Mpos Tracker™ Report JULY 2017
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a mPOS Tracker™ report JULY 2017 HOW MPOS MAY BE THE LIFEGUARD FOR RELAXATION UNDERTOW TouchBistro raises $12.35 Find the top providers in mPOS goes to the beach million for expansion efforts the latest Tracker Scorecard – page 5 (Feature Story)5 – page 8 (News and8 Trends) – page 16 16 mPOS Tracker™ © 2017 PYMNTS.com all rights reserved Table of Contents PAGE What’s Inside A look at the quickly evolving mPOS space and the latest news on the newest 03 products and technology from mPOS providers. PAGE Feature Story Mia Brown, head of operations for parking app Honk, on how mPOS can make 05 parking at the beach a breeze. PAGE News and Trends 08 The latest headlines and trends from around the mPOS world. PAGE Top 25 Providers | Scorecard The results are in. See this month’s top scorers and a provider directory 16 featuring 279 major players in the space. PAGE About 153 Information on PYMNTS.com mPOS Tracker™ © 2017 PYMNTS.com all rights reserved July 2017 | 2 What’s Inside Similarly, cloud-based digital ordering platform READY OR NOT, MonkeyMedia Software and mobile payments platform mobile solutions are coming LevelUp announced the two companies will expand their to a retailer near you soon. existing partnership. According to the news release, the companies plan to co-develop a seamless, bi-directional interface between MonkeyMedia Software — designed According to a recent industry survey of retailers, to support food takeout, delivery and catering service merchants offering mobile device interaction in stores, channels — and LevelUp’s mobile loyalty and payment through a mobile POS (mPOS) or a mobile solution solutions. The partnership also gives consumers one user for employees, are still a minority. Only 49 percent account to handle mobile ordering, payments and loyalty of retailers have installed a mobile solution for their reward management. employees, and even fewer — just 29 percent — have implemented an mPOS system to improve customer Meanwhile, fellow restaurant iPad-based mPOS provider experience. TouchBistro recently announced $12.35 million raised as part of a Series C fundraising round led by Napier Park But that may be about to change. Research indicates Financial Partners and Recruit Holdings. The money will more than three-quarters of retailers that have not yet help fund an expansion of the mPOS system’s feature installed mobile systems for employees will do so within set. three years, and nearly four out of five retailers yet to install mPOS systems plan do so by 2020. mPOS heads to the beach With so many retailers preparing for mPOS investments, When it comes to paying for parking at the beach, it should come as no surprise that technology providers keeping track of time left on a meter or the change to have their eyes on the mPOS prize. Several providers feed it — especially when that change is cumbersomely debuted new solutions or programs over the last month stored in a bathing suit pocket — can be a real relaxation designed to help capture a piece of the growing mPOS damper. But what if there was an easier way to pay for market. that parking? Here’s a quick snapshot of notable mPOS news For the July Tracker Feature Story (p. 5), PYMNTS caught from the past month: up with Mia Brown, director of operations at Honk, Canadian mobile parking solutions provider Honk, to Lightspeed is putting its faith in mobile analytics. discuss how new mobile technology is bringing fresh Montreal’s cloud-based POS platform technology capabilities and potential to the parking lot — and provider announced a new product last month, called making beach visits a bit more peaceful. Lightspeed Analytics, to give independent merchants insights and recommendations for sales, inventory, July Tracker updates employee performance and customer behavior. In a This issue of the mPOS Tracker features 279 global release announcing the new product, Lightspeed CEO providers in the Scorecard, highlighting players from Dax Dasilva said the software was designed to “empower around the space. Four companies have been added independents with the tools they need to effectively this month to the ever-expanding provider directory: grow.” CashierLive, ibox, Leaders Merchant Services and Payatrader. mPOS Tracker™ © 2017 PYMNTS.com all rights reserved July 2017 | 3 What’s Inside 20% of restaurateurs list inventory management as their top feature when looking for a POS upgrade. 68% 70% of diners agree that server handheld tablets improve their experience. of retailers say personalization is a top priority this year. Five Fast 89% Facts5 of retailers plan to provide mobile solutions to associates by 2020. 100% Growth in the number of purchases using debit and credit cards in the past 10 years. mPOS Tracker™ © 2017 PYMNTS.com all rights reserved July 2017 | 4 FEATURE STORY How mPOS May Be The Lifeguard For Relaxation Undertow t’s finally that time of year for millions of surf and In a recent interview, Mia Brown, director of operations sand aficionados. For this leisure-loving throng, there for the Toronto-based car-services app, told PYMNTS are few things better than a day spent in the sun — that while the notification feature has become popular Iespecially on, in or near the water. Warm sand, waves with all users, it was initially designed with beachgoers breaking and ebbing, salt spray — it’s a recipe for and boaters in mind. relaxation. That is, until the parking meter expires. “You never know how long you’re going to stay when Unscientifically weighted, parking can be a bigger drain you’re on the beach or out on a boat, and ticketing can on summertime fun than a sudden downpour, a quickly really ruin a good day,” Brown said. “No one wants rising tide or an aggressive seagull. (For what it’s worth, to run back to a machine and search for change while we’ll give a sunburn or jellyfish sting the over.) But, could they’re enjoying a day on the water, and in some cases, it mPOS be the solution for this car-related relaxation may not even be possible. We knew we needed to give undertow? people an ability to know their meter was going to expire [so they could] fuel it up again.” Honk, a parking payment app inspired by metered beach parking aggravation, is trying to rejigger metered From the beach to a parking lot near you parking with a mobile-powered payment option for To provide better parking payment solutions — not just both privately-owned and municipal parking lots. The at beaches, but anywhere drivers pay to park — Brown company’s mobile app for iOS and Android devices said Honk often partners with municipalities, colleges enables users to search and pay for parking across North and universities or private owners of large public lots. America, and also sends customers notifications before parking reservations expire to keep them from being As part of the partnership, Honk agrees to process ticketed or towed. parking payments and provide a consumer-facing mPOS Tracker™ © 2017 PYMNTS.com all rights reserved July 2017 | 5 Feature Story mobile app. After finding a lot and a spot, which can be accomplished via the app’s geolocation services, drivers enter their license plate number and payment UNDER THE HOOD information, both of which can be saved for future use. Honk tracks the “reservation” as time passes and sends HONK’S MIA BROWN out reminders via an in-app push notification or text on connected cars and parking message to alert users 15 minutes before their parking payment expires. Automobiles now have capabilities to connect to the internet and the cities around them, opening up new possibilities for drivers and automakers. You can add time anywhere you are, In a recent interview with PYMNTS, Mia Brown, whether you’re stuck in a meeting for work, director of operations for Canadian parking app or your hair appointment runs long, or you Honk, described how connected cars will change just don’t want to get off the beach. the parking industry in the near future. “The piece everyone is talking about in the parking industry in terms of payments is connected cars and the connected city. We’d like The inspiration for the notification system came to be able to one day put the app in cars and get when Honk first started partnering with beachside it everywhere, allowing folks to pay with one app municipalities to offer the service for beachgoers and wherever they are. boaters. It wanted to give customers who might be far from their cars a way to know the meter was expiring It’s been a trend up to now for cities to white- and allow them to remotely add time to the reservation. label their payment apps, so people end up using one app in Boston, another app in While the notion of notifications may have been born Chicago, another in New York — but there’s no from the beach, Brown said that it has grown to become reason why there needs to be three separate a “central tenant” of the company’s offering. apps for that. There’s no reason that, whether you’re a municipality or a lot owner or what, “It’s designed to be fairly seamless for any kind of that people shouldn’t be able to pay for parking situation,” she explained. “You can add time parking however they want in this day and age. anywhere you are, whether you’re stuck in a meeting for The good news is changes are coming — fast work, or your hair appointment runs long, or you just and furious. Soon, I think it’s almost going don’t want to get off the beach.” to be like a merchant saying they take Visa, Making enforcement mobile Mastercard and American Express.