The opportunities and day-to-day benefits of using an Android smart payment terminal
Change in payment has been gathering pace. Cash, once king, has been overtaken by digital payment methods — due in part to the impact of Coronavirus. Yet, while device-powered NFC interactions or QR payments have now become mainstream, payment terminals haven’t changed much. Mostly, they’re simple devices where customers tap their card or smartphone, or enter their PIN. Until now...
At CCV, we believe a payment terminal can, and should, do more. And we’ve launched some to prove it.
In this blog post, we’ll introduce our Android payment terminals. Powered by apps, our device offers functionalities beyond mere payment, from loyalty features and ad displays, to customer ID technologies and store inventories. It's a terminal that operators can customise, while offering a familiar, branded, and interactive experience for customers in both attended and self-service scenarios.
Let us show you some of the opportunities our smart payment terminal can unlock.
The opportunities of the Android-based smart payment terminal
Whether you are a retailer or parking operator, micro-merchant or EV charging operator, you need to accept payment. But nothing says you need to invest in a payment terminal that only accepts payments.
Rather, we’ve implemented the powers of the Android operating system (OS) into our devices. And as a result, we’ve turned conventional “stupid” payment terminals into “smart” touchpoints for operators and end-users. Here are some of the opportunities that our smart Android payment terminal promises — in unattended and attended payment contexts.
Greater functionality. Payment terminals are no longer just the site of a single basic customer interaction. Rather, app functionality allows operators to integrate product-selection features, surveys, discounts, loyalty integrations, and ad displays all in the same device.
Flexibility. In the past, new functions demanded new hardware. With smart Android terminals, all you need to do is download an app from the CCVStore. And, if you want the same capabilities across every Android payment device in your business, you can update them all centrally.
Familiarity. Equipped with Android, your terminal is recognisable, intuitive, and comfortable to use for attendants and customers. And, in integrated apps, you can control a branded customer journey through all functions, from product selection through payment to reviews and rewards.
Futureproofing. As the CCVStore grows, so can your device’s capability — meaning you won’t get caught out by software advances. And if your business needs new functionality, the Android OS ensures that app development (and integration) is easy — due to the huge community of Android app developers out there who love to build products for this environment.
How smart terminals make everyday life easier for businesses
As well as the opportunities of this technology, we also want to demonstrate how smart terminals make payment management and day-to-day operations easier, too. So, from parking to vending, large retail to service stations, here’s how they can benefit attended and self-service operations.
Smart terminals in unattended (self-service) scenarios
With no human attendant serving people, your payment terminal might be your customer’s single point of interaction with your business. That means it carries a lot of weight for your brand and customer service. Therefore, your payment touchpoint needs to provide a fantastic experience.
Parking
Parking operators are already increasingly moving into value-added services. With demand increasing for integrated offers with local retailers, loyalty perks, and personalised experiences, a single device that provides a range of services is crucial to making management easier and keeping hardware costs down.
App-based QR code readers and displays, for example, provide personalised discounts alongside alternative payment opportunities. Meanwhile, the Android OS enables the functionality of the terminal’s in-built speaker, microphone, and camera. This means an operator can offer live assistance for payment problems or troubleshooting — all with a single “payment” device.
Electric Vehicle charging
We see huge excitement about smart terminals within the EV charging industry. This is because greater functionality at the service point means greater flexibility for customers, while providers are able to overcome key challenges. For example, when using an app-powered Android device, charging stations only need one payment terminal — regardless of the number of charging ports available.
How? With more sophisticated product-selection features Android devices enable users to choose ports, payment options, and charging speed from one interface (in one place). This means you won’t need a separate device for every charging port at the station.
Vending and micro markets
The days are long gone when customers needed exact change for vending machines — and when operators needed individual keys for every machine. Instead, Android payment apps can diversify your payment methods, enabling QR, peer-to-peer payments, or NFC. And they can also offer vending operators easier management and maintenance in the field, with things like smart inventory management, and machine unlocking using smartphones, keycodes, cards, or QR codes.
Meanwhile, a smart connected display can serve customers with questionnaires and surveys, asking them whether they found their preferred product, or whether they need anything else.
Smart terminals in “attended” industries
It’s not just businesses with the self-service model that benefit from the greater functionality and flexibility of an Android-powered terminal. Retail brands, pop-up merchants, festival or event organisers, hospitality providers, and many others can also enjoy the benefits of everyday life with this technology.
Events organisers have been moving away from cash for some time, due to the security benefits. An Android terminal gives more freedom and flexibility in this field, allowing organisers to accept closed-loop payment schemes, QR codes, and other modern forms of payment. And if different events have different setups or audiences, they can quickly adapt their infrastructure by swapping in a new app.
And in hospitality, staff are able to do much more from a single mobile Android device: accept orders, see the status of food in the kitchen, take customer feedback, and much more — thereby cutting down on the amount of hardware they need and making them more efficient at their job.
Events and hospitality
Retailers
Loyalty and payments are becoming ever-more closely related. In part, this is due to the smarter technology on offer. CCV’s smart payment terminal makes this even easier, by integrating loyalty functions and on-the-spot rewards within the existing payment process. For operators working in the retail industry, this can also make the collection of rich customer data completely seamless.
At the same time — by using the very same smart device — life becomes easier for retail staff, who can do stock queries, access a catalogue app, or fulfil other daily tasks. Meanwhile, the same hardware can even be used for staff timetabling and management, too.
Travelling merchants
For micro-merchants, traveling salespeople, pop-up shops, or even couriers, smart payment terminals integrate a range of functions into one single mobile device. Accept payment across different methods, take customer contact details, manage rewards and discounts, and schedule meetings all in the same place. It means you don’t need to carry hardware for every different customer interaction.
Note: Our Android-powered terminals for “attended” markets are called the A920 and the A77. Learn more about the A920 here, and about the A77 here.
This enables vending operators to collect data — either for themselves or for suppliers and third-party partners.
Note: Our Android solution for the self-service market is called the CCV IM30. Click here to learn more.
New capabilities, less friction
For operators and businesses, it’s natural to fear that more capability means greater complexity. But it doesn’t need to be this way. With cloud-based software and centralised application management, terminals no longer need to be managed or updated manually or individually.
Instead, operators can manage all of their apps across every device in the ecosystem from one place. As a result, these Android terminals are more flexible, more familiar, and better fit for purpose – across many different industries and payment environments.
If you’re interested in migrating to smart terminals with CCV, get in touch with us today. We’ll guide you through the whole process, and introduce you to apps that will revolutionise your business.
