Having a
POS (point of sale) system that is right for your business is crucial to its success, especially in a country like New Zealand where about two-thirds of all transactions are performed electronically. Here we compare two of the biggest POS systems in the country today, mPOS and EFTPOS, and see which one is right for your business.
mPOS
mPOS stands for “mobile point of sale”, which is the offspring of the original fixed terminal we are all familiar with. This kind of POS system has all sorts of benefits for the right business, so let’s get into them:
• “Mobile” is definitely the key word for this system. New Zealand business are using it more and more as time goes on, because it allows you a lot of freedom in terms of where you can perform electronic transactions. Whereas an EFTPOS terminal is typically a fixed point in a store linked to a legacy system, the mobile POS can easily be moved around, because it is typically just linked directly to the business’ bank account.
• The mPOS system is also great for contactless payments like PayWave or ASB Virtual, because of its direct link to the business’s bank account and its convenient ability to move around.
• The system is hugely cost-effective, which can be a massive benefit for small or start-up businesses. Rather than buying hardware to support the POS software, clients are typically just sent a phone or tablet attachment to support the app they downloaded onto a previously owned piece of smart technology.
• In addition, while EFTPOS machines do typically have more support in place for maintenance, mPOS systems use cloud-based storage for transactions. This method of storage makes your life a lot easier when something decides to give up and you need to fix or replace it.
EFTPOS
EFTPOS stands for “electronic funds transfer point of sale”. Because it is quite different to mPOS, it has its own list of benefits that could make your business run just the way you want it to.
• Rather than using a mobile system, an EFTPOS machine is a fixed point in-store, and can either be connected to a cloud-based storage system for transactions or connected to a store database. This option is beneficial for large and stationary businesses, who wish to store their own information for profit analysis and inventory.
• Speaking of inventory, the software provided with EFTPOS terminals can be integrated with in-store inventory, as well as programmed to deal with rewards and vouchers. This gives you more options in terms of what you are able to do in one place, rather than having several systems to manage each individual facet like you may need to do with an mPOS system.
• As a business owner, you have the ability to shop around for the exact kind of software and hardware that you want for your business. Your customers experience will be influenced by what form the transactions take, and whether they are efficient in terms of your business model, so having the freedom and options that EFTPOS offers would be a huge benefit of this system.
• Lastly, your EFTPOS terminal will have a broader range of payment options and cards it is able to accept, whereas you can find that mPOS systems are restricted in that regard. With EFTPOS you are able to add surcharges, print paper receipts on the spot for the customer, or even share the machine among multiple business who use the space (multi-merchant terminal).
Which one is right for my business?
If you are a small start-up or mobile business looking for a way to make transactions without a large EFTPOS machine, then mPOS might be the right system for you. If you’re a stationary store with a large inventory or a rewards programme, then it might make more sense to invest in an EFTPOS system to cater to those needs.
Need help?
POS Technology offers expert advice on all things point of sale in Wellington. Browse our available
EFTPOS machines and
POS systems for rental and for sale online in New Zealand, or
contact us for advice on which system is right for your business.
