Questions about POS Pizza

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tmp
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Questions about POS Pizza

Post by tmp »

I have some questions regarding POS Pizza.

First, let's assume we are using the free version. (We might get started with the free version, but upgrade if we like it.)

Can we use our own credit card processing? If so, are there any charges to do that?

If we can use our own credit card processing, how do we integrate it in the POS Pizza? I am reading that the processor's software needs to be installed. What is that referring to? For example, if it is Mercury or Authorize.net, what software is it referring to? Also, what is the integration module?

How do we make sure it is PCI compliant?

The online ordering is free, correct?

Do you recommend any online backup services such as Carbonite?

What is the difference between the points system and the other system that gives customers a 3% credit? Which do you recommend?

Do you have a list of equipment that is supported other than the link to POS World? I am looking to compare equipment and find what is the cheapest and easiest to set up.

For the online ordering, it is processed through Charge-It-Pro, correct? What are their credit card processing rates like? Can we use another processor for online orders?

Thank you.
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Scott
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Re: Questions about POS Pizza

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tmp wrote:Can we use our own credit card processing? If so, are there any charges to do that?
You can use any credit processor along-side the POS system. In this mode it won't be integrated and you can process the card on a counter top terminal, or a software based terminal, and then mark the order paid by credit card in POS Pizza. There are quite a few people who use the POS system in this manner. You just need to be careful that cash orders don't accidentally get marked credit, or vise-verse.
If we can use our own credit card processing, how do we integrate it in the POS Pizza? I am reading that the processor's software needs to be installed. What is that referring to? For example, if it is Mercury or Authorize.net, what software is it referring to? Also, what is the integration module?
We only offer 2 processors at the moment who have fully integrated to the POS system. We are working on a 3rd, and you always have the option to hire a programmer to help write a custom one-off integration for your processor. We will only integrate with those processors who help keep the POS software "out-of-scope" for the PA-DSS requirements. This means that the POS system runs the sale, and then hands off the payment portion to the processor's software. They take it from there, collect the card data, transmit it, process it, and then return a result back to POS Pizza. At no time does any sensitive credit card data get handled by POS Pizza directly during this process. This keeps costs way down for us, and allows us to 1) offer a free version, and 2) keep the price of our software where it currently is.

If we produce any software that processes credit cards, it has to go through a very expensive certification process annually, and every single time any part of the POS system is changed, regardless of whether or not it has anything to do with the card processing portion. This is why we only work with those processors who produce their own software. A restaurant owner on the other hand is free to hire a programmer to write a "custom" software package to do the processing and integration, and that software would not fall under the PA-DSS certification process, since it is a one-off custom package for use by the creator. Software that is for sale to others falls under a different set of rules.
How do we make sure it is PCI compliant?
The software needs to be PA-DSS compliant or provide a statement that it is out-of-scope, which is what POS Pizza does. The merchant has to be PCI compliant. PCI compliance involves much more than card processing software. It involves employee policies, network layouts, and diagramming and documenting of the networks as well as other sets of general practices. POS Pizza helps you with the software side, by giving you the tools to easily implement the password requirements set by PCI. You can either do this on a global scale by enabling a single checkbox in setup, or you can do it on a user-by-user basis. POS Pizza also logs all of the required events as set forth by the PCI council. The processor that you choose will also help you with PCI compliance by usually offering scanning services and a help desk. POS Pizza has a best practices doc that you may want to look over for a better understanding. The actual POS system and its databases DO NOT have any sensitive customer credit card data in them anyway.
The online ordering is free, correct?
No, it requires a node license in order to process the orders. The cost for the additional node license is $175. If you already have an extra node license on-hand, then you would not need to purchase one. POS Pizza's base package includes a single node license. Modules that utilize the node licenses are those that can create orders. Those modules are; Main POS, Dine-In, and Online Ordering. What this means is that if you want to run any additional instances of the Main POS (more than one), or run any of the other modules, you need enough licenses to run them all concurrently. A 2-order station system with online ordering would be $825 total ($475+$175+$175). Additional node licenses can be added on at anytime as your needs grow.
Do you recommend any online backup services such as Carbonite?
We have many customers using online services and that is fine. We just recommend that the system is backed up regularly by any means. We have a backup method that is fairly quick and easy, but someone has to do it. If you want automatic unattended backups, then either a 3rd party backup software package, or the online services make great options. All of POS Pizza's critical data is stored in a single file, so it is simple to back up.
What is the difference between the points system and the other system that gives customers a 3% credit? Which do you recommend?
The 3% system is an external rewards processor. Using that system the rewards can be earned (and spent) at not only your store, but other participating merchants in your area, and around the nation.

The points system is tied directly to that customer's in-house account, and is only good at your store. You can decide which one best meets your needs, or even use both together.
Do you have a list of equipment that is supported other than the link to POS World? I am looking to compare equipment and find what is the cheapest and easiest to set up.
There is no specific list, but as of April 2014, you want to avoid Windows XP if you are processing cards, because it is no longer accepted by the PCI council as a compliant operating system. I would recommend any system running Windows 7, or newer (avoid Vista if at all possible). Any PC that can comfortably run the OS can run POS Pizza. If you are going to be running a client and server on a single PC, then make sure that, that PC has 8GB of RAM installed so that it can handle the server task easily in the background. If you will have your server installed on a back office PC that doesn't get used as much 4GB will suffice. Many of our clients purchase off-lease refurb PCs from places like Amazon.com or Tiger Direct. These PCs can be acquired in many cases for around $200 and will function well.

We also recommend the Epson printers for the most part. You are free to use any printer of your choosing, but most of the issues that customers have with compatibility and getting everything to function correctly are caused by off-brand printers that are supposedly "Epson compatible". They usually get them working, but they end up spending a few hours extra playing around with the settings. Sometimes this extra time is not worth the $20 savings over the Epson brand printers.

Cash drawers are pretty simple too, as long as they can easily be triggered by the printer, or a computer port (serial or parallel) and you have the codes needed to trigger it, then you should be able to get it working. USB drawers have to emulate a COM port in order to work with POS Pizza.

Mag Card readers should be the keyboard wedge type, and can be USB, or inline. They should have the ability to run a setup app so that the output format can be Mag-Tek compatible. This can be tested using Notepad in Windows.
For the online ordering, it is processed through Charge-It-Pro, correct? What are their credit card processing rates like? Can we use another processor for online orders?
I don't know their rates, but you can call them at (800) 989-2135 and they should be able to answer that for you.

You can use other payment processors as long as you can setup the needed HTML form to process the order. We have one customer who has linked it to PayPal. The one difference is that the other processor will process the card, and then you will need to manually mark the order as paid in the POS system. The other processor will need some way to notify you that an order has been paid, either by fax or email. With ChargeItPro, the entire process is automated. Once they get a good result on the card, their system notifies the online ordering system using a secured and encrypted response that is processed and verified by the online ordering server, which then completes the order, marking it paid.

We may look into a way in the future that other 3rd party processors can mark orders as paid, but the security and a one-size-fits-all option are what the problem is. Most processors all do the responses slightly differently and to have security, you need a private key that only you and the processor possess. That way the data going over the wire, is secure and cannot be modified or tampered with. After all, you don't want your customers to be able to mark their orders as paid themselves without actually paying for them.


Scott
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