Android Terminals Give Merchants the Power to Compete on CX

Not so long ago, merchants only had to focus on a single channel to sell and relied upon their front-line employees to provide warm greetings to enhance customer experiences. Now, however, merchants must craft shopping journeys that combine the digital and physical to meet consumer demands for faster, more convenient, more personalized experiences. To stay competitive, merchants have no choice but to search for more innovative technology – and Android terminals offer a solution.

Why Merchants Are Transitioning to Android Terminals

There’s a reason for merchants’ hyperfocus on consumer satisfaction. Research by PwC shows that in the United States, 17% of consumers will stop doing business with a brand after just one bad experience, and 59% of promoters of a brand or product will walk away after several bad experiences. Legacy technology can no longer provide consumers with the experiences that help merchants win over the competition. However, Android payment terminals give merchants a tool that helps enhance customer experiences.

Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, has achieved impressive penetration within the U.S., accounting for 45.8% of the market share and 37.66% of the operating system market worldwide. With billions of Android devices in use, merchants (and their technology providers) recognize the potential of leveraging Android to tap into a vast user base already familiar with the OS.

Additionally, Android payment technology seamlessly integrates with other cutting-edge technologies. This allows merchants to level up the personalized experiences they can provide consumers while giving them the versatility they need to integrate with other business applications. Merchants can accept digital wallet and alternative payments and enhance security and convenience by integrating state-of-the-art technology such as biometric payments.

With Android-based technology, merchants can also deploy solutions that improve consumer engagement. From loyalty rewards to data analysis for personalized experiences, Android’s capabilities help merchants craft interactions that lead to increased customer lifetime value, helping to build the bottom line.

Expanding Payment Device Functionality

Open Android allows for more affordable development and maintenance of payment applications that can easily integrate with Android terminals while also meeting the demands of consumers. Examples from the Ingenico partner ecosystem include:

• Alternative Payment Methods

Consumers expect payment choice – and depending on the type of purchase, that can include the ability to use mobile wallets, ACH, peer-to-peer payments, electronic invoices and text-to-pay, QR code payments, and biometric payments, such as palm vein identification.

The majority of merchants, 85% according to an EY survey, plan to accept more alternative payment methods in the next three years to meet consumer demands. Furthermore, 73% of merchants recognize that not accepting alternative payment methods could negatively impact their sales.

Ingenico offers the most comprehensive portfolio of payment applications through its payment platforms and has built an extensive network of partners, enabling a variety of alternative paymens to run on Ingenico terminals.

• Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Services

An altenrative payment method on a growth trajectory is BNPL. In the U.S., the BNPL market is valued at over $1.64 billion and is expected to grow at a 24.3% CAGR from 2023 to 2030. Consumers find the convenience of BNPL an attractive option that allows the flexibility of interest-free payments with the instant gratification of receiving the product immediately.

Splitit is a one-step installment solution for Android terminals that integrates BNPL as a frictionless payment option in-store at checkout. With Splitit, consumers can choose their number of installments (between two and 12), unlike traditional BNPL for digital platforms typically requiring four payments.

• Gift Card Solutions

In the United States, 76% of consumers purchased a gift card in the last year, and 40% were digital. Additionally, smartphone use among consumers and an increased demand for new payment options are driving growth globally in the digital gift card market. It’s on pace to reach $1.5 trillion by 2032.

Diggecard enables merchants not just to sell gift cards but to sell them in any way a consumer wishes to buy or redeem them. Additionally, Diggecard provides merchants with sales analysis and reporting that helps them tailor strategies to increase sales, customer engagement, and brand awareness.

• Loyalty Solutions

Americans are infatuated with loyalty programs. In 2022, U.S. consumers belonged to 16.6 loyalty programs and were active members in at least half of them! Merchants with a loyalty program that is easy to manage for both their employees and customers can boost their businesses. Merchants can easily meet demand with a loyalty solution that seamlessly integrates with Android terminals.

Izicap offers one easy solution designed to save merchants time and money through a card-linked loyalty and customer relationship management platform. Manage rewards, communication, and organic growth on social media from an all-in-one, 100% automated platform.

The Power of Android

The flexibility and ubiquity of Android OS provide developers the freedom to craft diverse applications for Android terminals that can level up in-store digital capabilities for merchants while delivering the experiences that contemporary consumers demand.

Learn more about how Android terminals equipped with dynamic payment applications can be a center for revenue growth today and tomorrow.