From Hospitality to Enterprise: 8 Industries That Benefit from Portable EFTPOS

Hospitality retailing tends to be fast-paced, and there can be a direct correlation between efficiency and customer satisfaction. Restaurants, cafés, bars and similar venues can benefit from empowering staff with payment technology that lets them accept payments without sending customers to the counter. Tableside payments can create a smoother checkout process by eliminating unnecessary steps between customer, staff and terminal. As well as being more convenient for customers, it can help staff complete transactions quicker.

Portable solutions can also come in handy at cafés and venues during peak times. By freeing up payment transactions to locations other than the counter, staff have more flexibility to manage queues and serve customers wherever they are.

Retailers need to keep up with evolving customer expectations around payments. In addition to fixed checkout counters, portable payment terminals can offer useful flexibility when queues start to build.

Staff may also have greater flexibility to process transactions from different areas of the store, helping guide customers away from busy checkout lanes. Portable options can be particularly helpful during peak sale times, seasonal rushes or product launches.

Pop-up shops and market-style retail can also benefit from portable payment technology. When businesses don’t have access to a traditional counter, flexible payment solutions help ensure they can accept payments wherever they do business.

Health and beauty businesses are often highly personalised, so customer convenience should be considered as part of the overall experience. Salons, barber shops, spas, beauty therapists and wellness businesses can leverage portable payment technology to process transactions without customers needing to visit a main counter.

Payments may be processed at the treatment location or anywhere else in the business where appropriate. By streamlining the payment process, customers can enjoy a quicker transition after their service has been completed.

Portability also extends benefits to beauticians, mobile makeup artists and other beauty professionals who travel to customers’ locations. Being able to accept card and contactless payments on the go offers greater flexibility for both parties.

Tradies and service professionals rarely work from a brick-and-mortar store all day. Service-based workers like electricians, plumbers, landscapers, technicians and more spend a large portion of their day visiting customers’ homes and job sites.

Portable payment technology provides these businesses with an opportunity to accept payment onsite rather than relying solely on invoices or bank transfers. The benefit to customers is simple and immediate card payment options.

Service-based businesses can also benefit from streamlining payments at the time services are provided. Offering customers choice and accommodating their payment preferences can help speed up payment times and reduce some admin work related to chasing payments.

Automotive businesses are another industry that works in a variety of locations and settings. Portable payment terminals can be useful for workshops, dealerships, mobile servicing and even roadside assistance. Technicians and mechanics may encounter customers who want to pay on the spot (rather than invoicing) when their vehicle is collected. Portable terminals allow transactions to be processed without sending customers back to the shop front.

Similarly, mobile mechanics can use portable terminals to accept payments from customers’ locations. This also creates a convenience factor for the customer by eliminating the need to travel back to the workshop for card payments. Car dealerships and automotive service centres may also find portable payment technology useful for processing deposits, service payments or attending to customers across larger sites.

Customers tend to move around leisure and recreation venues more often than they would at a regular storefront. Gyms, sporting facilities, entertainment venues, recreational centres and activity providers are just some examples where portable payments can be useful. Whether processing membership fees, activities, food, merchandise or add-on services, having a portable terminal allows businesses to accept payments away from main transaction desks.

Outdoor operators and mobile recreation businesses can benefit significantly from a portable business payment solution. Tours, classes and activities conducted away from traditional storefronts need to be able to take card payments on the go.

Streamlining payments can help recreation businesses reduce friction for their customers from booking or showing up, all the way through to the payment transaction.

Events can also benefit from portable payment terminals due to the nature of how customers are served. Businesses may need to process hundreds (if not thousands) of transactions over a few hours, depending on the size and scale of the event.

Food stalls, merchandise booths, entry ticketing and temporary pop-up shops all require flexible payment options. Portable terminals allow vendors to process transactions away from main entrances or payment hubs.

Finally, enterprise businesses can benefit from flexibility across departments, teams and locations. Larger organisations can use portable payment terminals to complement multiple staff members and groups.

From large retail chains to hospitality groups and multi-location service businesses, portable solutions allow teams to accept payments away from traditional checkouts.

Some enterprise-level businesses may also benefit from having different types of payment solutions serving different needs. Portable terminals allow businesses to complement their countertop machines by allocating additional payment devices to high-traffic areas.

Helping customers is often at the heart of every business, and finding ways to improve payment transactions helps simplify the customer journey.