I have put it off as long as I can. I need to upgrade my pos. Wondering if I should go with web ordering and how this would work with credit card orders. Also thinking about off site monitoring and security. I have a small mom & pop
place with seating for 45. (Some of the pos salespeople don’t want to be bothered with a 1 station sale)
Customers have asked for web ordering. Is it worth it? :? My current system is over 6 years old (35 gig) and although still working for the most part, I think I am tempting fate.
Thanks!!
Web Ordering consists of 6% of my sales. If you decide to get it, i recommend getting it to Integrate with your POS system.
I believe Microworks, Speedline, Firefly, Foodtec Solutions all have this option. These are your high end systems.
I have Pizza Director from Foodtec Solutions, and everything is integrated into the system. We can accept Gift Cards, Credit Cards, House Accounts with their online ordering system.
With everyone on the web now, you should have a site up. Also, your average ticket will go up with Web Ordering.
I am all for a website presence and online ordering. Its a growing segment of sales and its only going to get bigger. If your POS handles credit cards, the online interface just interacts with your system to handle the cards. There is not need to have the credit cards processed online - although it can be done. Most any POS can be monitored off-site by logging in from any computer to see what’s going on.
Btw, how do you get by with only one station? Even a slow store can get congested at times. During the slowest of days we can get hit with 20 calls in ten minutes and then nothing for a while.
Would online credit card ordering eliminate the hand entered fee or would that depend on the processor? Currently we use NPC which is not integrated with our POS. (too costly through our POS system)
You are so right about having 1 station! We have another person take the next order by hand and enter it when the computer is free. Gets pretty tough when the dining room is full, have deliveries going out and walk in cutomers ordering as well as pick ups. At times we have had people lined up out the door. I would love to have another station. When we bought the place in 2002 we got the “Rhinestone Poker” system (as my husband likes to call it) which was over $6000. We could not afford to get 2 stations. Since then we have been going back and forth as to the best way to upgrade. I would like to put together my own system and purchase the POS software for it. My husband wants to just purchase the whole system, have it set up and pray everything works.
Last time we ended up paying over $300. to a local computer guy to come in and get things running right. The tech support was a joke. Deciding which pos system to get was more difficult than buying the business!
Thank you for help!
“Keyed” in credit card numbers are always subject to higher rates.
Definitely get the second station. It will be the biggest return of investment to date. You don’t know how much business you are losing with those long lines and wait times. Plus, your customers are feeling rushed and skip on ordering extra items.
Besides the immediate increase in sales you will receive by getting a second terminal, you can take advantage of all the marketing features built into the new POS systems. We purchased a completely new system after just one year for this reason alone.
Getting a “do it yourself” system, like Point of Success will save you a lot of money if you are inclined that way. A lot of people on here seem to be pretty happy with it and the support seems to be good as well as evidenced by their presence on these boards. You have to play to “your” strengths, however. If this is not you or you are on the floor open to close (no time!) then buying a system is the way to go.
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POS integration for online ordering is the best way to go, as credit cards go into the same batch, and have the same cost as a card swiped in-store. But, not all POS systems accept online orders.
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For online orders that are sent to fax/ticket printer, a new e-commerce credit card account must be opened with your merchant (Visa Regulation). Costs are different depending on your merchant, and range from % only, to $50/month, not including %. Tipping is generally handled as a pre-tip basis, but many time be updated from the merchant account website.
If you are setting up online ordering, and want more info on credit card processing, let me know (PM). I have dealt with 8-10 credit card companies, and can help you find the best solution for you.
The cost for a credit card transaction is not dependent upon the batch it is in. Each transaction is priced individually. Swiped (card present) transactions have the lowest cost. When the card number is keyed you will always pay more for the transaction whether the number was keyed in the restaurant or on the web site.
You have a problem with logistics when you receive the credit card transaction with the web order because the credit card has not been processed and approved. You will need to manually resolve credit card issues before the order enters your system for production.
I think it’s a better idea to process the credit card during the web order so the order is ready for production when it reaches the restaurant.
Some systems like Firefly, transmit the order with credit card information to your POS. You POS processes the credit card and sends back a confirmation. So it is just like someone entering the order onsite.
The POS and online ordering system can be made to integrate like this. The card number is keyed and will be charged at that rate.