ConnectPOS POS review: Trendy until system, myriads of costs

ConnectPOS is an out-of-the-box EPOS solution for food and retail businesses alike. The trendy tills are a comprehensive package of integrated card machines, trademark hardware and POS applications, customisable for any merchant requiring a portable or counter point of sale. User-friendly start-up. Fully customisable.Lows: Could easily become pricey. Features cost additional per app.

Pick if: You need to put money into a long-term system that’s unique to your organization. It’s owned by the worldwide acquirer First Data and sold through authorised merchant service providers and acquiring banks.

To be blunt, ConnectPOS’s concept of simplicity in the beginning is actually a monster of sophistication with limitations to be skeptical of. It’s neither only a card system, software package or point of sale equipment, nor does it involve one simple contract with simple fees. The only way to get clear answers about pricing, terms or that contracts are required would be to speak with a sales rep directly and compare the fees between suppliers.

Let’s take a look at what you get with the trademark ConnectPOS hardware and software in the united kingdom, beginning with the costs.

Contents

Pricing — complex, to say the least

ConnectPOS hardware can be purchased or leased through authorised vendors, and costs are generally obtained by speaking to one of the sales reps on the phone. They’ll provide you the choice to subscribe to a baseline ConnectPOS feature bundle, then it is possible to add extra apps with more advanced software features directly from the ConnectPOS account.ConnectPOS is always sold with a merchant account, which comes with a contract and different costs. Add to that the card charges determined by your enterprise turnover, business type and more. ConnectPOS hardware, two. We’ve broken down a few of the costs using First Data fee quotes as advice.

ConnectPOS gear can be rented or purchased, costs based upon the merchant service provider you are talking to. The purchase costs above are based on reported prices which were offered to us.Notice that there might be other costs associated with utilizing ConnectPOS. Extra features can be found in ConnectPOS’s app market for integrations and distinctive features. These generally cost extra per app, many of which are promoted as being free, but really include a free trial followed with a paid subscription.

The Global Awarded Magento POS – 2021 Stevie Awards Product Innovation winner provides you with a powerful Magento 2 POS extension as well as 24/7 support

In Addition to a few merchant service providers (e.g. Fidelity Payment), three acquiring banks in Britain provide ConnectPOS: Fiserv (formerly First Data), AIB Merchant Services and Lloyds Bank Cardnet.

Given their lack of transparency, it’s unclear whether you will need a Fiserv/First Data merchant account even when you visit AIBMS or Lloyds Bank Cardnet. Since the hardware is”powered by” First Data, and American consumers have reported that only a First Data merchant account may be utilised along with ConnectPOS, it’s possible that just Fiserv can be your acquirer or card chip, though your choice of merchant service provider only affects the first service through onboarding.Settlement times are based on the acquiring bank and possibly the sort of payment card used.Software programs: fundamental payment features vs. Complete POS system

See also  How To Hire the Perfect Retail Staff for Your Shop

With ConnectPOS, you select a monthly subscription program with a choice of pre-installed features, but unlike most other EPOS applications, it’s also possible to cherry-pick attributes from their app industry.

Your merchant service provider will provide these monthly software bundle containing the above mentioned features, pre-installed and ready to use upon arrival.No matter the program, you can accept cards (contactless, chip and PIN, swipe), cellular pockets and money. The money can be monitored to check for discrepancies from the till. VAT can not be added to invoices on Payments Plus, so you will need Register for that.

The”enhanced” inventory features on the Register plan include options to handle simple things, SKUs, product classes, modifiers, versions, inventory and cost tracking and exchanges. The many food and retail companies requiring these therefore will not find the Payments Plus subscription adequate.

The order management tools also only available on Register include options to create, save and refund orders, alter and combine orders, add sequence amounts, notes and types, and just manage multiple orders. Hospitality companies are therefore likely to require Register, as Payments Plus just don’t have the capability to manage orders. Tipping is possible on all programs, though.ConnectPOS Station (the biggest ConnectPOS hardware package ) requires the Register subscription that supports bigger touchscreens, weight scales and kitchen knives.There’s much room for customisation in the ConnectPOS App Market on your terminal — if you pick the pricier Register plan. You don’t have access to all of the apps on the Payments Plus program.

From the App Market, you can download Android apps with specific attributes, whether free or subscription-based. Some of them are made just to your web dashboard (available from a remote computer), some are for the ConnectPOS interface only, and some are for both.

Unless you’re okay with only basic sales figures accessible from the ConnectPOS web dashboard, innovative sales reports can be obtained via the ConnectPOS Reporting app.ConnectPOS Dining: applications for hospitality

Though the Register program might have enough features for cafés and tiny eateries, the hospitality-focused POS system ConnectPOS Dining is the perfect software package for restaurants and other complex food-and-drink companies.

See also  Google's NEW 3-Strikes Promoting Coverage: The Full Scoop + 5 Suggestions for Making ready

The ConnectPOS Dining subscription provides you dynamic table strategies for order management, the ability to assign waiters to requests, fire orders to the kitchen (and alter the orders reside ), split accounts, happy hour promotions and much more.

The ConnectPOS POS for restaurants includes lots of the very same functions as Register, with additional features geared towards hospitality.

In the United Kingdom, there is a choice between three intelligent POS terminal solutions: ConnectPOS Flex, ConnectPOS Mini and ConnectPOS Station.Every ConnectPOS smart terminal includes a touchscreen and inbuilt backup printer, stylishly designed to be self-sufficient provided there is internet access for card processing and data syncing via the cloud. Works via WiFi or 3G. Suitable for on-the-go payments, table side orders, market stalls and companies in which a stationary point of sale can be supplemented with a mobile terminal for accepting cards from the till. Suitable for small counter spaces in which it isn’t feasible to have another receipt printer standing. Can be merchant-facing or customer-facing together with ConnectPOS Station or by turning the display between merchant and customer. Appropriate for tabletops with space for a display and receipt printer. Can incorporate cash drawer, ConnectPOS Mini (customer-facing screen ), independent barcode scanner, and other compatible POS hardware at the setup.All of them have touchscreen interfaces for customer-facing purposes (for example, entering a PIN or showing transaction totals) and operational purposes like checkout features. The displays are made of antibacterial, durable glass made for busy environments.

All of the devices work through the world wide web, but the Flex smart terminal can be used with a cellular network also. If the world wide web is temporarily down, the devices can still take cards for a limited time period until the link is up and running again.Compatible reception paper is more expensive to purchase through ConnectPOS, however you can get it from other providers at a lower price.Customer CareWherever you buy or rent ConnectPOS out of, the customer support will always come from Fiserv (formerly First Data). Their support line is available between 7am and midnight, 7 days per week. Not all EPOS providers provide support daily, so that’s a definite plus.This having been said, First Data’s customer service has a bad reputation among users. Although some report a smooth upstart and no issues, others complain of unexpected, high fees and unresponsive customer care. Because most ConnectPOS users are US-based where First Data has a specially tarnished reputation, it’s tough to know whether all these complaints apply to users contracted to ConnectPOS via a UK-based merchant supplier.The very fact you require a merchant account with the ConnectPOS packages means you want to pay special attention to all of the terms and fees related to that contract. ConnectPOS hardware is made for smaller companies, a lot of whom have not entered into complex card processing contracts. These merchants should be extra cautious, as ConnectPOS will probably be unable to assist if there is any contractual uncertainty from the side leading to an unexpected consequence.

See also  MEDICAL STARTUPS: WHAT TO KNOW TO SUCCEED

Who’s ConnectPOS best for?

ConnectPOS is made for little – or midsize businesses from all sectors serving clients face to face. This might be food-and-drink institutions, retail stores, hairdressers, vets and much more. The ConnectPOS Dining system makes it especially great for food services.

Although cancelling a ConnectPOS subscription is possible, it’s mandatory to enter into a merchant account arrangement, which means that you should be ready to pay for not just the ConnectPOS apparatus and software licences, but also any costs associated with card processing along with the merchant account. It is a commitment you enter , so it’s perfect for businesses that know they will be around for a couple of years at least.

ConnectPOS appeals to style-conscious merchants wanting a pretty, but effective, solution rather than the typical, chunky card terminals and monitors frequently used as a till port. Additionally, the multifunctional hardware means that you can save space on your countertop, and the mobile Flex contains all you need in one stylish payment device.

Verdict

When you go for an extremely customisable system to facilitate business operations, it is common to find some trade-offs too.With ConnectPOS, the gear is proprietary, so if something breaks, it’s ConnectPOS you cope with to get a replacement service or service. In that sense, there is more freedom by choosing a system that’s not specific to only one supplier.

On the other hand, you can make a ConnectPOS POS system uniquely suited to your enterprise. The bundles give a head-start with simple instructions and auto-installs of the core software attributes, whereafter you pick and choose any particular features through the app industry. It has the capacity to function as one-stop hub for all your business operations.Finally, this comes at a price and possibly long, costly contract with possible headaches from all of the charges and customer service hiccups. This isn’t a system you select if you are not sure — it is a commitment you accept if you know it’s the right till system.Best for: Those willing to invest at a special point of sale and merchant account tailored for their business.

Sources

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Partners : Omnichannel POS Retail | NetSuite POS | cloudbasedpos.com | POS Integrations | Giấy chứng nhận vệ sinh an toàn thực phẩm | Shopify POS | Woocommerce point of sale | CBD POS System | Gun Store POS System | Magento POS | Meeting Room Booking |Visitor Management system|