Integrated payments connect a payment terminal directly to the point of sale so the sale amount is sent to the terminal automatically and the result returns to the POS. The cashier does not retype the total, and the sale is only marked as paid when the payment is approved.
Technically, the POS software communicates with the terminal over a local network, Bluetooth or the cloud, using the payment provider's integration. When the cashier finalises a sale, the amount is pushed to the terminal, the customer taps or inserts their card, and an approval or decline is passed back. The receipt and the transaction record are then stored together in the POS.
Retailers and hospitality venues use integration to cut mistakes such as typing the wrong amount, to speed up checkout and to make end-of-day matching of card takings far simpler. In hospitality it also supports features like tipping, split bills and pay-at-table.
Key considerations include whether your POS supports your chosen payment provider, what happens if the terminal or network goes offline, how refunds are handled, and whether card data is kept away from your own systems. Standalone terminals are simpler but leave you with manual entry and harder reconciliation.
Integration matters because every manual step at the counter is a chance for error and a cost in staff time. RetailCare supplies RetailCarePAY payments and can set up terminals that work with the POS platforms it supports.