Dutch retail chain Hema is to trial a software-only point-of-sale (sPOS) solution that enables staff to accept contactless payments on any Android smartphone or tablet without needing any additional hardware or accessories.

The retailer is piloting the solution that supports contactless payments made with Mastercard, Visa, Maestro and V Pay cards or via Apple Pay and Google Pay at three of its department stores in the Netherlands and plans to roll it out on a larger scale if the trial proves successful.

The app — known as SoftPOS — has been developed by Dutch bank ING and payment solutions provider CCV in order to “provide a better customer experience and provide new possibilities for the retail and hospitality sector to use staff more flexibly”.

“The app allows business owners to use portable smart devices like mobile phones and tablets as payment terminals for contactless payments. To do this, business owners must install the new ING and CCV app on their device along with their mobile checkout app,” CCV says.  

“This offers new possibilities for retailers and the catering industry. For example, they can use their staff more flexibly: an employee assisting a customer with a purchase can immediately accept the payment there and then, rather than going to a cash register.

“It also allows business owners to serve more customers with the same store size while customers have a more pleasant and seamless shopping experience. When the shop assistant has the app installed on his device, the customer can easily make contactless payments.”

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Learn more: Android, Apple Pay, Cashless, Contactless, Contactless mobile payment (CMP), Customer experience, Google Pay, Maestro, Mastercard, Merchant services, NFC Mobile Payments, Pilot, Retail, SoftPOS, software POS (sPOS), Trial, V Pay, Visa

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