Integrated payments provider Payment Processing Inc. has partnered with New West Technologies, marking PPI’s entrance into the expanding mobile handheld point-of-sale industry.

PPI claims that its integration with the Mobile X POS system from New West enables secure, on-the-spot payment processing within a handheld device containing the same functionality as traditional POS applications. The Mobile X platform is designed for businesses in need of standalone applications, but requiring the flexibility of mobile commerce.

“Together New West and PPI partnered to provide a fully functioning mobile POS solution with integrated payment processing to mobile merchants,” said Dan King, president of New West, Portland, OR. “In today’s payment marketplace, there are many announcements and products that are simply replicating the functionality of a credit card terminal on a hand held device.

“Mobile POS is a robust POS application deployed and designed for mobile devices,” he said. “New West developed the MXP product and integrated PPI’s PayMover hosted payment service for credit-card processing.”

New West is an integrator of retail point-of-sale software platforms specializing in business computer networking and retail software development and installation.

PPI partners with software developers and their customers, delivering integrated payment services.

Mobile commerce at the POS
Potential markets for the mobile commerce POS platform include food trucks, transportation, stadiums, ticketing, charitable giving and event/festival sales.

Bricks-and-mortar operations can also benefit with the extension of sales to tradeshows, conferences and similar functions, per New West.

While the product has just been made available, currently there are about 15 installations at a variety of transportation businesses such as the Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority.

The biggest challenge these customers face is that they have a business that is not at a bricks-and-mortar store, and many of their customers wish to pay for services using a credit card but cannot.

“Often these merchants turn to companies like New West Technologies because they need the power and functionality of a traditional POS system while gaining all the advantages of being wireless,” Mr. King said. “Not having this capability/functionality is really a lost opportunity cost.

“Sometimes these businesses use an old-fashioned card imprint device, which ends up costing the business more for the transactions—card-swipe transaction are less expensive—and the business has no idea of how much of what products were sold,” he said. “Businesses that want to take credit card payments at tradeshows and events must pay for a leased line and also need a credit card terminal.

“This is expensive because of the cost of the leased line and the need to have multiple credit-card terminals.”

The Mobile X POS software is integrated with the PPI PayMover hosted payment platform.

As a validated Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) application, Mobile X is compliant with the global security standard created by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.

PPI’s services are developed and supported in-house by payment processing technology and service providers.

Each platform includes the following components of integrated payments:

• Free hosted payment technology

• Secure transaction processing operating within the application

• Free integration/certification services with developer kit

• Dedicated account managers for developers and their resellers

• Revenue-sharing programs

• Marketing services to promote the integrated platform

• Free 24/7/365 support

“Today, much of the focus of the mobile market has been centered on Web site ecommerce activities or replacing a credit card terminal with a mobile device,” said Chuck Riegel, executive vice president at PPI, Newark, CA. “There is no doubt that these opportunities are large but very specialized.

“New West and PPI believe that the real opportunity is a fully functioning mobile POS application like MPX, he said. “This functionality will help move 21st-century business out beyond the four walls of retail and closer to the point of sale.

“Pay at the table will require integration with restaurant POS applications—sporting events that sell at the seats will require integrated with enterprise-level POS systems and back-office accounting packages, as examples.”

Final Take
Dan Butcher, associate editor, Mobile Commerce Daily