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At PadGadget, we track how the iPad changes the ways people work and live. Thanks to the growth of point-of-sale apps including Square and GoPayment, the iPad has changed retailers ideas about what a cash register looks like. I witnessed this change first hand last summer in Shelburne, VT, at Folino’s, an up-start wood-fired pizza joint that didn’t have a traditional cash register, just an iPad and Square to take credit card payments. It was the first time I signed a receipt with my finger, and I doubt it will be my last.
According to the New York Times, not only have many small businesses implemented iPad-based alternatives to cash registers, but enterprising accessory makers who aim to capture this new market are cropping up as well. Folino’s just had their iPad in a simple stand, but it’s easy to see how some retailers might need a built-in cash drawer or want to secure the iPad to their work surface to prevent theft.
Small businesses from coast to coast have opted to replace their bulky cash registers with sleek iPads. From simple stands, such as the Windfall, to the substantial bamboo cash box from Happy Owl retailers, retailers now have a number of choices designed just for taking payments. A retailer can even buy a point-of-sale case on Etsy.
A traditional point-of-sale system costs thousands of dollars. In contrast, even the pricier iPad-centered models are more affordable, and, let’s be honest, they look really great.
Retailers aren’t the only ones changing how we behave at check-out time. It’s likely that apps such as Apple’s Passbook will only increase the number of transactions we manage on a phone or a tablet. Thanks to Passbook I can’t remember the last time I’ve opened my wallet at a Starbucks.
Ultimately, retailers and consumers both just want convenient, safe payment systems. Cheers to the enterprising artisans who are creating accessories that make the iPad look good while it’s doing its job.
» Related posts:
Urban Outfitters Replaces Cash Registers with iPads
Square Releases Loyalty Programs, Updates Register for iPad
Square’s ‘Business in a Box’ Bundle Turns iPad into a Physical Cash Register
