ISOs and agents associated with United Bank Card Inc. have been differentiating themselves from competitors for a year now by giving merchants free point-of-sale terminals. Now the terminals are getting better, the company says.
United Bank Card is making its Harbortouch point-of-sale systems better looking, more powerful and more specialized, the company claimed in a Jan. 3 press release.
As a super ISO, a large independent sales organization that provides some processing functions, United Bank Card offers the POS systems for free to ISOs and agents that distribute them to merchants.
The new line, called Harbortouch POS Elite, comes with software packages designed for specific industries, according to the press release.
Hospitality software is written for fine dining, casual or quick-service restaurants, while the retail software package features management functions, supports rental and consignment, and manages inventory, the release said.
The delivery software is geared to pizzerias, takeout restaurants and other businesses that make home deliveries. Spirits software offers features for wine and liquor stores, including age verification. The convenience-store software is aimed a quick-stop retailers.
Besides the specialized software packages, the new POS machines have integrated management systems that enable restaurants to accept online reservations and track them through their POS systems, the release said.
With Harbortouch Tableside, restaurant staff can enter diners’ orders via Apple Inc. iPads on an application that mirrors the POS interface.
The Lighthouse POS management portal offers online management from any computer with an Internet connection, enabling users to review reports and make instantaneous menu changes, the release said.
The new line incorporates the POS system’s central processing unit with a monitor, housing both in a single brushed aluminum shell, Jared Isaacman, United Bank Card CEO, said in the release.
“But that’s just the beginning,” Isaacman said of the machine’s appearance. “What’s inside is even more powerful.”
Compared with older Harbortouch POS systems, the new Elite line has increased storage and “exceptional” speed, he said in the release.
The new line is making its debut a year after United Bank Card began providing free POS systems for independent sales organizations and sales agents to offer merchants, Isaacman told ISO&Agent Weekly last month.
The company placed free POS systems with 7,000 merchants by December, Isaacman said in December during a phone interview.
About 3,000 ISOs and agents distribute the systems for United Bank Card, which operates as a super ISO that performs some processing functions, he said. The company is consolidating its offices in Allentown, Pa., this year.
