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Point-of-sale equipment maker Ingenico S.A. says its new iPA280 wireless POS terminal combines business software with payment acceptance in one device, calling it a payment personal digital assistant. The wireless iPA280 has a PIN pad on one side that also holds the magnetic stripe, smart card and contactless chip readers. Third-party developers can create applications that operate on the Windows CE mobile operating system using the color touch screen and keyboard, which are on the other side of the device, Chris Justice, president of Ingenico North America, tells CardLine sister publication ISO&Agent Weekly. With the appropriate software, merchants could use the device to accept tableside orders at restaurants and payment for meals, Justice says. The device also could scan U.S. driver's licenses to verify ages. The non-payment functions are dependent on the software written for the device, Justice says. The device is available in six countries on three continents, but Justice would not identify them because third-party developers are working on applications, and they want some exclusivity in those regions. Pricing will vary and be dependent on the third-party software the merchant wants to use, Justice says. Ingenico will sell the device directly to large retailers and financial institutions and to independent sales organizations and POS-equipment distributors in the United States. The iPA280 can connect to merchant networks via WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular-phone technologies, and it includes a built-in printer. Ingenico is based in France.
