What is SoftPOS?
Software Point of Sale (SoftPOS) is a new product offered by Trust Payments that allows you to accept payments directly using a smartphone without the need for additional hardware. Getting started is as simple as signing up for an account with Trust Payments, downloading the app to a compatible device and following the first-time setup steps described below.
SoftPOS is more cost-effective when compared to traditional POS products that require you to pay additional fees to a provider to cover the cost of the additional hardware required. It's also faster to get up and running, as you don't need to wait for a terminal to be shipped to your location before you can start transacting.
Requirements
The smartphone or tablet on which you install and operate the software must meet the following requirements:
- The operating system must be Android v11 or higher. (iOS/iPadOS devices are not supported)
- The device must have NFC technology and this must be enabled in the device settings.
- The device must have a reliable connection to the internet during use, whether through WiFi or a mobile data network like 4G/5G.
- The device must have Google Mobile Services installed.
- SoftPOS is currently only available for UK-based merchants transacting in Pound Sterling (£). The only supported language for the software is English.
- You will need to sign up for an account with Trust Payments. In order to do so you will need an acquiring bank account and associated Merchant Identification (MID). Click here to sign up.
Installing the app and first-time setup
After signing up for an account with Trust Payments, we will email you a link to set up a new user account and password for signing into the app.
If multiple users will be using the service, you can request for additional user accounts to be set up during the onboarding process. Each user will receive emails with links to set their own passwords.
Next, you will need to download the SoftPOS by Trust Payments app from the Google Play store. Once you have installed the app, you can sign in with your username and password, and begin transacting.
Features
Streamlined interface
Simply open the app, type the amount you wish to charge and the checkout will be immediately ready to process the transaction.
Visa and Mastercard compatibility
The customer taps their Visa or Mastercard debit/credit card against your device to complete a contactless sale.
Mobile wallet support
Payments can also be made from mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
Secure transactions
Sensitive payment details are tokenised and sent to Trust Payments over an encrypted connection to provide a secure and reliable checkout experience.
Include tips
Encourage tipping by presenting the customer with a small list of suggested tip amounts they can add to the sale total with a single tap. Alternatively, they can easily enter their own tip amount or skip if preferred.
Digital receipts
Customers can scan a QR code with their smartphone after the payment has been made to receive a digital proof of purchase (or type in their email address, if preferred).
Process refunds
You can refund purchases directly from inside the app (partial refunds are not yet supported). To help maintain existing approval processes, the manager will be prompted to enter a password to authorise refunds.
Transaction history
The app provides quick access to your transaction history allowing you to authorise refunds, re-send receipts and even export CSV files of transaction records for reconciliation.
Launching the app
When you open the app, you will be immediately taken to the "Amount" page.
On launch, the app will need to establish a connection to our servers before you can start transacting. This may take 5-10 seconds.
Until then, the button at the bottom of the screen will display "Please wait...".
When the app is ready to begin processing payments, the button updates to show "Charge".
Enter an amount using the onscreen buttons and tap "Charge" to initiate a new payment.
To navigate to other pages in the app, tap the icon in the top left to access the menu:
"Receipts" - View / export receipts of previous transactions.
"Activity" - View / export sales history.
"Settings" - For example, enabling tips or configuring receipts.