No EMV or NFC? No problem. First Data’s Clover announced a Bluetooth POS card reader capable of handling mag stripe, EMV, and NFC payments, according to the following article.
Global payment technology company First Data announced on Monday that it has launched what it describes as the “first fully integrated Bluetooth payment card reader.” With its very own contactless reader, the Clover point-of-sale system will now have a single device from which participating merchants can accept payments through card swipes, EMV, and NFC transactions — including Apple, Android, and Samsung Pay.
With First Data’s contactless reader, customers can tap their smartphone, swipe their debit or credit card, or dip their chip card into the device and be on their way.
Additional benefits that are being touted include support for Clover’s terminal plan — merchants enrolled in this offering can bundle the contactless reader into their system without needing a new merchant IT or upgrading, in-app troubleshooting and device diagnostics, ability to manage inventory items displayed in-app with its “show-in register” feature, access to web-based apps through the Clover app market, and more.
The device — built off First Data’s Clover Go product introduced in January — features user rights management and can work in multiple locations.
This may be the company’s first contactless reader, but it’s certainly not alone in the market, as Square rolled its reader out in November. With more momentum swinging toward mobile payment offerings, such as Apple Pay and Android Pay, merchants without scalable solutions will feel like they’re behind the curve and risk possibly losing a sale.
The new Clover POS device is noteworthy and offers something for everyone. Given the variety of payment methods available to consumers, merchants of all sizes will benefit on this new product. Even though users have been slower to adopt than anticipated, Apple, Android, and Samsung Pay adoption will continue the rise as well. Many cardholders still hold cards with and without EMV chips, so merchants should welcome having a one-size-fits-all POS device.
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Associate Director, Research Services at Mercator Advisory Group
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