Navigating the complicated world of convenience-store point-of-sale (POS) technology can be headache inducing for many fuel sellers.
Furthering the confusion are looming deadlines for c-stores to replace their magnetic-stripe card readers with chip-enabled ones as part of the Europay Mastercard Visa (EMV) data-security standard.
But a young Silicon Valley tech startup aims to minimize the pain points for fuel retailers in the midst of this POS switch. Gas Pos Inc. has created a robust, integrated suite of products to replace the cash register, receipt printer and barcode scanner. The system is powered by Fuel, an Android-based app, and is EMV-ready.
Gas Pos founder and CEO Joshua Smith previously worked in the payments industry. He predicted some of the EMV hiccups on the horizon and decided to create a product to help small business owners succeed during this transition.
Here are some ways Gas Pos could streamline your POS operations:
1. Fraud reduction. Smith said Visa has noted a five-fold increase in credit-card scams recently, mostly because of “friendly fraud.” Operators who are not yet EMV compliant are facing rising chargebacks from consumers who falsely claim not to have made purchases at retailers that don’t yet accept chip cards. “We solve this by taking chip cards,” Smith said. “Our software is fully Level 3 certified, so you can use the chip.”
2. In-store pickup. Millennials are especially drawn to the convenience of mobile ordering paired with in-store pickup. Gas Pos allows merchants to easily implement this sought-after service.
3. No-fuss infrastructure. Gas Pos operates with off-the-shelf routers and does not require a public IP address. “They don’t have to buy an expensive new router or pay extra fees to an internet service provider,” Smith said.
4. Extra measure of security. The system comes standard with end-to-end encryption. “It virtually eliminates the risk of a data breach,” he said. “It protects consumer data better (than other systems).”
5. Fewer maintenance issues. Older c-store POS systems typically break down multiple times a year, resulting in lost revenue and increased hassles for store owners, Smith said. The Gas Pos system, because it is Android-based and self-updating, requires less maintenance. Upkeep traditionally can be performed in-house without calling in a technician.
Gas Pos, founded in March 2015, was recently selected to participate in the prestigious 500 Startups program. The accelerator program, based in California’s Bay Area, offers promising businesses venture capital, access to experts, marketing assistance and mentorship.
This post is sponsored by Gas Pos Inc