Overview of Apple's New iPod Touch-Based EasyPay Retail Store Checkout System

[podblack]

we had a kid (seriously he was 17) that figured all this out and over about 3 months was taking the sign up forms and the journal and copying down info when he closed alone.

In 2004, there were new laws passed to combat that. Any merchant using swipers or what-have-you was required to update their machines to display only the expiration date and last four digits on receipts and journals. I remember having to do this, as each terminal took about a half-hour to update. They'd phone home at 2400 bps, and do a flash...doesn't sound like much, but it is at sublight speeds.


This Apple Store solution has us excited though. Our company provides ticketing and e-commerce support for nightclubs, record labels, and musicians. Right now, I'm on tour with one of the world's top DJs, doing e-commerce and ticketing support at each of his shows. We use 4 Symbol/Motorola MC7090 scanners all running to a Netgear Wi-Fi access point, which then gets the data off of my Macbook. Our system is platform-agnostic (it's a web app) except on the POS/handheld end, where we were pretty much limited to Symbol and thus, Windows Mobile. For a "Mac shop" such as ourselves, this was horrid, but then again we got the MCs for free (long story) so we dealt with it, all the while hoping for a laser barcode scanning attachment for iPods/iPhones.

Basically, our system works like airline e-tickets. You purchase, print out a barcode, and our system checks you in at the event.

Now, the Symbol scanners and charging docks are clunky and huge. I carry a big road case with 4 scanners, power, and their chargers. Costly for touring since it's checked luggage.

4 iPod "POS" units and their docks? That could go in my jacket pockets.

Are they ugly by Apple standards? Sure, but they're a sight prettier than the Symbol units. And iPods, we can really sell to image-conscious nightclubs. They love the system, but the Symbol scanners don't go over so well. One guy commented "Oh, it's a lifesaver but with this thing I feel like the checkout guy at the Apple Store..."

So, Apple, if you're watching, you've got one merchant/retail/commerce operation right here that will buy these things in droves.

 

[OllyW]

I take it you don't have a credit card?

I take it you are American.

 

[RazHyena]

That's pretty cool.

 

[jweinraub]

Stylus? I thought the touchscreen wouldn't work with a stylus.

They already make styluses for iPhone/iPod Touch. You simply can't use one that is plastic. You need one that is metal that can simulate the electrical stimulus your finger possess.

 

[ShiftyPig]

From an Apple Store perspective, was the problem really the machines, or the fact that sales staff is too busy pontificating about all things Apple to ring up my $15 screen protector

From a wider perpsective it's pretty cool; granted - other apps have given you the ability to charge credit cards for awhile now. But nothing has been properly done up like this utilizing the dock capabilities.

 

[Xavier]

Interesting idea. Maybe this will help unclog the already overcrowded Apple store here in Columbus.

Had a hard time getting to the Genius for my battery repair last time I was there.

 

[hugo7]

The versatility of the device

Once again, this underscores Apple's sensible decision to use a minimalist design for their iPhone / iPod touch. No physical keyboard and no superfluous front-facing buttons (just the one unlabeled home button). The device looks like neither a phone nor a music player, nor a game machine, nor a book reader... or whatever

It's always been (capable of) more than that.

 

[jweinraub]

Am I the only here that knows the N in PIN stands for Number? So PIN Numbers? Personal Identification Number Number?

Come on guys, seriously!

 

[Saladinos]

Apple runs some of the busiest stores around. They frequently deal with large numbers of people queueing for the latest product, and even on normal days they can be crazy packed. When you can run stores like those on Regent Street and 5th Ave., you have masses of experience.

It would make sense for Apple to offer consultancy to other large stores (as they recently did for Disney) and part of that would be their iPod-based POS terminals. There could be substantial new revenues in that, and the brand-building power of having everyone in lots of extremely popular stores using iPods every time they make a sale is huge. Every time they make a sale they'll be selling the iPod, too.

But the idea of using iPods rather than Easypay as your POS just makes sense, and it looks like it's been done well.

 

[RoboCop001]

Am I the only here that knows the N in PIN stands for Number? So PIN Numbers? Personal Identification Number Number?

Come on guys, seriously!

Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny oversight on an acronym and your blood boils in 13 seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats! And just wait till you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian acronyms. See if you're still so relaxed when you're brain is exploding!!

Acronyms are disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence!!!!

 

[podblack]

There could be substantial new revenues in that, and the brand-building power of having everyone in lots of extremely popular stores using iPods every time they make a sale is huge. Every time they make a sale they'll be selling the iPod, too.

Precisely what I'm getting at for our operation. Our product is being adopted by some of the trendiest nightspots, artists, and music-related companies around, and having an Apple device checking in thousands of the most tuned-in people in the world is priceless. Already, on-site, venues tell patrons that need to talk to us directly as, "Find the guy with the Macbook", as every other ticketing system is either paper or Windows-based.

 

[andiwm2003]

finally a stylus.

i hope they become available and will be supported in apps for consumers as well!

They have been available for ages.

if you mean this horrible blunt cheap things that are no app is designed to work with at all then yes, they have been available for ages..

 

[Glemery]

I take it you are American.

Ahhh yes - we do believe the world revolves around us....don't we?

 

[ChazUK]

A ruggedised iPod touch that can be used in retail stores.

Clever stuff Apple!

 

[podblack]

A ruggedised iPod touch that can be used in retail stores.

Clever stuff Apple!

Rugged is key. We drop and toss our Symbol scanners all the time. The Symbol ones are about as rugged as you can get on the civilian market.

 

[ChazUK]

Rugged is key. We drop and toss our Symbol scanners all the time. The Symbol ones are about as rugged as you can get on the civilian market.

I use a Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 at work and love it.

Ruggedised hardware is FANTASTIC for the workplace. People who tout "ugly" about the thing don't appreciate what those things are likely to be put through.

 

[jeremy.king]

I'll never use this until they add a retina scanner - LAME! Sorry, couldn't resist - wanted to be "that guy"

For those wondering, Symbol (now Motorola) use to have a nice piece of the portable POS market and their platform of choice was PocketPC/WinMo.

Glad to see Apple come up with an iTouch based alternative.

 

[charlituna]

In 2004, there were new laws passed to combat that.

as I am aware, having been at said store doing the updates.

Our company provides ticketing and e-commerce support for nightclubs, record labels, and musicians.

there are 3 party solutions that would probably work for you as well. since this apple one is not promised to go wild and even if it does it won't likely for a good year while they fine tune it. and even then it might be only the cradle and you'd have to write or have someone write, the software.

i know i've seen barcode apps that use the camera in the phone

 

[stagi]

Is this enclosure apples or are they using a 3rd party? This would be a nice little add on for small business. I currently use the credit card terminal app but have to manually key in the info.

 

[podblack]

and even then it might be only the cradle and you'd have to write or have someone write, the software.

i know i've seen barcode apps that use the camera in the phone

We just want the cradle. Our in-house dev team codes exclusively on OS X, and has written several iPhone/touch apps already. Talked with one of them this morning, and he says he could add scanning in about a week if he could get his hands on the cradle. You can actually go to the clubs in MGM Grand and see VIP hostesses using iPod touches to check their clients in. We just want the cradle .

We thought about the camera, but it is too slow to decode. When you have a 5,000 person show at an arena, every second counts, and a laser/LED speeds up read-time enormously. It needs to read and process the code in under a second. Beep, green, go, beep, green, go.

So yeah, we're giddy about this and hope that:

A) Apple offers the cradle or cradle/touch somehow.

B) The OEM of the cradle is someone we know already and they plan to offer it on their own. It wouldn't surprise me if Symbol makes it...

 

[skate71290]

I'm guessing the plastic is necessary for the magnetic card reader to work. It is ugly, but it's also probably designed to take a lot of abuse and be replaced cheaply. Cool idea! The best thing ever to be associated with Windows CE was the Dreamcast.

i don't get it... i went to the Apple Store to purchase an iPod Shuffle... on the old systems this Apple Store person asked me which one i wanted... got it out scanned it with a handheld device (presume this is the Windows CE?)... entered my Card and Chip and Pin on the device (no signature) and she even emailed my receipt.... and the new devices don't accept chip and pin? think it is a step back.. unless the swipe card is American only?

 

[Bubba Satori]

i don't get it... i went to the Apple Store to purchase an iPod Shuffle... on the old systems this Apple Store person asked me which one i wanted... got it out scanned it with a handheld device (presume this is the Windows CE?)... entered my Card and Chip and Pin on the device (no signature) and she even emailed my receipt.... and the new devices don't accept chip and pin? think it is a step back.. unless the swipe card is American only?

No, it's a step forward because it's made by Apple, even though functionally, it might be a step backward. It certainly needs to be more stylish, thinner and lighter. Oh, snap.

 

[notjustjay]

FWIW, the PIN pad hardware is actually selected and purchased by the retailer (they can buy whatever meets their needs), ... the processor takes whatever hardware that the retailer buys and injects their (the processors) encryption algorithm into them.

Fair enough. I don't know how it works for a large merchant, but I know for a small business like the one I volunteer with, we sign up for an account with a payment processing service (we use Global Payments) and they offer us a choice from a couple of different hardware units depending on our specific needs.

 

[notjustjay]

One case years ago involved a very well designed, very miniature, secondary card reader being placed right at the butt end of the card swipe slot. Some store employee hired on specifically to augment the card swipe machines to grab as many credit card numbers they could. Management was clueless and the merchant vendor assumed it was a factory augmentation for added features.

This sort of thing still happens. I've heard similar stories here in Ottawa. You can look for problems by doing two things: one, if they hand you the terminal to swipe your card, turn it over quickly and double-check that the screws haven't been tampered with. They should be covered by security tape. Two, if you can sight down the line where your card is going to be swiped, make sure you only see one magnetic swipe head. If you see two, don't use the machine.

 

[aristobrat]

and the new devices don't accept chip and pin? think it is a step back.. unless the swipe card is American only?

My guess is that the swipe thing is for countries that don't use chip and pin, like America.

Most Americans have never heard of chip and pin, so that's probably why it wasn't mentioned in the article.

Fair enough. I don't know how it works for a large merchant, but I know for a small business like the one I volunteer with, we sign up for an account with a payment processing service (we use Global Payments) and they offer us a choice from a couple of different hardware units depending on our specific needs.

Ah, that would definitely make life easier (having the processor give you a choice). I wonder if they give the bigger merchants more leeway, since the merchants need the terminals to integrate directly with their POS systems and such?