Catuity system gets 'older POS terminal' support
US-based loyalty software solutions provider, Catuity, is to launch two new software products for POS-based transaction service providers, to make it easier for Catuity's technology partners to incorporate its loyalty system into point-of-sale (POS) products for small and medium-sized merchants.
The two new products will expand the number of small and medium-sized merchants that can use the firm's systems, as older POS equipment which would not normally be able to support Catuity's loyalty application can now be integrated more easily.
Older terminals The PTS Toolkit for enhanced magnetic card support enables third party support of the Catuity application on the majority of the point of sale devices currently installed in the US. The Catuity loyalty programme engine that manages loyalty logic has traditionally been resident on the terminal itself.
That approach is appropriate for applications where smart cards, memory cards, and magnetic stripe cards are already supported by the POS terminal. However, it requires a modern style of terminals that are not yet widely deployed.
"This development creates a number of new opportunities for our VARs, merchant service organisations, and processors to adopt the Catuity gift card and loyalty solution on POS terminals they already support," said Jonathan Adams, Catuity's vice president of business development.
The kit also includes sample source code that will work on Verifone Verix, Banksys C-ZAM, Schlumberger MagIC, and Ingenico terminals, and which can be ported to other devices.
This addition to Catuity's product line creates a seamless migration path for merchants, processors and issuers who want to offer traditional mag stripe programmes and simultaneously participate in the smart card and RFID value added programmes currently being supported by Visa and MasterCard.
Loyalty over the counter The second product, Loyalty Over the Counter, provides memory card support. The addition of a memory card with a much lower cost than the smart cards currently issued by banks allows Catuity to provide a complete package which processors can resell to their independent sales organisations.
The product allows a retailer to activate and issue a loyalty card at the point of sale, in the same way a gift card is usually dispensed. The off-line feature of the memory card is said to enable processors to package the product with a fixed monthly price, regardless of the number of transactions performed, creating a fixed cost package with a reduced overall cost of operation.
"This is a key selling feature for the ISO community," noted Adams. "The memory card capability allows merchants to accept any traditional payment card along with a loyalty card, and have both function with only one phone call or access online to process payment approval."
More Info: