POS Integration: What You Need to Know
Integration (or the lack of it) can be a scary word for businesses migrating to a new system. That system might work perfectly well in isolation, but if it doesn’t connect seamlessly to other existing areas of the business, the negatives can outweigh the positives. Your point-of-sale system is no exception: a great POS isn’t just one with powerful features; it’s one that works harmoniously with your other platforms, software, and hardware.
What Is POS?
The point of sale is the moment a transaction takes place in a business like a store or restaurant. But what is a point-of-sale system and what exactly does it do?
In short, a POS system is the hardware and software a business uses to carry out a transaction. It typically includes physical components such as a cash register, an employee-facing input device like a touchscreen, a barcode scanner, a receipt printer, and a customer-facing payment terminal, in addition to software for processing the transaction.
Before the internet age, most POS systems were able to tally up the cost of an order, print receipts, and not much else. Today, cloud-based systems like SumUp POS can handle the basics while also accepting a range of payment methods, updating inventory, tracking employee data, and helping with customer relationship management (CRM).
What Are Merchant Services?
POS systems can be grouped under “merchant services,” a broader category that also includes credit card processing systems, payment gateways, loyalty programs, and more.
Why Is POS Integration Important?
Most businesses — even small businesses like independent cafes or salons — work with a surprisingly large number of computer-based systems every day. In addition to their POS system, small businesses might use a standalone piece of software for accounting, another system for taking reservations, an app for inventory management, and third-party delivery platforms to handle takeaway orders.
These separate systems may work well on their own, but it can be difficult to use them all at the same time, especially if an employee needs to input the same data in multiple places. POS integration is the process of connecting these separate systems so employees don’t have to manually move information between them. Helpful POS integrations include:
E-commerce platform integration: Retail stores and other businesses may use an e-commerce platform like Shopify to handle online sales. Shopify POS integration unifies the physical and online sales channels and provides other benefits. For example, an integrated system might enable customers to earn loyalty points through both physical and online purchases.
Accounting software integration: Linking a POS system and an accounting platform such as QuickBooks ensures that every transaction is instantly recorded in a company’s accounts for accurate tax reporting, reducing the potential for human error. QuickBooks integration is provided with all tiers of SumUp POS.
Marketing automation software integration: A powerful POS system often comes with its own marketing automation tools, but companies using standalone marketing software may want to integrate the two systems to ensure that marketing campaigns are informed by up-to-date transaction data.
Delivery platform integration: Restaurants and other small businesses in the service industry may use third-party delivery platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub to reach more customers. Delivery platform POS integration makes life easier for employees by automatically registering orders from these apps in the POS system.
Universal payments gateway: Small businesses often process payments through SumUp or their chosen POS system provider, but those seeking enterprise solutions may prefer to use a separate processor with a POS integration.
Other POS Features and Benefits to Consider
Finding a POS system that works seamlessly with other systems is critical. However, it’s not the only thing to consider when choosing POS software. Important features to look out for include automatic inventory management, sales tracking, and customer relationship management tools. Desirable POS features and benefits include:
Customer relationship management tools such as loyalty programs
Automatic inventory management
Sales reporting to easily follow trends
Simple payment processing with broad payment compatibility
Data encryption for added security
Compatibility with third-party hardware like cash drawers and receipt printers
Mobile point of sale (mPOS) options for portability
Seamless POS Integration with SumUp
SumUp POS is packed with features that enable small business owners to manage inventory and retain customers using smart marketing tools. It also fits seamlessly into existing business workflows, integrating with major platforms like QuickBooks and Shopify to connect every aspect of a business. Learn more about the Point of Sale made for your business!
