PayPal and Microsoft have unveiled details of a series of streamlined point-of-sale (POS) solutions for small businesses at the NRF Big Show in New York.
The two companies have been working together on a series of POS offerings, and announced a new PayPal Here app for Windows 8.1, which will be available for US customers later this year.
PayPal Here is an established service that has been widely used by retailers and businesses for many years, enabling small business owners to accept debit and credit card payments and PayPal payments from a range of devices. This functionality has now been expanded to include compatible Windows Lumia smartphones and Microsoft Surface tablets, and with the app small businesses can track sales, manage inventory and accept payments from a single Windows device.
PayPal is also creating a Windows phone app that will be available later this year. With this app, handsets such as the Lumia 635 and Lumia 830 can be used to carry out transactions wherever users are.
The PayPal Here software development kit (SDK) has already been made available to selected developers, and PayPal reported a positive response from independent software vendors who are working to introduce new software over the coming months. Thanks to the SDK, more developers and ISVs will be able to integrate their apps in the PayPal transaction platform directly from Windows and Surface.
Small businesses can also improve the in-store experience for their customers with mobile devices and their associated accessories, and NRF provided the opportunity for Microsoft to highlight a series of offerings from its accessory partners. These include specially designed stands for Surface Pro 3 for use in the retail space from Heckler Design, and holders for Surface tablets from ProClip USA. Combining these accessories with the power of the Surface device can provide small business customers with the right tools for the job at hand.
Small business retailers in the US will be able to purchase the complete POS solution, including Surface, the PayPal Here app and card reader and specific point of sale hardware accessories, later this year.
“At Microsoft, we’ve reiterated our commitment to Surface for businesses of all kinds,” said Cyril Belikoff, senior director, Microsoft Surface, in an official blog post. “Today’s announcement is further evidence of that commitment — with a particular focus on small to medium businesses who are seeking to reduce the number of devices they need to buy to meet their business needs in new, modern ways.”
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