3 Reasons To Use Your Smartphone As A POS Terminal

These days, cell phones aren’t considered new technology, by any stretch of the imagination. Even smartphones have gone through so many different versions of themselves that they are no longer referred to as the latest of innovations. Nevertheless, these handheld devices are among the most popularly-used items in the world. Nearly everyone you know has a smartphone. And they come in handy for a multitude of reasons.

Oddly enough, making phone calls isn’t even what smartphones are known for. Sure, you can call people on them. But you can also surf the internet, take pictures, film videos and accept payments from your customers. What was that last part? Yes, business owners, you can use your mobile devices to accept payments from your customers! If you haven’t yet, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of doing so right away.

“One of the latest developments in Point of Sale technology is the mobile POS terminal,” reports Karehka Ramey on UseOfTechnology.com, “Most commonly using an iPad as the base, these new mobile POS systems bring a multitude of benefits to businesses of all kinds. POS systems and terminals have been integral to running a business since the invention of the cash register…A mobile system is easier to use, can save thousands, and presents a clean, sleek view to the customer.”
Here are three reasons to start using your smartphone as a POS terminal:

1. It’s easy to learn and easy to use. As long as you have a smartphone, you’re ready to begin accepting payments from your customers. And you know how to use your smartphone, don’t you? Even if you’re the self-professed “non-techy” type, you won’t have any trouble adapting to the quick and easy process of accepting mobile payments. As Jacques Guérin points out on Ingenico.com, mobile point of sale (or mPOS) is easy to implement.

“Merchants only need a smartphone to get started,” he explains, “mPOS vendors provide the card reader, associated software and payment processing services in a turnkey fashion. There is no need for any wired infrastructure, keeping costs and barriers to entry low. And since most mPOS providers charge either a flat fee per transaction, the typical mPOS business model is a perfect fit for entry-level merchants with lower transaction volumes.”

2. It enables you to accept payments anywhere, at anytime. If this benefit alone isn’t enough to convince you to turn your smartphone into a POS terminal, we’re not sure what will. With this technology, you are not limited to the confines of your physical store location. You can literally go on vacation and continue to earn money as long as you have your smartphone with you. That, and the product or service you’re providing, of course.

3. It provides enhanced security. “Because emerging market countries already typically use EMV cards (either chip and PIN or chip and sign),” writes Ramey, “mPOS payments within these countries are highly secure. Transactions are encrypted end-to-end, and the terminal/reader itself is an EMV-approved unit that can’t be opened without erasing its data. No card data is ever stored on the reader, dramatically reducing the risk of data breaches.”

At Canadian POS Corporation, we offer Canadian business owners the opportunity to utilize a mobile point of sale feature through VirtualMerchant Mobile. The service provides a secure, hosted environment with quick upgrades and end to end connectivity while eliminating the cost and complexities of a third-party provider. For more information, call Canadian POS Corporation at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.