Recently, the introduction of kiosks and Unattended Payment Terminals (UPT) has enabled retailers to offer self-service options to their customers, delivering new sales outlets, faster checkout times and reduced costs. In order to meet customer demand, The Logic Group has enhanced Smart-Switch, its market-leading EMV integration tool, to support the specific requirements of this environment.
This additional functionality provides retailers with a new Chip & PIN UPT solution. As this solution is interoperable with Smart-Switch, it is ideal for multi-channel retailers wanting to adopt a common platform and strategy across all store channels.
In recent years, the US market has seen the use of unattended payment terminals growing by between 17 to 20% per annum, according to Summit Research Associates, with other territories now predicted to experience similar growth rates. The experience of US retailers has suggested that the introduction of unattended terminals delivers increased customer spend through faster service and more effective utilisation of store space. Retailers are also able to offer a broader range of products (including virtual products) and services. For example, the use of unattended payment terminals can allow customers to book tickets and top up pre-pay mobiles or electronic gift cards in addition to existing retailer products.
The Logic Group unattended payment terminal solution allows plastic card payment to be made securely, and its full Chip & PIN compliance reduces the potential for fraud. Smart-Switch has been designed to help retailers add support for both new applications and ICC cards whilst minimising disruption to legacy systems, integrating and connecting via standard interfaces to all elements of the EPOS.
Smart-Switch's UPT-specific capabilities include additional status messages to assist customers in the absence of any attendant and transaction ceiling limits. Other functionality, such as fallback to magnetic stripe and signature verification is disallowed, as required by Visa and MasterCard. This sits alongside Smart-Switch's existing capabilities, such as Software Download, to reduce the need for on-site engineers and an offline module to process transactions in the event of a communications failure.
| Unattended Payment Terminal Solution Features and Benefits |
• |
Smart-Switch enhanced to support specific requirements of unattended payment terminals and kiosks |
• |
Allows payment to be made in an increased number of environments e.g. outdoor payments and for an increased number of applications |
• |
Self service approach improves utilisation of floor space and reduces staff costs |
|
Increased convenience and availability of customer service, enhanced customer privacy and faster checkout times |
• |
More efficient checkout process increases speed of turnover and therefore increases revenue |
• |
Enables re-deployment of checkout staff to other areas of the store to improve service |
• |
Enables retailers to offer a broader range of products and services (both virtual and physical) while ensuring that the potential for fraud is addressed |
• |
Removes the risk from taking unattended transactions as Chip & PIN can now verify the cardholder and authenticate the card |
