POS Terminals Around The World - A Comparative Study

Point of Sale (POS) terminals have become an integral part of retail businesses worldwide. They enable merchants to process card payments and keep track of transactions. However, not all POS terminals are created equal and their functionalities, features, and costs can vary greatly from country to country. In this article, we'll take a closer look at POS terminals by country.

United States

In the United States, POS terminals are widely used in the retail industry. The most popular brands include Verifone, First Data, and Ingenico. These terminals offer various features, including EMV compliance, NFC capabilities, and contactless payments. In addition, many POS systems offer integrations with popular software such as QuickBooks and Square.

Europe

The use of POS terminals is widespread across Europe with a wide variety of brands available. In particular, many businesses in Europe have adopted the use of mobile POS systems. MishiPay in the UK offers a seamless mobile checkout experience and their technology is used by retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Decathlon. In Germany, SumUp has rapidly gained popularity. Their cost-effective and user-friendly terminals have been well-received by small business owners.

Asia

In Asian countries, POS terminals have been slower to see widespread adoption, but that's quickly changing. In China, Alipay is a popular mobile payment system that is becoming more prevalent in retail stores. In Japan, the industry leader in POS terminals is NEC Corporation. Their multipurpose terminals are widely used in the hospitality and retail industries.

South America

In South America, the use of POS terminals has grown in recent years. In Brazil, Cielo is the largest payment processor and offers a range of terminals for businesses of all sizes. Similarly, in Argentina, MercadoPago is a popular digital payments platform used by merchants to process credit and debit card transactions.

Africa

The use of POS terminals in Africa is steadily growing, but with some challenges. One of the biggest barriers to adoption is the difficulty in obtaining reliable internet connectivity. Nevertheless, Lagos-based Paga has been able to overcome this challenge and their POS terminals are widely used for mobile financial services.

Conclusion

While POS terminals serve the same general purpose, the way in which they are implemented can vary greatly from country to country. Retail businesses looking to adopt the technology must consider several factors, including cost, features, and integrations. We hope this comparative study on POS terminals by country has been helpful in providing insights to businesses worldwide interested in implementing this technology in their retail operations.