Urgent Point of Sale Buying Tip: Ask About EMV!!!

Over the last couple of weeks I have fielded calls and emails from some very upset business owners. Not upset with me but upset as they recently purchased point of sale systems for their businesses without asking about EMV or chip-based debit and credit card transactions. Remember the US EMV liability shift date for chip/contact-less credit and debit card transactions is October 1st, 2015 in the United States.

2 of these businesses invested in point of sale systems that can not be upgraded to work with EMV compatible hardware and the other businesses purchased point of sale systems will require new hardware and software upgrades totaling around $1100/location - this is on top of the money recently spent on a new point of sale system.

I can not stress enough that anything related to cash registers, credit and debit card terminals, point of sale systems designed for mobile devices, or point of sale systems designed for computers should now have a clear and no-cost plan to utilize EMV compatible hardware and be able to authorize chip based credit and debit card transactions when the card is present.

To be honest - the blame falls with both the business owner (for not asking about EMV and not performing 'due diligence' )as well as with the companies selling products that are not ready for EMV.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Why This Blog Site Exists...

Many folks have asked me why this blog site even exists - especially since the site generates no ad revenue and as I am not currently employed full time within the point of sale industry.

When DirectPOS/RVP Business Systems closed back in September 2013, I initially intended to stop posting point of sale news and information on this site. However, with over 58K in views, a YouTube Channel and near daily calls or emails from folks having point of sale related questions, it became clear that this blog site still had a purpose.

That purpose is to provide free and unbiased point of sale advice, news and information. Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Point of Sale Buying Tip: Dealing With New Products

It can be time consuming to find just the right point of sale solution for your specialty retail store, restaurant, bar, or similar business. A recent websearch shows that there are well over 100+ point of sale apps and software programs to choose from!  A websearch also shows that there are a lot of new programs and apps available.

Over the last 14 years I have seen multiple point of sale solutions come and go (anyone remember Regit2000?). The most common scenario is that someone develops a point of sale solution and then loses interest in continuing to support and develop the solution. Orphaned customers using discontinued solutions made up a good portion of my business when I worked in the point of sale industry.

Here are some things to consider/ask when dealing with newer point of sale programs and apps:

• What sort of funding does the company have?
• Staffing levels for support and development (stay away from 1-2 person operations working out of their basement or garage)?
• What is the timeline to product updates, new features, improvements, etc.?
• How is technical support handled and what are the average response times?
• When possible, see a live demo of the software to look for how quickly the software functions. Slow response times within the software (or app) are signs of poor coding within the software.
• Always get 2-3 references to contact as well as any valid reviews to read.
• If available, a free trial or demo of the solution is good as well since it allows you to take the program for a test drive and shows confidence on the companies part in the solution that they are offering.
• Will I always have access to my information (inventory items, customer information, etc.)?

This is not a comprehensive list by any means - feel free to comment or email me (kevinantosh@gmail.com) with your own suggestions.