular choice, is a $12.95/month fee with a reduced per-swipe rate of 1.75 percent and a keyed rate of 2.75 percent; Option 2 has no monthly fee but comes with a 2.75 percent per-swipe rate (3.75 percent keyed rate). Setup is simple, the app and card reader are both free, and unless electing to use Option 1, there are no monthly fees and no contracts. Businesses can add up to 50 users per account, which is a great option for chains or multiple-location businesses.
COMPATIBILITY: iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch running iOS 6.0 or higher; most Android devices running OS 2.2 and higher
Square’s card reader easily connects to smartphones and tablets via the headset jack
CASHIER LIVE
Created with small and medium-sized independent businesses in mind, CashierLive is an automated point-of-sale software platform designed for on-the-go use. The app allows businesses to take payments, email receipts, issue returns, run reports, and manage inventory from an iPad, iPhone, or desktop computer, so your business can go wherever you do.
The app is subscription based and offers three plans: Shop, $20/month for a single store with up to three registers; Storefront, $49/month for one store with unlimited registers; and Chain, $75/month for unlimited stores with unlimited registers. All plans include premium customer support, inventory import, hardware installation (hardware sold separately), and credit card processing starting from a flat rate of 2.7 percent (CashierLive will match or beat your current rate). The app boasts easy installation and setup, and the company website provides subscribers with training videos, downloadable e-books, and other materials to make setup and use easy. Interested parties can take advantage of a 14-day free trial.
COMPATIBILITY: Most versions of Apple iPad and iPhone
![]({"src":"/media/4kipef4p/62014.jpg","focalPoint":null,"crops":[{"alias":"thumbnail","width":1110,"height":700,"coordinates":null}]})