On a reference from a customer, Juice Bar owners turned to POS software provider Next Den Gine for a better solution. Next Gen Dine delivered a system integrating components of mobile and stationary POS solutions that specifically addressed the client’s requirements. The solution includes Next Gen Dine’s restaurant-focused mPOS software, an iPad and the Datacap PaymentsDrawer™. The PaymentsDrawer™ integrates the Datacap interface device into an APG cash drawer, allowing connection of peripherals such as printers, barcode readers, PIN pads, pole displays, scales and payment card readers.

“The Juice Bar was using a full Micros POS solution. There was a very high cost to maintain, upgrade and support it – and there was limited hardware compatibility with non-Micros peripherals,” says Next Gen Dine co-owner Eric Elam. “The system we designed for the client offers the flexibility and compatibility they need at an affordable price.”

Rich Functionality

Next Gen Dine leverages tablets to provide inexpensive, easy-to-use POS stations and, where needed, the mobility of tableside service. The software connects to all the POS peripherals through the Datacap device.

The PaymentsDrawer™ acts as the central nervous system, taking direction from the Next Gen Dine software to communicate with various components. Datacap selected APG cash drawers for its device because of APG’s leadership position in the marketplace and U.S.-based manufacture, “making the drawers ideal for customization,” says George Hudock, Datacap business development manager.

At the Juice Bar, an iPad functions as the main POS station housing the Next Gen Dine software.

While the system offers WiFi capability, the client opted for wired components for budgetary reasons. “These components include a barcode scanner, a receipt printer and a purpose-built MSR (magnetic swipe reader). A key feature the merchant appreciated was the ability to employ lower-cost peripherals in place of more expensive WiFi-enabled peripherals required by other mobile POS solutions,” says Elam.

The purpose-built MSR was necessary for quick transaction processing because of the Juice Bar’s high volume of transactions daily. The PaymentsDrawer™ can accommodate MSRs that attach directly to tablets or – as in this case – MSRs directly connected to the device.

Fast Deployment

Deploying a POS system with the PaymentsDrawer™ is fast and easy. The device is configured and activated through the cloud. To set it up, a provider logs into Datacap’s product management portal to build a merchant file, select hardware, and order the PaymentsDrawer™, which Datacap ships to the provider, says Hudock.

The device’s plug-and-play capability gets high marks from Elam. “Once we completed the Datacap integration with our system, we went on site, dropped in the PaymentsDrawer™, ran a test transaction and we were off to the races. It was really simple, and it took 15 minutes from start to finish,” he says.

One of the main attractions of the PaymentsDrawer™ to Next Gen Dine, he says, is reduced complexity. Because of its instant compatibility with POS peripherals, the PaymentsDrawer™ eliminates the need for the POS software to communicate with those components, which simplifies the development of customized systems. Without the device, the software would have to communicate independently with each peripheral, adding development complexity.

“The PaymentsDrawer™ gives us the ability to drive a variety of legacy POS and allows us to offer an a-la-carte menu of POS peripherals to merchants without having to endure the peripheral development on our own,” says Elam.

Another benefit is the POS system never touches payment cardholder data, says Hudock. This renders the POS system “payment-unaware,” so it doesn’t require PA-DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard) certification.

Future Installations

Next Gen Dine plans to use the PaymentsDrawer™ for all future installations. “The Juice Bar is processing high-speed transactions and is very satisfied with the solution,” says Elam. “The clean feel of the Next Gen Dine user interface and the seamless payments integration provide a problem-free user experience.”