When talking about Android for payments, most people think of a smart POS using the Android Operating System (OS). The devices themselves are a central piece of the puzzle but there is so much more to the Android platform than meets the eye. Understanding the Android Platform and its many components is critical to getting the most out of Android for payments.
Let’s take a look.
Smart Devices
What the user sees are the high-performance smart POS devices, designed to be sleek and compact, which help businesses declutter or reallocate counter space for maximum usability.
Android devices also enable mobility throughout the store to provide a modern, efficient and more engaging payment experience. Mobility helps remove friction with features like line-busting, personalizing the shopping experience, flexibility on the sales floor and more.
Android smart POS devices can elevate the shopping experience, showing customers that they are the primary concern and technology is being used to delight and keep them loyal.
Familiar Interface
When designed properly, the interface is laid out for ease of use, taking advantage of the familiar Android 10 software that provides an intuitive customer interface. For perspective, 72.7% of smartphones and 45.6% of tablets globally use Android, making it the most commonly used OS worldwide. It also brings innovation to a market that has often been dominated by closed systems.
Access to Third-party Apps
Android POS solutions provide merchants easy access to vetted, secure third-party applications. These applications can be developed on Android’s open APIs, allowing for downloads from the app store or the development of personalized applications.
Multiple players in the ecosystem, including processors, ISOs, ISVs, gateways, and developers can distribute their apps more widely by taking advantage of conventional and market-specific app stores. This enables an ecosystem that allows for more options and connects merchants to a wider array of applications, content and media.
From the ISV, ISO and Gateway perspective, the Android open architecture creates an excellent way to provide better services to merchants through apps for value-add business applications, real-time analytics, surveys or integrated loyalty. Payment providers can create their application stores with their catalogs of apps and distribute them in a few clicks or include third-party partner apps under their umbrella of offerings. In addition, merchants have an excellent way to provide a personalized, modern checkout experience to customers.
The Services You Expect
Simple, effective and timely management of payment devices, whether it’s a few in one location or many across multiple locations, is central to the Android platform. That’s why Android includes estate and security management.
- Estate Management: With scalable controls, it is easy to organize, manage and monitor entire fleets of terminals and ensure everything is functioning in a way that meets store needs. Using the platform, it is simple to deploy on-demand software upgrades, applications, terminal refresh options and the activation of additional payment methods.
- Security Management: Payment security is top-of-mind for merchants across every segment, and with remote key injection and point-to-point encryption, the platform follows stringent payment industry standards for ultimate security and compliance.
Putting it All Together
While payment devices deliver on customer experience, looking at just the physical endpoints is a limited scope. Understanding the payment platform holistically – the benefits, accompanying suite of services, applications and how it fits long-term needs and strategies – broadens the investment to a wide range of possibilities.
Want to learn more about the Android platform? Read our white paper, “Unlock the Future of Payments with the Android Platform,” to find out what you need to know to get the most out of your Android smart POS.
Peter Charpentier is the Senior Director of Product Marketing at Ingenico
