PAX Global Technology : Why are Android payment terminals so popular?

Three PAX experts evaluate the crucial components at the rear of the rise of Android SmartPOS – how they are delivering worth to acquiring financial institutions, service provider provider providers and their merchants – and why security is stronger on Android SmartPOS when compared to legacy POS terminals.

When Steve Work unveiled the very first Apple iphone on January 9^th, 2007, there were few men and women who did not want to promptly trade-in their legacy Nokia or Motorola gadget for the shiny new Smartphone.

Currently, it is superbly built, elegant Android SmartPOS products with Smartphone-like attributes that are quick changing the fatigued search & feel of legacy POS terminals in the merchant obtaining entire world.

The evolution from legacy POS to Android SmartPOS

POS terminals have been around for 40 decades, but it is only not too long ago that more recent generation payment terminals – intelligent Android-centered gadgets recognized as SmartPOS – have occur to industry, resulting in a technological tsunami which is catching quite a few conventional attaining banks unawares, and providing enough opportunity for speedy-going Payment Assistance Providers (PSPs) and Acquirers to win service provider industry share.

POS terminals first arrived to market in the 1980s, functioning as standalone counter-major units linked to PSTN phone lines with the sole function of electronically processing magnetic stripe card payments. They progressed all through the 1990s & 2000s, both equally in conditions of wi-fi connectivity – portable battery powered devices with 2G, 3G, WiFi conversation and with the widespread adoption of EMV intelligent playing cards, Contactless and Close to Subject Communication (NFC) transactions.

Legacy POS terminals utilised to be run by proprietary operating methods, prior to migrating to Linux, and now finally to Android – SmartPOS remedies in which PAX Know-how is considered a world-wide chief & innovator.

Why has Android SmartPOS grow to be so popular?

The magic formula to achieving mass-market place reputation with merchants lies in deploying Android SmartPOS equipment which concurrently operate a funds sign up application alongside a payment application – that is when markets truly seem to acquire off.

But to start with, to even begin understanding this phenomenon, the reader need to 1st appreciate the true worth sent by Android.

Google ordered Android 16 many years in the past and invests tens of millions of pounds each and every calendar year to fortify and extend the running technique. It is main to the firm’s potential, the very same way transactional safety is main to that of PAX Technologies. Google continually include new characteristics, get rid of out of date abilities, and try for greater OS efficiencies and an enhanced UX (consumer encounter).

Currently, Android powers 70% of the world’s smartphones and is an OS developed for mobile contact-screen units making use of wi-fi communications to connect to the online, on which to run wonderfully designed software program purposes.

(Proprietary operating method were generally starved of financial investment, slowing down innovation at the stage of sale and delaying the start of new payment terminals).

Impartial Computer software Distributors (ISVs) all over the entire world realize the quite a few benefits of Android and are now building their wide library of apps out there to merchants – by means of the PSP or Acquirer who serve them employing shipping platforms this sort of as PAXSTORE – creating new organization alternatives & strengthening operational efficiencies. With Android it is considerably a lot easier to combine new purposes, and the big earnings opportunity tends to make these ISVs want to offer their apps on Android POS equipment, which in flip is encouraging make demand pull for these devices.

The elegance of Android is that multiple programs can run seamlessly collectively on a one SmartPOS gadget, eradicating the require for tiny merchants to hold employing dollars registers or barcode scanners – consequently lowering whole price of ownership. SmartPOS simplifies entry to new market sectors for merchant services vendors and expands the range of locations in which payments can be accepted. Place simply just, Android allows you to do more on a payment terminal, transforming it into a impressive multi-intent Issue of Support.

Stability is much better on Android SmartPOS when in contrast to legacy POS terminals

Google usually takes facts safety quite significantly and will make important investments to guarantee the Android platform is remarkably safe. The most up-to-date protection systems are made use of to avert and detect destructive activity.

PAX Technology’s extensive portfolio of SmartPOS products use a distinctive locked-down edition of Android – identified as PayDroid OS – which operates on devoted CPUs to isolate payment processing and sensitive card & purchaser information from Android and non-payment applications. This provides amplified security by style and design. PAX SmartPOS are entirely qualified to PCI & EMVCo regulatory expectations and are compliant to both equally intercontinental card association and local acquirer demands.

Application market safety very best techniques are incorporated into the PAXSTORE platform’s design and style. This contains software scanning and malware detection. Remote key injection (RKI) is carried out in really protected amenities qualified by worldwide card networks, though solid cryptography is made use of by application developers to indication just about every app, and then by the terminal operator (this kind of as a PSP or Acquirer) to regulate the deployment of apps to SmartPOS in the area.

PAX Android SmartPOS include security controls not accessible on other POS functioning devices

This consists of a true-time geolocation function, just like the ‘find my phone’ services in Smartphones, which shows the precise locale of each individual gadget on a map, even in parts wherever there is no GPS sign. Android safety functions allow service provider provider vendors to fulfill their PCI chain of custody compliance specifications and helps prevent unauthorized access, modification, or substitution of a terminal.

Added benefits of Android for obtaining financial institutions and service provider assistance suppliers

Apart from the apparent advantage of a supplier creating the notion – in the minds of its retailers – of becoming a much more progressive provider of instore service provider companies than its competitors, via the provision of ‘technology-upgraded’, aesthetically pleasing, SmartPOS terminals, there are a quantity of other areas exactly where added benefits accrue, specifically app enhancement, estate management and new earnings technology.

Buying banking institutions have frequently regarded as themselves ‘held to ransom’ by local POS terminal suppliers, principally mainly because they have no command over software enhancement & support expenses of payment software package programs running on their legacy POS terminal estates. By adopting Android, less software means are essential to establish applications and these are far more conveniently readily available and at a decrease price. No specialist programming skills or high quality salaries utilize. Application progress is simplified. Builders will need not fear about non-payment unique options as these are specifically handled by Android or commonly available from mainstream computer software advancement equipment or reliable open-resource code.

PAX Android SmartPOS terminals are significantly easier to established-up and give extremely strong distant administration and real-time monitoring abilities, ensuing in fewer calls to helpdesks, less terminals despatched back for repair service and higher operational availability. Superior options in PAXSTORE permit helpdesk operators to conduct complex difficulties shooting, distant diagnostics, and preventative upkeep on SmartPOS products.

A protected procedure referred to as AirViewer even enables full distant management of a SmartPOS system in the field. All software package components can be downloaded remotely, even over the air, if desired. The management of merchant networks is simplified overnight, rendered much more economical, saving time, money and methods. Instant messaging can also be shipped straight to a service provider, generating greater levels of merchant acknowledgment of important communications as the information appears immediately on the SmartPOS monitor and does not require the store manager to log-in to any other technique, nor rely on reading communications despatched by the article.

New income possibilities are produced for PSPs, ISOs, and acquirers who efficiently give remarkably lucrative benefit additional products and services to their customers – generally sent by means of appstore-like features in their privately operated PAXSTORE marketplace. This aids reinforce service provider interactions and enhances retention fees. These Android apps are portable across different SmartPOS hardware types, providing larger flexibility and enabling suppliers to promptly deal with new business opportunities.

Why merchants are demanding Android SmartPOS methods

As with PSPs, there are many regions where by retailers are seeing pros when switching to Android SmartPOS – such as around components, operations, buyer interaction and product reliability.

Retailers made use of to have a entire military of components goods using up precious counter space – dollars register, hard cash drawer, printer, barcode scanner, POS terminal, etc – while now a single SmartPOS (obtainable in a wide range of form elements) can be utilised to report a sale, take payment, manage loyalty details and immediate rewards, test inventory concentrations, validate tickets and discount codes, or execute numerous other factors. By functioning many programs on a single machine the price of the SmartPOS terminal increases even though the quantity of CAPEX or OPEX financial commitment demanded is decreased.

Operationally talking, thanks to the large familiarity of Android, shop workforce and central place of work groups locate it less complicated to take care of PAX SmartPOS equipment in comparison to regular POS terminals. Manuals are almost never needed as operational processes are remarkably intuitive, nor are professional instruction & engineer installations wanted, saving time & income.

Importantly, retailers price the improved administration information and facts reporting & analytics that can now be sent – by means of a service provider assistance provider’s PAXSTORE system – many thanks to the additional data things captured and manufactured available by Android SmartPOS.

Android is also accelerating the introduction of new electronic payment methods at the point of sale, which includes digital wallets, tremendous-applications, QR codes, account-to-account lender transfers, and so forth., indicating that company owners can extra effortlessly remain up to day with payment system regularity in today’s omni-channel retailing environment.

Service provider prospects – the general community – want interacting with SmartPOS units, no matter whether standalone or unattended, as they have more substantial superior-definition contact-display shows which produce simplicity of use. Retailers can also superior showcase branding, convey promotional messages & videos, and create improved shopper loyalty. Running this sort of media content material is simplified many thanks to Android.

PAX SmartPOS terminals have earned a status with retailers of getting more dependable in contrast to the earlier POS terminals they employed – almost certainly since of improved software balance and production product or service high-quality – developing considerably less operational disruption in contrast to right before. The advanced distant management capabilities – these as AirViewer mentioned previously – permit most issues to be immediately fixed, remotely, by operator helpdesks.

The PAX viewpoint

The international local community of PAX partners and clients believe that Android delivers much superior benefit than other functioning devices and that in the end all payment terminals will be powered by Android, for the a lot of explanations outlined in this paper. The the greater part of service provider support vendors all around the world more and more value the positive aspects supplied by Android – combined with the very best-in-class PAXSTORE platform and higher-high quality merchandise portfolio offered by PAX Know-how. Quite a few also comprehend that their merchants are both wanting for, or staying supplied, these types of methods, so truly feel the require to proactively have interaction with this technological change.

(But we also recognize that not all people fully understands how Android SmartPOS terminals can greatly enhance their organization, nor how to make certain they are securely deployed, and potentially not ready to appropriately measure total cost of ownership. As a outcome, there are even now a handful of nations around the world where by we nonetheless see standard acquirers resisting the Android SmartPOS technological change, seeking to keep on to the legacy POS terminal business enterprise product).

Many thanks to Android, the payments sector can now piggyback on the scale and investments designed in the smartphone field. Part and peripheral manufacturers consist of Android guidance as aspect of their normal merchandise launch, enabling speedier incorporation of new chip sets and functions these as cameras, scanners, microphones, memory cards and substantial-definition shows. This success in PAX Technological know-how staying in a position to launch new SmartPOS terminal models a lot quicker. Android captures far extra information things through functions, which allows increased analytics, distant and preventative servicing to be done and provides data monetization opportunities, which PAX features to its shoppers by the PAXSTORE system.

And thanks to the faith placed in PAX by our partners and customers all in excess of the environment – to whom we have transported many tens of hundreds of thousands of products in over 100 countries – we are happy to be the payment terminal industry’s leader.