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Originally Posted On: https://paylinedata.com/blog/what-is-the-clover-pos

 

If you’re looking for a payment processing solution that can help you better manage your company and see it grow by giving customers a better experience, Clover’s POS system is worth looking into.

Below, we’ll discuss just what Clover’s POS system is, what it can do, and how it can help you streamline payments and provide an overall easier checkout experience for your customers and your staff. But first, let’s look at what a POS system is and what’s it’s designed to achieve just so you can get a better idea of what you should look for in a POS system.

What’s a POS System?

A point of sale (POS) system is not the same thing as a payment processor. A POS consists of both the hardware and the software. The hardware might include a cash register, card reader, display screen and receipt printer. While the software’s job is to record transactions and send that data for payment processing as well as other information the software is tracking.

POS systems can offer features for specific types of businesses. For example, you might have seen a POS designed for retail locations and others designed more for restaurants. Whichever type you need, make sure it has the features you need to manage payments more effectively.

If your business is still using a cash register and receipt paper, it might be time to upgrade your POS system. But first, let’s take a look at the difference between a POS and a credit card machine.

What’s the Difference Between a POS and a Credit Card Machine?

A POS system is a robust platform that includes credit card acceptance capabilities.

A credit card machine is a standalone terminal solely used to process a credit card transaction.

Previously, businesses used a traditional cash register to handle payments (sometimes with a credit card reader connected). But you need a lot more than that to stand out and run your business more efficiently in today’s technology-driven world. You can do much more with a POS than you can with a cash register and a credit card machine. It’s like comparing a calculator to a computer where the calculator (aka credit card machine) has a single function and the computer can run a multitude of functions.

Let’s take a look.

 

What is Clover’s POS and What Does It Do?

Clover is one of the most popular POS system’s on the market with hundreds of thousands of machines currently in use. It’s Android based operating system comes with custom hardware and software that helps growing web-based and server-based businesses collect payments in a quick and easy manner. The Clover POS system can help companies like yours streamline payment processing and improve inventory management and sales.

Clover’s POS system can integrate with a number of software programs, such as QuickBooks Shopify, and more. It’s RESTful APIs allow for 3rd party integrations like an ERP

Purchasing Clover through Payline can help reduce the overall cost, as discounts and passes the savings on to our customers.

What are the Key Features of Clover’s POS system?

Clover has tons of that make processing payments easier and more convenient. Some of the key features include:

• Inventory management
• Loyalty programs
• Employee management
• Credit card processing

Other features include staff management, reporting and statistics, and third-party integrations.

Hardware Options

Clover offers hardware components like the Clover Go card reader, the countertop Clover station, a Clover Mini POS station, and the Clover Flex mobile payment processor, among others. For instance, Verizon’s Business unit recently announced it will now be using the Clover Flex as its mobile POS device.

Clover’s countertop hardware options can replace outdated processes involving cash registers, receipt paper, and built-in barcode scanners, making it easy to take on the go.

Simply use the app on your mobile phone to take a customer’s payment information. The best part is that it’s ready to go out of the box – no need to set anything up. All you have to do is connect your phone physically or use Bluetooth. Then, you can upload products, email receipts, refund customers, void transactions, apply surcharges, and auto-calculate taxes, among other things.

Their systems support payment processing using PIN and chip card payments, as well as credit card swipes, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay transactions, and contactless payments, which are referred to as Tap-To-Pay.

Some of their hardware includes front-facing cameras, wireless connectivity capabilities, and an anti-microbial Corning Gorilla glass display screen. And while these POS hardware devices do need to be charged, they last all day on a single charge so simply charge them at the end of each day.

Software Options

The Clover Dashboard allows companies to visualize important data metrics in real-time. The software also enables you to track orders, report data, and edit menus.

The software is completely customizable and allows you to easily scale and grow your business. You can build what you need now and expand on it later once your business starts to grow with more devices, apps, and accessories.

The Clover POS system allows you to process transactions even when the internet is down using “Offline Mode.”

Another great feature of Clover’s software is that it allows for fully encrypted and secure transactions thanks to the pre-loaded TransArmor Data Protection feature that helps protect you from cyber-attacks. It also keeps both customer and business data in the event of a data breach.

Download the Clover app and get access to gift card branding, online store integration, detailed analytics, marketing promotions, and more.

 

Clover Software Plans

Depending on the capabilities you need from Clover, they offer specific plans to suit your needs. This is listed as Payments Plus, Register, and Register Lite. All these plans will allow you to track sales from your phone or computer using the cloud. You can set permissions per user, track employee shifts, as well as get 24/7 support directly from Clover’s team.

Benefits of Upgrading to Clover’s POS System

Upgrading your POS system has some of the following benefits:

• Seamless integrations with a new or existing POS
• Reduces expenses with more than 300 business apps
• Increases loyalty and improves scheduling
• Integration capabilities with existing devices
• Scheduled and recurring billing options
• ACH payments
• Invoicing
• Payments Page (what your site visitors see when they click to make a purchase)

With Payline, you’ll get simple, transparent pricing with no additional fees, no long-term contract, as well as a dedicated account manager.

Conclusion

Now that you have all of your questions answered and you know about what Clover can do for your business, you can make an informed business decision about whether it’s right for you. Should you like to move forward with Clover’s POS System, you can partnering with a merchant processor like Payline and have Clover integrated as your POS. You will have all the information you need to process secure in-store, online, and mobile transactions. You can calculate just how much you’d be paying by using Payline’s monthly payment calculator before you commit so you can see just how much money you could be saving by implementing a better, more affordable solution.