Everything as a point-of-sale

Here's a snip it from a Visa report I think you will find interesting....

Software and services turn almost any locale or any device into a potential POS. Today, the line between face-to-face and remote payment environments has become so blurred in some markets, it essentially no longer exists.

The era of single-purpose transaction terminals is coming to a close. Software turns any locale, any device, into a point of sale. A transaction can now take place at any point in a shop-and-buy time line; it can be physical or digital. What this means is that the point of sale is challenged to do more than process transactions.

Retailers around the world are also demanding more of their POS to support their daily business operations, beyond single-purpose payments capabilities. New form factors—like multifunction devices running on open platforms—present new opportunities to displace cash.

The new POS is more than just a place for checkout—it’s a launch pad to offers that can build relationships and reward customer loyalty.

I would go one step further and say that your omni-channel payments gateway/switch must also be ready to build relationships and reward customer loyalty. Only then can you truly delight customers at the point of purchase.