The Year of Contactless Payment: POS Systems To Consider in 2021
Contactless payment dominated the discussion during 2020, with many businesses that had never considered the option suddenly finding themselves forced to adopt it or to close temporarily when COVID-19 cases spiked nearby. While the vaccine is rolling out, 2021 stands to be the year contactless payment options become the standard, because even the fastest rollout will take most of this year, if not all of it and part of the next.
So what options do you have for automotive POS software to support contactless payment? There are a few, but the industry is currently dominated by the Clover line of POS stations. Clover has built a line of distinct models with specific industry niches, as well as an app store system that allows you to make sure your software is truly suited to your company’s administrative needs.
Contactless Mobile Payment
Zero contact payment has been common in some parts of the automotive industry for years, as shown by the prevalence of pay at the pump systems for fuel stations, coin-operated wash and vacuum facilities, and similar business models.
For quick service garages and repair facilities, it’s still been an option, but the more common design has been a mobile POS that operates as the credit card machine, getting handed back and forth between customers and employees. There’s a chance you can adapt your existing POS to allow for zero contact transactions, if the system already supports that configuration. If not, you may want to consider a versatile option like the Clover family.
The Clover Flex card machine offers mobile payment options with zero contact between employee and customer. It’s designed with an interface that allows the customer to swipe and the employee to input transaction information without having to exchange items if your shop’s processes are designed to support those processes.
If you’re looking for a multi-screen option, the Clover Station 2.0 offers a single system that coordinates multiple screens, allowing for simultaneous transactions within a single system. That makes it easy to handle rush periods, no matter what industry you’re in.
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Beyond Payment: Administrative Apps for Clover Devices
While a cost-saving POS device with contactless options and native support for cash discount credit card processing is attractive on its own, Clover devices also have a variety of apps that allow you to handle most of your company’s administrative tasks from the device. Popular apps include:
- Employee scheduling and time clock management
- Appointment setting
- Gift card support
- Loyalty program support
- Inventory management
Make it easy to set your employees up for success by providing them with an interface where they can see everything they need to understand what’s in stock, who’s on the schedule this week, and how to handle transactions with each payment option your shop supports.
Clover POS devices make it easy, and options like the Booker build for the Clover Mini provide support for businesses that operate on an appointment model, right out of the box.
That makes it an incredibly popular build for automotive businesses that need efficient POS options to support contactless payment. Who knows? You might even find a way to get your equipment at a discount if you shop for deals from your credit card processor.