Tag: Mobile POS (mPOS)

  • Star Micronics Introduces Access Point Mode Support for the TSP100IIIWLAN Thermal Receipt Printer

    Star Micronics Introduces Access Point Mode Support for the TSP100IIIWLAN Thermal Receipt Printer

    Somerset, NJ – March 6, 2017 – Star Micronics, leading provider of point of sale and proof of transaction technology, introduces Access Point Mode support for the TSP100IIIWLAN thermal receipt printer. The TSP100IIIWLAN upgrade now provides a simpler solution for users to join the network from any location, using any device. The TSP100IIIWLAN with Access Point will provide a solution to some of the limitations present in the previous Ad-Hoc mode. Now, in its out-of-box configuration, the printer will behave more like a router, offering a simpler way for all devices to connect to the printer for setup.

    The TSP100IIIWLAN upgrade now makes it easier to set up with Windows, Android, and iOS devices and can be used out of the box with any operating system. Star’s TSP100IIIWLAN is also available to use with Star Cloud Services’ free digital receipt and customer engagement solutions. Star Cloud Services allows users to print receipts that can be digitally saved and stored by the customer using Star’s AllReceipts™ app, or that can be used for digital expense management with the Itemize app.

    “We very pleased to be adding Access Point Mode support for our TSP100IIIWLAN printer,” said Jon Levin, Product Integration Manager of Star Micronics. “Before, our customers were struggling to connect via WPS or Ad-Hoc and we knew we needed a solution. With Access Point, more users can utilize this printer peripheral with its out of the box set up that can be used with any mobile device.”

  • MoZONE Solutions Partners with Star Micronics to Bring Mobile In-Venue Ordering to Bars, Restaurants, Cafés, and Coffee Shops

    MoZONE Solutions Partners with Star Micronics to Bring Mobile In-Venue Ordering to Bars, Restaurants, Cafés, and Coffee Shops

    Somerset, NJ – Feb 21, 2017 -Star Micronics, leading provider of point of sale and proof of transaction technology, announced that it has joined forces with MoZONE, a leader in proximity marketing and customer engagement, to enable mobile in-venue ordering for thousands of businesses across North America, Europe, and Asian Pacific.

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    Improving Customer Experience

    This partnership will enable any QSR, Bar, or Café owner to allow customers to order from their smart phones when they enter the venue, approach the drive thru, or sit down at a table, thus eliminating standing in line, or waiting for a server to take their order. Unlike existing solutions available today, with MoZONE’s Self Ordering system and a Star Micronics TSP100ECO printer, customers no longer have to download an application to use the system. The system will recognize returning customers, preload past orders, offer the customer more choices and ‘favorites’, and provide real-time discounts, therefore boosting customer loyalty and repeat visits.

    Increasing Sales

    Restaurants and bars, regardless of their point of sale system – even those using legacy, on-premise software – can now virtually and immediately add Star/MoZONE’s Self Ordering  system to their operations. Pre-integrated with a Star receipt printer, orders are automatically printed to reduce time and improve order accuracy. This solution will help to increase kitchen throughput and table turnover and will decrease customer wait times.

    Real-Time Analytics & Enhanced Service

    The MoZONE/Star system collects real-time customer analytics to identify busy times and reduce the burden on the wait staff.  Customers can message the wait staff when they want to order more, or when they are ready to pay. Customer ‘selfies’ can accompany orders, making it easier for wait staff to deliver the order quickly and efficiently.

    “Together with Star Micronics, MoZONE is delivering the first easy to install, APP-less solution for in-venue ordering,” says Kash Johal, Founder and CEO of MoZONE. “Customers don’t want to wait for their food or drinks. Owners of bars, QSRs, cafés, and coffee shops struggle to optimize their wait staff during peak and off hours.  With the Star/MoZONE Self Ordering system, they can almost immediately add, for the first time, an easy, customer centric ordering system.”

    “We’re very excited to be empowering our customers and our channel with solutions to grow their business. MoZONE’s best-in-class technology coupled with its focus on self-ordering is a perfect fit for Star’s state of the art printers,” says Jon Levin, of Product Integrations Manager at Star Micronics. “We will be introducing the solution to our partners immediately.”

    Star and MoZONE aim to make it as easy and economical as possible for bars, restaurants, and coffee shops to add customer centric mobile ordering to their operations in 2017 and grow their sales and profits.

    Availability

    The Star/MoZONE Self-Ordering solution will be available mid-February. MoZONE will demo the system at the Nightclub and Bar Show (https://www.ncbshow.com/), March 27th — 29th at the Las Vegas Convention Center at booth #548.

  • Solutions for Printing from Web Browser-Based Applications: PassPRNT

    Solutions for Printing from Web Browser-Based Applications: PassPRNT

    Receipt technology has advanced dramatically in the last several years. Previously, in every transaction, a customer would pay for their purchases at the POS terminal and accept a printed sales receipt as a proof of purchase in case they needed to make a return or exchange. Mobility, however, has revolutionized POS and changed the process of providing a customer with a receipt.

    Star Micronics has developed a variety of printing solutions for mPOS, including two that facilitate receipt printing from Web-based applications via HTTP(s) and from a project on an Android™ device or Apple hardware such as an iPad®, iPhone®, or iPod touch®. These solutions, WebPRNT and PassPRNT, solve common problems merchant often encounter with mobile printing.

    Print from a Web Browser-Based Application with PassPRNT

    PassPRNT is the newest printing application for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Android devices. The app resolves issues associated with printing from POS solutions supported by native iOS, Android, or Web applications by sending the receipt data using a URL scheme. The PassPRNT native application accepts the data, formats the receipt for the printer, and sends it to any Star Bluetooth, Ethernet,or USB (Android only) printer connected to the iOS, Android, and Windows devices.

    How it Works

    For the first time, PassPRNT links with Star’s POS and portable printers to enable printing using the company’s unique URL scheme-based printing method and the PassPRNT companion app.

    Its easy-to-use integration allows users to print from any Web application in any Web browser including Safari/Chrome using a URL scheme to print on a Star Bluetooth printer. The operating system is capable of automatically switching from a host application to the PassPRNT application and back, with a simple and user friendly “one tap” request to print from any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to a Star Bluetooth printer.

    Why Choose PassPRNT?

    • Uses Star’s unique URL scheme-based printing method
    • Available for receipt, label, and kitchen printer models
    • Automatically switches from host to PassPRNT app and back for “one tap” printing
    • Very little coding involved in the main application to communicate with PassPRNT
    • Empowers users to print from any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch and Android devices when using Filemaker

    To learn more about PassPRNT and to find out if your Star Micronics receipt printer supports PassPRNT, please visit https://starmicronics.com/PassPRNT.

    Download our eBook to learn more about Star’s mPOS printing solutions, how they work, the problems they solve, and when to use each.

  • Star Micronics, with Elo and E-Nabler Corp. Introduces Now Integrated mPOS Solution

    Star Micronics, with Elo and E-Nabler Corp. Introduces Now Integrated mPOS Solution

    Somerset, NJ – Jan 23, 2017 -Star Micronics, the global industry leader in POS printer solutions, has announced that Elo, a global supplier of touchscreen solutions, and e-Nabler Corp., developer of the award-winning eMobilePOS software have together certified a fully integrated mPOS solution. The solution includes the Elo I-Series for Android tablet running eMobilePOS atop the new Elo mPOS printer flip stand that houses a Star Micronics printer. The space-saving, full-feature POS with commercial-grade durability is well-suited for retail, hospitality, venues, and more.

    “Star, Elo, and e-Nabler have teamed up to create an mPOS solution with a long-term product lifecycle and a cost-effective POS platform that overcomes the challenge of using consumer devices for fixed POS – simplifying installation, connectivity, life cycle, maintenance and support,” said Christophe Naasz, Director of Business Development for, Star Micronics.

    The fully integrated POS solution works right out of the box and has all the features that merchants demand. eMobilePOS delivers comprehensive POS software capabilities, including EMV payments, fully integrated gift and loyalty features, and inventory control with the ability to operate in both online and offline mode. The Elo I-Series Android tablet is paired with Elo’s new mPOS flip printer stand with innovative housing for the Star TSP100III and TSP650II printers. The flip stand houses an optional expansion module with I/O ports that enable support for multiple POS peripherals. This mPOS solution’s space-saving design is ideal for small counter spaces with integrated cable management and a clutter-free appearance. Both Star’s TSP100III and TSP650II printer series offer a variety of interface options with simple set-up and high-speed receipt printing.

    “Elo’s new mPOS printer stand with a unique flip design effortlessly converts the employee facing cash register into a customer facing display or a self-service kiosk,” said Sonal Apte, senior director of product management at Elo. “Elo continues to solve the challenge of using consumer devices at the point of sale.  Working with Star – an industry leader in printers – and eMobilePOS – with their award winning software – we’re able to deliver a complete solution with optimal flexibility for customers.”

    This mPOS solution combines modern mobile architecture with the flexibility and configurability of traditional POS systems, making it ideal for updating the cash wrap, while maintaining enterprise grade POS functionality and reliability. eMobilePOS features an intuitive kiosk interface and when paired with EloView®, the I-Series tablet can be locked-down for secure use in public environments, allowing an employee operated POS terminal to seamlessly be transformed to kiosk-mode for self-service checkout. In addition, EloView enables remote content deployment for kiosk-based applications to multiple locations instantly.

    “By selecting our certified solution, merchants can rest assured that they will get a POS solution that works right out of the box and delivers maximum reliability and performance,” said Joel Vázquez, CEO and president of e-Nabler Corp.”

  • Star Spotlight with Erply

    Star Spotlight with Erply

    What does Erply do?

    Erply is a point of sale and inventory management software that will track sales and inventory for retailers. Erply POS is a cloud-based solution that allows retail store owners and operators to manage their point of sale, and check-in on sales remotely from their tablet, computer, or smartphone. They offer fully integrated point of sale solutions for iPad®, Windows, and Android™, with dedicated POS hardware. Users can utilize Erply software to ring up sales, track customers, and manage inventory and employees from anywhere, anytime.

    How is Erply working with Star Micronics?

    Erply has integrated a number of Star Micronics’ printer peripherals including the all-in-one mPOP™, TSP100ECO thermal printer, SM-S230i, SM-T300i, SM-S220i portable printers, and more. Erply chose to work with Star’s mobile solutions that offer Bluetooth connectivity because they found it to be a great pair with Apple iPads. In addition to iOS, Erply has also found that Star Bluetooth printers to offer a simple set-up with Windows tablets. Erply partners with Star Micronics to provide a complete mPOS solution to retailers for any operating system.

    What key benefits are Star mobile printers bringing to Erply customers?

    One of the biggest benefits of the Star mobile printers is the ability for retail employees to carry their printer and iPad around larger stores to answer customer questions and complete a sale in-aisle. In many cases, Erply sees their retail customer utilizing the belt clip included with all Star portable printers and using MSR readers to process the credit card payment on the spot. This solution helps reduce lines in larger and busier retail environments and creates a better experience for both retail employees and the shopper.

    “We found that Star Micronics’ Bluetooth printers offer one of the easiest set-ups that we have. We’re most confident in setting up Star printers with iPads and other mobile devices. Because of Star’s cross-platform availability, Star mobile printers are the easiest solution for us to recommend to customers.”

    – Cameron Neelis, Technical Support Specialist, Erply

  • Star Micronics’ ETA TRANSACT 2017 Recap

    Star Micronics’ ETA TRANSACT 2017 Recap

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    Star Micronics recently exhibited new mPOS technology at the ETA TRANSACT show in Las Vegas from May 10th through the 12th, and would like to thank all of those who visited our booth. For those who couldn’t make it to the show this year, we want to provide a brief recap of what you missed and where to find more information on Star Micronics’ peripherals.

    New mPOP™ peripheral options!

    Star Micronics showcased our popular all-in-one mPOP™ peripheral for mobile point of sale that combines a cash drawer and 2-inch receipt printer. This year, Star has decided to make our mPOP even better with more functionality for mobile point of sale. We’ve added optional peripheral support for a customer-facing line display, 2D bar code reader, three scale options, and an extra cash drawer to our mPOP. This allows users to transform their mPOP into a complete point of sale hub, making it a more versatile option for mobile POS.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCgc7c2OSEk]

    Faster, Easier, Better!

    Throughout 2016, Star Micronics began rolling out our TSP100III series of thermal printers – the faster, easier, and better solution for POS receipt printing. At this year’s TRANSACT show, Star Micronics debuted our TSP100IIIU! The TSP100IIIU is Star’s intuitive “plug and play” USB printer for iOS, Android, and Windows. With faster print speed, easier connectivity, and better features, the TSP100IIIU is guaranteed to make a splash in the point of sale world. Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y40VyDkFPLc

    SM-L300: Receipt, Label, & MAXStick® Portable Printer

    Star’s new SM-L300 Bluetooth low energy (BLE) portable printer offers ultimate versatility for any mPOS application! The SM-L300 portable printer allows users to connect to any Apple iPad®, iPhone®, or iPod touch® BLE compatible device without having to pair to it, making it the perfect solution for any BYOD (bring your own device) environment. Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJdLcSYOgGE

    Booth Partners

    IMG_2269 (2)

    Star Micronics is always happy to feature a number of our software partners in our tradeshow booths. At this year’s TRANSACT show, Star hosted Biztracker, who demoed their solution with a Star TSP650II receipt printer. Doublebeam showcased their solution on Elo’s I-Series and Wallaby flip-stand along with a Star TSP700II receipt and label printer. We also provided demos of Star Cloud Services’ free digital receipt and customer engagement solution through Vend’s retail software and a Star TSP100IIIBi receipt printer.

    Star Cloud Services is offered for free with any Star Micronics receipt printer and allows users to offer digital receipts to their shoppers through the AllReceipts™ app. Learn more: https://www.starcloudservices.com

    Star Sightings

    Star Micronics spotted several of our printers around the show floor! Thank you to Paradise POS, Pioneer Solutions, MS-Cash Drawer, USAePay, and POS Portal who showcased Star technology in their ETA TRANSACT 2017 booth!

    Star thanks everyone again for taking the time to visit us and learn more about our point of sale peripherals at ETA TRANSACT 2017. We look forward to seeing you all next year!

  • Solutions for Printing from Web Browser-Based Applications: WebPRNT

    Solutions for Printing from Web Browser-Based Applications: WebPRNT

    Receipt technology has advanced dramatically in the last several years. Previously, in every transaction, a customer would pay for their purchases at the POS terminal and accept a printed sales receipt as a proof of purchase in case they needed to make a return or exchange. Mobility, however, has revolutionized POS and changed the process of providing a customer with a receipt.

    Star Micronics has developed a variety of printing solutions for mPOS, including two that facilitate receipt printing from Web-based applications via HTTP(s) and from a project on an Android device or iOS hardware such as iPad®, iPhone®, or iPod touch®. These solutions, WebPRNT and PassPRNT solve common problems merchant often encounter with mobile printing.

    Print from a Web Browser-Based Application with WebPRNT

    WebPRNT, which enables device-agnostic receipt printing technology, supports HTTP(s) requests used in Wed-based applications. It facilitates printing on any Star Micronics WebPRNT-enabled printer – including receipt, label, and kitchen printers – from any local device running a Web-based application.

    This low cost, versatile solution to printing from Web browser-based applications allows users to print high-quality POS receipts with professional, crisp graphics on Star’s line of WebPRNT-compatible printers.

    How It Works:

    You can use any device you want when you download WebPRNT, so businesses can eliminate the need to spend money on upgrading their current hardware. This solution enables local printing from a device with a browser to a compatible WebPRNT printer (desktop or mobile) on the same network.

    WebPRNT is easy to read, maintain, and modify for developers. It works with XML tags or a JavaScript software development kit (SDK) that is integrated into the Web application’s code. This functionality can be extended to Bluetooth printers by using the WebPRNT Browser with no changes to the Web code. In addition to Web-based applications, Star’s WebPRNT also supports HTTP(s) requests from native applications.

    One advantage of integrating WebPRNT is that the application the engineer or developer creates can give a retailer more complete control of printing, such as the ability to adjust the formatting, operate the cash drawer, or check the status of the printer. It also enables additional, innovative features to be added to the print application including digital receipts and other cloud services.

    WebPRNT technology is available with several of Star Micronics’ printers including the TSP650II WebPRNT, SP700 WebPRNT, TSP700II WebPRNT, TSP800II WebPRNT, as well as any of Star’s Bluetooth printers using WebPRNT Browser.

    Why Choose WebPRNT:

    • Easy to use. WebPRNT eliminates time spent downloading software and installing drivers. The app enables printing from any local device hosting a Web-based application (e.g., Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) to a Star WebPRNT-enabled receipt printer.
    • Affordable. WebPRNT enables printing from any application or operating platform without the need for expensive, multi-platform development costs.
    • Compatible. WebPRNT allows users to print from their application to a WebPRNT-enabled receipt printer from any device, regardless of its operating platform.

    To learn more about WebPRNT and find out if your Star Micronics receipt printer supports WebPRNT, please visit https://starmicronics.com/WebPRNT.

    Download our eBook: Solutions for Printing from Web Browser-Based Applications on iOS, Android, and Windows

  • Star Spotlight with Shift4

    Star Spotlight with Shift4

    Shift4 blog

    What does Shift4 do?

    Shift4, the first card-present payment gateway and the largest independent payment gateway in North America, is now launching their mobile point of sale system. Shift4 decided to take a different appraoch in building their mPOS solution and wanted to put a focus on the enterprise market. Shift4 offers specific solutions to hospitality, retail, food and beverage, eCommerce, and most other industries which are scalable from a single store to an international enterprise with franchise and company-owned locations.

    How is Shift4 working with Star Micronics?

    Shift4 is a software-as-a-service provider that was seeking the perfect hardware to compliment their solution. They decided to go with Star Micronics base on their reliable and advanced printer models. Shift4 has integrated throughout Star’s entire line of point of sale peripherals including desktop thermal and impact printers, portable printers, and the all-in-one mPOP™ peripheral. Shift4 currently supports Star Micronics’ SM-S220i, SM-S230i, and SM-T300i portable printers, the TSP650II BTi and WebPRNT thermal printer, the SP700 impact kitchen printer, and the mPOP™.

    What key benefits does the mPOP™ bring to Shift4 customers?

    Shift4 values customer communication and keeps in close contact to make sure that all of their customers are satisfied with their solution. The mPOP offers a compact solution that can work with any mobile device. Having the printer and cash drawer combined into one peripheral is a huge benefit in the mPOS space, and it is simple to operate.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-0tK2zvRSE]

    “In mobile point of sale, it’s important to have a solution that is versatile and doesn’t take up a lot of space. The mPOP combines the cash drawer and receipt printer into one compact form factor that it perfect for mPOS needs.” – Jeremy Fried, System Architect at Shift4.

     

  • Growing Restaurant Revenue with Mobile POS

    Growing Restaurant Revenue with Mobile POS

    Mobility is dominating the point of sale world. From table-side service, to tablet point of sale, mobility is making is easier for restaurant owners and operators to perform quick and painless transactions and give their customers the ideal dining-out experience. While some of the smaller, “mom and pop” restaurants may be hesitant to invest in a mobile point of sale (mPOS) system, they could be missing out on a huge boost in revenue by not upgrading. In addition to revenue increase, the adoption of an mPOS system could also mean an increase in tips for servers, making it easier to maintain low turnover rates.

    A report by Software Advice shows that mPOS can predominantly impact your servers’ commitment to upselling – therefore, increasing daily restaurant revenue. Upselling is a sales technique that restaurant server often use to induce the customer to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or add-ons when placing their order. This technique is commonly used by restaurant server because their calculated tip becomes higher with every dollar spent by the customer.

    How does mPOS impact upselling?

    In restaurant settings where the mPOS system is used for table-side service, the server may have a tablet in-hand entering the order as it is being placed. This can help remind the server to ask the customer if they would like to add a side of fries to their order or upgrade their drink to a larger size for only a dollar more. This is especially helpful for daily promotions or one-day offers that are not a part of the server’s regular order-taking routine.

    restaurant mPOS charts

    In the chart above provided by Software Advice, you can see that restaurants are not upselling as much as they could be. However, we can see that the majority of customers surveyed are more likely to make an order modification that was suggest by their server when dining out.

    The Mobile POS Checklist

    In case revenue increase isn’t reason enough to adopt a mobile point of sale system, we’ve outlined some additional benefits that mPOS can bring to restaurant businesses. According to an additional report done by Software Advice, 72% of restaurant owners request mobile restaurant POS software.

    First and foremost, you need an mPOS system that is simple enough for any server to fluently use. If you’re looking for a mobile solution that will allow for a table-side service, you must ensure that your mPOS software is quick and easy-to-use. If your servers are disrupting the order process by taking the time to search for items in the POS, it defeats the purpose of the table-side mPOS solution.

    Secondly, you will need a receipt printer that works seamlessly with your mPOS solution and will allow for a total transaction to be completed right at the table. It has been bound that engaging customers by having them complete the payment process right on the tablet can actually lead to an increase in tips. When this transaction is complete, servers equipped with portable, handheld receipt printers can kindly print and hand the customer their receipt without ever disrupting the transaction process.

    In addition to the ease of use and fluid transaction process, mPOS systems often offer features such as inventory management, loyalty, and customer data capture, that help you run your restaurant more efficiently.

    If you’re looking for an mPOS solution to take your restaurant business to the next level, be sure to check out Star’s line of portable receipt printers for your mobile point of sale needs.

  • 3 Critical Payment Trends to Watch This Year

    3 Critical Payment Trends to Watch This Year

    The past few years have brought rapid evolution and change to the payments industry, with the same growth expected in 2017. Retailers must remain aware of these developments to properly compete with other operations in their vertical market. Here is a close look at three critical payment trends that will prevail this year.

    Mobile Wallet Growth

    Statistics make a strong case for including increased momentum for mobile wallets on the list of significant payment trends to watch in 2017. This is especially true of mobile wallets that incorporate near field communication (NFC) technology.

    • According to a report by research firm Research and Markets, the global mobile wallet market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.5% between 2017 and 2021.
    • Technavio, another research firm, has predicted a similar CAGR (more than 35%) for mobile wallets through 2021.
    • A Capital One Wallet Survey conducted by Capital One late last year shows that nearly one-quarter (24%) of U.S. consumers use mobile wallets in some capacity.
    • More proof that the use of mobile wallet technology among consumers is trending up: Of 24% of Capital One survey respondents who claimed to utilize mobile wallet technology, more than 63% have been doing so for less than a year. This demonstrates rapid adoption and use of the technology in 2016, according to Capital One, with a similar pattern expected throughout 2017.

    Ongoing technological advanced in NFC devices and heightened security of payment portals rank among catalysts for the consistent growth of mobile payments and its high rank among key payment trends, according to Research and Markets and Technavio. Mobile wallet options such as integration with coupons and tickets are fueling the fire as well.

    Payment Security Push

    With perpetrators’ attempts as and methods for transaction fraud growing more sophisticated, increased and varied attempts to shore up payment security is one of the hottest payment trends. There is now a major move among U.S. merchants to migrate to point of sale (POS) equipment that accommodates microprocessor chip-enabled credit and debit cars (“chip cards”) under the umbrella of the Europay/Mastercard/Visa (EMV) liability shift that took effect in October of 2015.

    • The Payments Security Task Force, a consortium of payment networks, backs, credit unions, acquirers, retailers, POS device manufacturers, and industry trade groups, estimates that the shift to EMV will “reach 98%” by the end of this year.
    • According to Mastercard, 9 in 10 Americans now user chips cards, a 38 point year-over-year increase from 49% in 2015 to 87% in 2016. Payment trends cited in a recent Mastercard report includes additional increased in chip card usage in 2017.

    More mPOS

    Mobile point of sale (mPOS) and tablet POS devices are becoming a staple as merchants adopt mobile technology to assist with line-busting and speeding up transactions during peak traffic periods. What’s more, with innovations like Star Micronics’ new mPOP™ accessories, tablet POS devices can be used as a cost effective, fully functioning point of sale system. This versatility makes mPOS a hot ticket item in 2017.

    • According to a study conducted by Boston Retail Partners, almost half (49%) of retailers are using mobile solutions for sales staff. That’s up from less than a third (31%) from last year.

    Payment trends other than those discussed here may also take hold in 2017. However, the rise of mobile wallets and mPOS, coupled with a greater emphasis on payment security, merit special attention in the coming months.

    Learn more about the mPOP™, Mobile Point of Purchase, here.