Point Of Sale Communications Software: Fill & Download for Free

Answer: Yes, a rather new and important one, Apple Multi-Point Transaction System. Filed on March 8th 2010, granted on July 5th 2011.There Is A Patent For ThatToday (7/5/2011) Apple was granted patent number 7,971,782 that directly covers a number of remarkable Point Of Sale (POS) systems use cases on mobile wireless devices, like an iPhone or iPad for example. Apparently the USTPO found no compelling Prior Art to decline this patent.Khawaja Shams, the inventor of record for this Apple patent has described what is in effect the infrastructure of the Apple Store POS architecture (EasyPay, RetailMe, etc).Abstract:Multi-point transaction systemComputer implemented systems and methods for conducting transactions are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes receiving transaction information corresponding to a transaction initiated with one of a plurality of handheld computing devices. The handheld computing device is associated with one of a plurality of payment terminals. The transaction is completed and the association between the handheld computing device and the payment terminal is terminated.http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=14&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=Apple.ASNM.&OS=AN/Apple&RS=AN/AppleThis is quite a landmark patent as it may have a direct impact on many companies that have similar ideas in the manner Apple does for retail POS system using iOS devices and other mobile devices.The patent describes the use of a Magnetic Card reader and/or Bar Code scanning system interfaced (possibly using a camera) with the appropriate software and networks to allow for complete operation.In addition it primally describes a system that pairs multiple devices together in a secured system that can be made in an ad-hoc basis (see Fig. 2 above). Also note that the pairing could be with a Payment Card terminal, yet how Apple defined the Payment Card terminal it could mean any computerized device that would transact Payment Card Data from the Magnetic Strip or Bar Code data from the Barcode reader.There are many points of contact this patent will have on the Payments Industry when using mobile devices as a POS and/or Payment Card Reader. It is very intresting to note Apple's patent grants both internal and external Magnetic Card Readers and Barcode Scanners.The invention claimed is:1. A computer implemented method comprising: receiving a request to temporarily pair a roaming point-of-sale system and a payment terminal, the request to pair identifying the specific roaming point-of-sale system and specific payment terminal on a network; sending a pairing code to the roaming point-of-sale system for display; receiving a verification that the pairing code that was sent to the roaming point-of-sale system was entered into the payment terminal; and creating an association between the roaming point-of-sale system and the payment terminal.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the roaming point-of-sale system is one of plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems and the payment terminal is one of a plurality of payment terminals.3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: disassociating the roaming point-of-sale system from the payment terminal after a transaction has been completed.4. The method of claim 2, wherein the pairing code is a randomly generated code.5. A product comprising: a machine-readable medium; and machine-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the method comprising receiving data, by a roaming point-of-sale system, identifying a selected payment terminal chosen from a plurality of payment terminals; sending a request to pair with the selected payment terminal, the request including data identifying the selected payment terminal; receiving a communication verifying that the roaming point-of-sale system is paired with the payment terminal; sending purchase price data associated with a product to the payment terminal; concluding a sale of the product; and terminating the paired relationship between the roaming point-of-sale system and the payment terminal.6. The product of claim 5, wherein the receiving data identifying a selected payment terminal is data received by decoding a barcode associated with the payment terminal.7. The product of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a pairing code; and displaying the pairing code on a display, whereby a user can read the pairing code and enter it into the selected payment terminal to confirm that the payment terminal is properly identified before receiving the confirmation verifying the pairing.8. The product of claim 5, wherein the concluding a sale includes receiving payment confirmation data.9. The product of claim 5, wherein the concluding a sale includes sending the product data and payment confirmation data to an in-store server.10. A system comprising: a plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems, each configured to pair with any one of a plurality of payment terminals; the plurality of payment terminals, each configured to pair with any one of the plurality of handheld computing devices; an in-store server including a processor; and a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for causing the processor of the in-store server to perform a method comprising: associating one of the plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems with one of the plurality of payment terminals; routing communications between the associated roaming point-of-sale system and the associated payment terminal to facilitate a sales transaction; and terminating the association between the roaming point-of-sale system and the payment terminal upon completion of the sales transaction.11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems includes a barcode scanner, and each of the plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems are configured to scan product identifying information using the barcode scanner.12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the associating one of the plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems with one of the plurality of payment terminals includes receiving data identifying a payment terminal.13. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the associating one of the plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems with one of the plurality of payment terminals includes issuing a pairing code to the one of the plurality of roaming point-of-sale systems.14. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the plurality of payment terminals are configured to accept instructions from the server to display a form to receive a pairing code, and is further configured to accept the pairing code.15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the server receives confirmation that the pairing code has been properly entered into one of the plurality of payment terminals, and as directed by the computer executable instructions stored on the server, performing the associating.16. A method of completing a retail sales transaction comprising: scanning a barcode on a product package to identify product information using a roaming point-of-sale system, wherein the roaming point-of-sale system is one of a plurality of such systems on a network; receiving data identifying a payment terminal, wherein the payment terminal is one of a plurality of such terminals on the network; pairing the roaming point-of-sale system with the payment terminal as a result of a pairing code being entered into the payment terminal, the pair code first having been received at the roaming point-of-sale system and displayed thereon; sending the product information to the payment terminal; receiving a payment processed message from the payment terminal which signals that the sales transaction is complete; and unpairing the roaming point-of-sale system from the payment terminal.17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: sending a record of the sales transaction to an in-store server.18. The method of claim 16, wherein a record of the pairing is recorded by an in-store server.19. The method of claim 16, wherein an in-store server facilitates the pairing by transmitting the pairing code.Part Of An Apple Retail Store Patent And Quite A Bit MoreApple has a very unique approach to retail sales. They have pioneered the concept of the decentralized POS environment. Many companies have created new products built around this experience. This is just one patent of more to come that will try to limit how the Apple retail experience will take form outside of Apple. There are quite a number of patents that Apple has applied for and would likely be granted that cover just about every aspect of the experience including how receipts are produced and generated.The Apple Multi-point transaction system patent may send a number of companies back to the drawing board to find a way around the Apple intellectual property. I have already identified some rather creative ways to become unaffected by the Apple Multi-point transaction system patent. I am aware of a few companies that have or will have a Payment Card Processing system using iOS devices and Android devices that would need to readdress most of the processes and products they may have or will release.I am particularly concerned with the unreleased product of one company, a rather high profile company that would be clearly impacted somewhat by this patent.At the very least, Apple has today positioned itself to be a major part of the Retail payments industry, if even indirectly. It would seem that quite a number of companies would also at the very least, need to be granted a license for use of the Apple intellectual property.

The Australian retail space has had some challenges in the recent past due to the growing preference for e-commerce platforms, weak wage growth, and increasing price pressure. However, this does not mean that the sector lacks vibrancy.There is always a retail store opening daily and with it a demand for point of sale systems. For starters, Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world with over 90% of its population living in urban areas. The reality of urban living means that retail will continue playing a vital role for many years to come.Point of sale has evolved from just an ordinary cash register into systems that can be integrated with accounting systems and even credit card service providers. For the first time, buyers or even seasoned retailers looking for a quality point of sale providers can’t settle on a given brand can be daunting given the high number of providers offering similar services.A point of sale is made up of two components: the hardware and the software. Software components can be divided into two parts: on-premise & cloud.The hardware component comprises of the following:Barcode scanner: for automating the checkout processDesktop/tablet: Display product database and enables other functions such as viewing sales reports etc.Credit card reader: processing credit card paymentsCash drawer: Secures cash received.Some of the key features to look-out on a point of sale include:Pricing: pricing will defer based on features, brands, etc. That said, cheap might be expensive in the long-run. Ultimately, your business demands and future scalability should be an issue here.Integration: integration will enable you to use a variety of tools simultaneously by letting applications communicate with each other. This will enable you to save on time and generate reports on demand.Support: A POS with 24/7 support is preferableUsability: the POS system should be easy to set-up and use. Besides, the training manual should be easy to use and possibly come with a video tutorial.Payment methods: Go beyond the traditional payment methods that were centered on cash and credit cards. For the modern world, you need a POS that also supports mobile payments.Customer-facing display: this is particularly important in service industries such as restaurants. The customer can watch as the transaction happens in real-time ensuring transparency especially as they can point out mistakes before the transaction is settled.Loyalty programs: this is not mandatory, but it helps to have them inbuilt. They help to ensure that customer loyalty is built by tracking customer purchases and positively rewarding such customers.Dashboard: This gives a snapshot of how your business is doing. You can track which products are moving, which have a lag, and appropriately make changes.When settling for point of sales providers in Australia, go for companies that not only deliver quality but are also able to ensure that once your business is scaled, there is no need to constantly replace your point of sales.

Of course, there is software, which would sync with any POS. Most POS software will also communicate with inventory levels to keep everything in balance. A lot of big-box stores have wildly expensive POS solutions, some of which were custom built for their needs. Smaller retailers are moving away from these traditional POS systems and toward the cloud based point of sale solutions. In our fast and busy life, we really need something that will save our time, developing web applications. Magento and Shopping.CartElite, etc. are some of the big boys providing POS system.The first one, Magento, is a big and popular platform, but it is not developer-friendly and needs to be less complicated. It has good support and not bad management, but you’ll also need to budget for a payment processor, host, domain name, and additional security since Magento doesn’t come with PCI compliance out of the box.The second one, Shopping.CartElite, is an also big e-commerce platform. Their software will turn your online store into an automated one, so you need not to worry about the functionality of front end or back end as their expert team will take care of all that and more. This is not a single database - but it works pretty well with a quick response time at POS and no need to enter data twice in each system.Disclosure: I am a consultant of e-commerce platforms for businesses.