Cloud Based Point of Sale Systems: Things to Keep in Mind

2015 has really been the year for cloud and mobile point of sale systems for retail stores, restaurants and museums. About 65% of the businesses and organizations that contact me are only considering point of sale systems that work on mobile devices and are cloud based.  A few things to keep in mind if you are looking at the cloud based point of sale systems like Clover, Vend, Lavu, Shopkeep, Lightspeed, or Silver...

1. In most cases the cloud based point of sale systems will only cost around 10%-30% less than a point of sale system that you lease to own or purchase outright (eg: Retail Pro, Sapphire, NCR CounterPoint, Retail management Hero, Etc.).  This assumes that you plan on keeping your point of sale system for 5-7 years and that you pay an ongoing monthly fee to use a cloud based point of sale system (which normally also includes support and updates).
2. You lose some control when using a cloud based point of sale system. Best example is that a traditional point of sale system puts all the hardware, software, and data onsite within your business or organization. If a router fails, you simply replace it.  With the cloud based point of sale systems you have no control if their router breaks or if their server goes down. Look at the reviews for any cloud based point of sale system and see that users mention outages lasting several hours. The point of sale companies tout off line modes or similar features but the reality is that system wide failures are possible and there is nothing you can do about it when it comes to cloud based point of sale systems.
3. Ownership: most cloud based systems are rented so you never actually own anything - very easy on your budget but you have to be comfortable with this pricing structure.
4. Hidden fees and contracts: I've been very disappointing with several of the cloud based point of sale systems who require long term contracts with early termination fees and limitations on who you can use for your credit and debit card processing services. As with any point of sale system, due diligence is required on your part when it comes to reading and signing any agreements or contracts.

Now, this may all sound somewhat negative but I actually do feel that some of the cloud based point of sale systems are great solutions (I've previously used, sold, and supported several).  However, they are only good solutions in one or more of the following situations:

• Single location or less than 10 locations with annual sales of less than $800,000 per location.
• OK with never owning the actual software but paying an ongoing fee each month.
• Low technology needs: OK with canned reports and don't have complex  inventory needs.
• No internal IT person or "computer geek": cloud based systems are generally very easy to learn and use and do not require internal IT resources.

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.

Bindo Point of Sale Reviews

Update 6/12/2016: I've been called or emailed by three businesses currently using Bindo POS concerned about the future of Bindo as a company. These businesses cite employee turnover and customer attrition at Bindo as being cause for concern.

I will post more updates as they become available.


Update 11/18/2015: I've seen some recent valid positive reviews of Bindo Point of Sale so hopefully the issues have been corrected and are just part of some growing pains.

Original Post:

I've been made aware of multiple recent negative reviews specific to the Bindo point of sale software. While Bindo POS has proven to be very popular and I know of over 25 stores happily using Bindo POS, the recent complaints (of which 3 are businesses that I have personally spoken with) have me somewhat concerned.

Until Bindo can correct the situation and produce more positive reviews, I've archived all my Bindo related blog posts and videos. I will give Bindo credit for responding to the reviews and hopefully this is part of some growing pains.  If you are curious, here is a link to the reviews and the response from Bindo: http://www.softwareadvice.com/retail/bindo-profile/

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.

Another Award for Bindo Point of Sale

Congrats to the folks at Bindo Point of Sale for winning the The Tiger's Lair: Entrepreneurship Challenge award!

More details on the challenge can be found here: http://www.economistinsights.com/content/tigers-lair-entrepreneurship-challenge

Not too shabby!

Video Overview of Bindo for Restaurants

The folks at Bindo have taken over the retail industry with an awesome feature rich retail point of sale app and have now set their sights on the food service industry with a new version of Bindo point of sale for restaurants, cafe's, and bars.

Here is a link to a video overview of Bindo POS for Restaurants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4SaxiqTKQ

Looks like an awesome new option!

Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

More Big News at Bindo

(my thoughts appear below the press release)

Bindo to Unveil New Restaurant POS Solution with $2 Million Investment

Leading retail technology company secures $2 million for its bridge round to develop an iPad POS solution for brick-and-mortar merchants in the F&B industry

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2015 - Bindo, a leading cloud-based business management solution for brick-and-mortar merchants, today announced it has debuted a beta version of its new iPad POS system, Bindo POS for Restaurant. The company also announced it has secured $2 million in funding from strategic investors eager to see the POS solution expand into new verticals.

Bindo will use the investment to launch the new POS system globally, enabling restaurant owners to have one complete and holistic business solution that can integrate telephone orders, online ordering, table management, reservations, and ingredient-level tracking all in one platform. Bindo POS for Restaurant is now available in beta at a few select restaurants, and will become publicly available in mid-September.

Bindo POS for Restaurant provides a simple way for restaurants to easily manage their inventory and sales from a centralized back-office dashboard, whilst also allowing them to accept and schedule reservations from a centralized cloud-based platform. Restaurants are given the tools to better forecast inventory and supply needs by accurately recording the ingredients that go into each dish. Bindo POS for Restaurant will also maximize seating capacity and table turnover by enabling front of house to seamlessly schedule bookings through an integrated CRM and floor planning system.

“We wanted a mobile and elegant POS solution to complement our modern restaurant theme and came across Bindo,” said Ivan Yeh, Owner of Shoku Bar and Restaurant and first-time user of Bindo POS for Restaurant. “Since deployment, Bindo has helped us cut down on excess inventory and vastly improved the way we run our operations. Best of all, Bindo’s integrated mobile credit card processing allows our servers to take orders and payments at the table, making way for that ‘wow’ factor and allowing for a better dining experience for our customers.”

“We met with so many restaurateurs who were fed up with the choice of POS systems available (both iPad & traditional POS). The iPad POS systems in the market were not sophisticated or robust enough for their needs, and the traditional systems were expensive, inflexible and difficult to use,” said Brad Lauster, Co-founder of Bindo. “Bindo POS for Restaurant fills that gap in the market with a solution that’s powerful, customizable and a pleasure to use.”

The investors that led the new funding round have decades of operational expertise in the F&B industry, and played a pivotal role in fine-tuning the customizations needed for the many restaurant-types supported by Bindo’s solution. Bindo POS for Restaurant will be available for use in private beta by signing up on bindopos.com or calling 1-800-MYBINDO.

A quick demo of the Bindo POS for Restaurant technology is also available upon request.

ABOUT BINDO

Founded in 2011, Bindo is the one-stop iPad Point-of-Sale (POS) solution that connects local brick-and-mortar merchants to their customers, giving businesses a more cohesive and competitive technology solution that complements the ever-changing and dynamic needs of their consumers. With Bindo POS, businesses will be able to better manage their stores, keep track of their customers and have access to sophisticated tools to allow their business be run more efficiently. Coming soon, the Bindo Market iPhone app will allow everyday consumers to make on-demand delivery purchases directly on their smartphones, thereby closing the Online-to-Offline loop for merchants.

For more information about Bindo POS, visit https://bindopos.com
For more information about Bindo Market, visit https://bindo.com

SOURCE Bindo

Bindo

CONTACT: Catherine Lowe, North 6th Agency, Inc. (For Bindo), +1-917-916-2609, bindo@n6a.com

Web Site: https://bindo.com

My Thoughts on the Above:

Obviously the funding and  restaurant specific version of Bindo is pretty cool news given the popularity of Bindo on the retail side.  Even though there are a bunch of mobile POS systems for restaurants, Bindo brings that right balance of price/feature/function as well as not being a company that has outgrown themselves to the point of having to outsource technical support to India. 

Bindo also has the drive to win customers and clients one at a time versus 'turning and burning'.

There is some other big news related to Bindo that is very positive as well which I hope to be able to share in a few more weeks.  

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 Bindo Point of Sale is so Popular

Over the years I have sold, supported or reviewed well over 40 different point of sale programs designed for retail stores, museums, and restaurants. Over the last year, a large percentage of folks who contact me for free and unbiased point of sale advice are already considering Bindo Point of Sale (POS) or go on to select Bindo POS as the point of sale program for their business or organization.

So, it made me wonder, why is Bindo POS so popular?  Here is what I uncovered:

1. Bindo "Gets It": from the leadership to sales staff to support and admin staff, they all understand retail and point of sale systems. You can see this in Bindo POS as well as when you are talking to anyone that works at Bindo.
2. Scale-able Solution: whether you have 1 location or 500 locations, Bindo POS can be sized accordingly with no need for expensive servers.
3. Right Mix of Features and Functions: Bindo has the best mix of features and functions that businesses and organizations want in a point of sale system. 
4. Merchant Services Agnostic: Unlike many point of sale programs, Bindo does not force you to use one company for merchant services which lets you avoid costly long term merchant services contracts.
5. Helpful but not Aggressive: I've found that the sales and marketing team at Bindo is focused on helping you choose the best point of sale program and are not the type of people who will be calling and emailing every 4 hours to see "if you are ready to sign up".
6. Steady Growth and not "Turn and Burn": Bindo has proven to be focused on building long term relationships and not quickly closing sales just for the sake of increasing the number of Bindo users.
7. Rock Star Support and Development: The customer service staff, support staff, and programmers all know they play a critical role in Bindo's success and the success of those using Bindo.

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.

Most Popular Point of Sale Systems for 2015 (so far)

Thanks to the 200+ businesses and organizations who have contacted me so far in 2015 for free and unbiased point of sale advice and information, I'm able to share what the most popular point of sale solutions are based on what folks have actually been selecting as a point of sale solution for their business or organization.

Most Popular Retail Point of Sale System: Bindo POS (www.bindopos.com). Bindo combines the cost effectiveness of a mobile point of sale system with features and functions normally only found in legacy point of sale systems than run primarily on computers with the Windows operating system.

Update: another point of sale news and information website has also selected Bindo as the best iPad Retail POS System: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8067-best-ipad-pos-system.html

Most Popular Restaurant Point of Sale System: Sapphire from Khamu Solutions (http://www.khamu.com/). Sapphire from Khamu Solutions has quietly grown to to offer just about everything that MICROS, Digital Dining, Aloha, and Aldelo offer but at a much lower price point. The praise that I hear from Sapphire users related to the support and customer service offered by Khamu Solutions is second to none.

Most Popular Legacy Retail Point of Sale System: Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems (RMS). I'm honestly surprised by how many businesses and organizations have selected RMS so far this year. While RMS is an awesome point of sale solution (I personally know around 700 stores in the US using RMS), RMS can't be sold to new customers starting in July of 2016 and mainstream support also ends in 2016 so it strikes me as odd that folks would invest in a point of sale solution whose life cycle is ending.

Most Popular Company to Use for Merchant Services: Gravity Payments (http://gravitypayments.com/). Honest, ethical and treats their employees well - not words normally associated with merchant services companies that offer credit and debit card processing services.

Retail Point of Sale System with the Most Potential: Retail Management Hero (http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/new-option-for-rmshq-users-retail.html) .  While this point of sale program will likely not be available until late 2015 or early 2016, as a direct replacement for RMS,  Retail Management Hero has huge potential given the 38,000+ retail stores currently using RMS.

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.

More Good Stuff Added to Bindo Point of Sale

The folks at Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) have been busy adding new features and functions to the Bindo Point of Sale system. As you know Bindo is a popular* mobile point of sale system that uses iPads and iPhones for selling while utilizing internet browsers for manager and owner functions like running reports, placing product orders, and making price changes. Here is what has been added to Bindo recently:

1. Scale Support and decimal entry: whether you use a scale that connects directly to Bindo (available in 10 pound and 30 pound models) or use a stand alone scale and enter the weight manually, Bindo now supports calculating price by weight. Very helpful for corner markets, delis, grocery stores, feed stores and pet stores.
2. Modifiers: not just for restaurant use but also very helpful for retail businesses that offer customization or design work (think custom furniture stores or embroidery stores). 

Here is a video showing sales of weighted items and items with modifiers in Bindo:

More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

*Popular based on the sheer number of folks that contact me to let me know that their business or organization has selected Bindo.

Businesses Leaving Shopkeep and Revel for Bindo

Interesting - I've had a few stores contact me to let me know that they recently stopped using ShopKeep. LightSpeed or Revel and have switched to Bindo point of sale.  I'm not sure on all the details but obviously something happened which was big enough to make these retail owners stop using their current point of sale systems.

I have had complaints in the past about Revel sometimes locking up when swiping a credit card as payment and past complaints about ShopKeeps tax setup - not sure if that applies in these cases or not. I'll be sure to pass along details if I get a chance to talk to any of these businesses.

I'd say things bode very well for Bindo! More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

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.

New Features Added to Bindo Point of Sale

The popular Bindo point of sale system (www.bindopos.com) has seen some recent enhancements:

• Accept payments from any source by adding a custom payment button 
• Scan pre-existing custom barcodes and add these products to your inventory
• Sell items at $0.00 (like free services or give-aways)
• Allow for card present and card not present transaction tracking
• Support for smaller sized barcode labels

It is nice to see that Bindo listens to their user base and adds features and functions on a very frequent basis! More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Big Upgrade for Bindo Point of Sale

Wanted to pass along that the folks at Bindo point of sale (www.bindopos.com) have released a new version of the Bindo Dashboard which allows users to perform non-selling functions from any device with an Internet browser.

Definitely a major improvement! Here is a quick video that I created showing how the Bindo Dashboard works on my laptop running Chrome (thanks to the folks at Bindo POS for allowing me access so I could give the system a "test run"):

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.

New Features Added to Bindo Point of Sale

The folks at Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) have been hard at work adding new features to Bindo. Here is a list of the most recent enhancements:


• Mix & Match Discount - apply a discount when enough qualifying products are purchased

• Customer-facing Display - with our new Bindo Display app, your customers can see their order as you ring it up!

• Choose store credit as a payment-type for Split Tender transactions

• Add new inventory when creating an invoice

• Support for variably-priced items on invoices

• New payment-type filters on the Sales screen

• New filters on the Customer report

• Allow extensions for customer phone numbers

**Improvements:**

• Cash Management improvements

• Improve offline cash and check checkout

• Stability improvements

• Various bug fixes

Here is a video highlighting some of the new features:

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.

New Feature in Bindo Point of Sale

Just a quick note that Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) has added automatic discounts that can be applied to a customers profile. This is great when you have certain types of customers that qualify for discounted pricing. It also reduces the cashier workload since the discounts are automatically applied when the customer is selected for the transaction.

More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Hyper Local Marketplace for Bindo Point of Sale

Bindo Point of Sale (bindopos.com) announced some enhancement plans for 2015 that include an online marketplace which goes well beyond what a typical online shopping site can do - if your business is in the right type of locale.

The idea behind the Bindo Marketplace is to allow people to search for products and then find the closest business that has the product in stock. In need of shampoo, an AC adapter, socks, or a particular beverage but don't want to have the product shipped to you (or have to call around to see who may have the product that you need in stock)?  The Bindo Marketplace will not only show you which businesses have the product that you are in need of in stock but will allow you to search for nearby businesses so you can go to the store in person or request same day delivery if available.

I like this idea with one obvious exception - it only works in major metropolitan areas.  If I am in need of a dog collar but I am in McCall, Idaho, then the odds of finding multiple pet stores stores near me using Bindo Marketplace is slim to none. However, if I am in a metropolitan area like Minneapolis, MN, then there is a good chance that I could find the dog collar that I am searching for and see which nearby stores have the dog collar in stock for pickup or same day delivery.

This obviously opens up new revenue opportunities for stores that sign on to use the Bindo Marketplace but is also dependent on potential customers knowing about the Bindo Marketplace as a way to find products needed ASAP.

With Amazon starting to offer same day delivery in some areas, I suspect that consumers will gradually become accustomed to no longer waiting 2-5 days for shipments to arrive. The retailers to jump on this trend will not only be able to compete with Amazon but also be on the leading edge of a new trend.

The full article appears here.

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Bindo Announces Support for Apple Pay and NFC Contactless Payments

It looks like the folks at Bindo Point of Sale are on top of things with an announcement that Bindo Point of Sale will work with Apple Pay.

Bindo Point of Sale was one of the first point of sale companies to announce EMV compatibility so its no surprise that they are one of the first point of sale solutions to announce Apple Pay support.

Full details of the announcement can be found here: http://www.mygtn.tv/story/26515513/bindo-announces-support-for-apple-pay-and-nfc-contactless-payments

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.

EMV Compliance

I try to remind folks that EMV compliance is real and something that everyone who accepts credit and debits cards will have to deal with over the next year.  Since I still receive calls from retail stores, restaurants, and museums who are not yet even PCI compliant, I will continue to remind everyone that EMV compliance has a deadline of October 2015 in the US. You will need to update your hardware and/or software by then or be completely liable for fraudulent transactions.

In lighter news, the good folks at Bindo Point of Sale announced today that they have all the hardware and software required to be EMV compliant.  Nice to know that some companies are planning ahead and not waiting until the last minute.  You can read the full press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/08/prweb12075881.htm

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.

New 'Stuff' in Bindo Point of Sale

The folks at Bindo point of sale have been busy adding new stuff to Bindo. The most recent update includes the following:

• User Interface Improvements
• Performance Improvements
• Anonymous Gift Cards
• Ability to Edit Purchase Order Costs
• Label Print with Quantity
• Create Discounts
• Customize Email Receipts
• Return Report
• Gift Receipts
• Adjust Order Minimum for a Signature Being Required
• Item Level Atributes
• Signature Line for Delivery Receipts
• EMV Compliance (very important and one of the first point of sale solutions that I am aware to meet EMV compliance)

There is more in the works so I will try and keep everyone updated. This is one nice thing about the current generation of point of sale solutions - the updates and upgrades are included in the price!  You can learning more about Bindo by visiting www.bindopos.com. 

Do you have some point of sale questions or need some free advice or help in selecting a point of sale solution for your business or organization? I'm happy to help!  If you are in the United States you can reach me using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208.340.5632.

7 Cool & Important Feature-Functions in Bindo Point of Sale

I've posted and mentioned at many of my point of sale speaking engagements some of the key differences between Mobile 1.0 and Mobile 2.0 Point of Sale solutions. This brief video highlights 7 (of many) cool and important feature-functions in the Bindo Point of Sale solution for iOS devices.  Included in the video are:

1. Putting transactions on hold
2. Autosetting sale prices
3. Loyalty program
4. Purchase orders
5. Delivery address and deliver notes
6. Split tender
7. Various receipt options

If you are in need of some free point of sale help or advice  (I have 15+ years of industry experience plus real world retail and restaurant management experience), you can reach me using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com, or on my cell at 208.340.5632

Here is the video:

More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Vertical Specialties for Various Retail Point of Sale Systems

As July is not a big month for point of sale news and information, I thought that I would pass along some information related to what vertical markets various point of sale programs focus on. This is not meant to say that the program will not work in a different vertical - just that the program has an established presence in the verticals listed below.

If you recall, my point of sale workshops stress that you should focus on point of sale programs that are designed for your type of business.

NCR Silver

• Small general retail stores and food service businesses like food trucks, counter serve restaurants/cafeterias/coffee shops, and concession stands.
• Temporary or seasonal retail businesses
• Mobile retail or service only businesses
• Kiosk businesses
• Thrift and second hand stores
• Clothing and Apparel Stores
• E-Cig Stores

First Data Clover

• Same as NCR Silver 

Bindo Point of Sale

• Wine, Beer and Liquor Stores
• Pet Stores
• Health and Beauty 
• Clothing and Apparel Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Museums
• Gift Shops
• Candy Stores
• Salons and Spas
• Thrift and second hand stores
• Pro Shops

NCR CounterPoint

• Museums
• Thrift and second hand stores
• Garden Centers
• Pet Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Clothing and Apparel Stores
• Liquor Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Gift Shops
• Tobacco and E-Cig Stores 
• Pro Shops

Retail Pro

• Same as NCR CounterPoint

Microsoft RMS

• Same as NCR CounterPoint and Retail Pro
• A lot of government entities (since it is a Microsoft product) as well as government run businesses like golf courses and pro shops.

I realize this is not a complete list but I used information from the companies websites, what trade shows these companies attend, and my own 15 years of personal experience.

Can I help by offering some free point of sale advice or answering your retail or museum point of sale related questions?  If you are in the United States then please use the contact form to the right, email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or call me on my cell at 208-340-5632. I've worked with thousands of businesses over the years to help them find the best point of sale solution and have also negotiated some pretty cool discounts as well.

BBQ With Bindo Point of Sale

So this is pretty cool (I've done these sorts of events myself several times via an open house or even setting up a community event with a bus and food).

Bindo Point of Sale is hosting a BBQ in the New York City Area.  Here are the details:

Bindo Summer Bash

Come meet fellow merchants and enjoy a free BBQ on us!

When: Sunday, July 20 2-5pm
Where: East River Park grills on 10th Street
 East River Promenade, New York, NY 10019
RSVP: events@bindo.com by July 14

We will have a brief presentation on
Taking Back Main Street: Easy Hacks for Mom & Pop Shops

Be sure to stick around - at 4pm we will be giving out
free 60 day trails of Bindo!

Feel free to bring along fellow merchants!

More information: http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=6c178b6ca0cdfc56036d5786c&id=e00241eace

This is a great way to check out Bindo Point of Sale in a casual environment and meet some of the folks involved with Bindo Point of Sale.   Maybe they can setup a livestream for those of us not in the NYC area!

Have point of sale questions and want some free advice or help?  Over the last 15 years I have worked with thousands of retail stores and museums to help direct them to the correct point of sale solution. You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com, via the contact form to the right, or on my cell at 208-340-5632.