A common question from merchants and agents is whether a cashier can start a sale on one screen and have a separate payment terminal light up and ask the customer to pay. This is sometimes called a POS-to-terminal integration.
The short answer: Stackably does not currently send an order from one device to a separate terminal for payment. There are two things that do work today, and a third option that is coming soon. This article covers all three.
Can I start a sale on one device and have a separate terminal prompt for payment?
Not today. Stackably does not currently have the ability to send an order to a terminal to process the payment. Ringing up an order on one device will not make a different terminal light up and prompt the customer for their card.
What you can do today:
Leave the order open and pay it on any other device. An order rung up on one device can be left open, and it then shows up on every other device on the account, where it can be paid and closed.
Use a T3 or D3 Pro with the CPad Pay. The CPad Pay is attached to the station and lights up in real time when it is time for the customer to pay.
Coming soon: the Sunmi P2 Smartpad, a payment device that plugs into the T3 or D3 Pro and lights up for payment. See the section below.
How do I ring up an order on one device and take payment on another?
All Stackably devices update from the cloud in near real time. That means an order does not have to be paid on the device it was rung up on. An order can be left open on any device and then paid and closed on any other device on the same account that is able to accept payment.
The web portal and the Stackably Admin mobile app work the same way. An order left open in the web portal or in the Admin app shows up as an open order on your terminals, and an order left open on a terminal shows up in the web portal and the Admin app. For example, a cashier can ring up the order in the web portal, leave it open, and then open that order on a terminal to take the customer's card.
Ring up the order on the first device.
In the cart, tap Leave Open. On the P3H and P3 MIX, an order needs a customer before it can be left open, so add the customer if the terminal asks for one.
The order shows up almost immediately as an open order on every device associated with the account.
On the device that will take the payment, open the list of open orders. On the P3H and P3 MIX, tap Orders in the bottom bar, then tap Open. Open orders show a DUE badge.
Tap the order to open it, then take payment the same way you would for any other order.
Once the order is paid, it is closed, and it no longer shows as open on the other devices.
Example: the order is rung up at the counter station and left open. A staff member carrying a P3H or P3 MIX opens that same order from the open orders list and takes the customer's card on the handheld.
For the full walkthrough of leaving an order open on a terminal, see New Order on the P3H and P3 Mix terminals: ringing up products and checking out.
Which device lights up for payment in real time?
The CPad Pay. It comes with every T3 and every D3 Pro, attaches to the station and faces the customer. When the order is ready to be paid on the station, the CPad Pay lights up in real time so the customer can tap, insert or swipe their card.
If a business wants a large screen for ringing up orders and a customer-facing device that prompts for payment at the right moment, a T3 or D3 Pro with the CPad Pay is the setup to choose today.
The T3 and D3 Pro do not take card payments by themselves. The station screen is where the order is rung up. The card is taken on the CPad Pay that comes with it.
For more on each device, see Stackably hardware guide: choosing the right Sunmi devices for your business.
Coming soon: the Sunmi P2 Smartpad
The Sunmi P2 Smartpad is a payment device that plugs into the T3 or D3 Pro and lights up for payment when it is time for the customer to pay.
It has not been rolled out yet, but it is coming soon. Once it is available, it will likely be the right fit for a business that wants to ring up the order on the station and have a separate device prompt the customer to pay.
Common questions
Can the cashier start a sale in the Stackably web portal and have the terminal prompt the customer for payment? Not automatically. Stackably does not currently send an order to a terminal for payment, so the terminal will not light up by itself. The cashier can ring up the order in the web portal and leave it open. It then shows up almost immediately as an open order on the terminal, where the cashier taps it and takes payment.
Does this work with the web portal and the Stackably Admin mobile app? Yes. Both work the same way as the terminals. An order left open in the web portal or the Admin app shows up on every device on the account, and an order left open on a terminal shows up in the web portal and the Admin app.
Is POS-to-terminal integration live? No. Sending an order from one device to a separate terminal for payment is not available today.
What is the closest thing available today? Leave the order open on the device where it was rung up, then open it and take payment on another device. Open orders show up on every device on the account almost immediately.
How quickly does an open order show up on my other devices? Almost immediately. All Stackably devices update from the cloud in near real time.
Which devices can take payment for an open order? Any device on the account that is able to accept payment.
Can the T3 or D3 Pro take a card payment on its own? No. Card payments on a T3 or D3 Pro are taken on the CPad Pay that comes with the station.
Is the Sunmi P2 Smartpad available? Not yet. It is coming soon. It plugs into the T3 or D3 Pro and lights up for payment.