A New Harbortouch POS Terminal Incorporates EMV and NFC Payments

Independent sales organization Harbortouch has released a new payment terminal that incorporates near-field communication, a smart card reader and a magnetic-stripe reader.

Dubbed Perkwave, the terminal, which carries no cost except for transactions processed through it, includes a contactless card reader adorned with a consumer-facing display. Point-of-sale device maker Equinox Payments LLC, Scottsdale, Ariz., makes the terminal and Pax Technology produces the contactless reader. Each component is a proprietary variation of devices available from the manufacturers, Harbortouch says.

Known for its POS systems, Allentown, Pa.-based Harbortouch views this payment terminal as a complement to those devices, says chief executive Jared Isaacman. “The Harbortouch POS system is still our flagship product offering, but there are plenty of merchants out there who still prefer to use a standalone credit card terminal,” Isaacman says. Like the POS systems, the Perkwave terminal is free, though the merchant must sign a processing contract with Harbortouch that requires a $25 monthly processing minimum. “This means that our sales partners can place these terminals with the processing fees as the only cost to the merchant,” Isaacman says.

The terminal also may help independent sales organizations contend with attrition, Isaacman says. “ISOs who are out there reprogramming terminals or competing on rates and fees have no security in their portfolios,” he says. “Once the next big thing comes around, their portfolios are in serious jeopardy.” Because the terminal supports NFC and EMV, it won’t have to be replaced when, or if, those technologies become mainstream payment methods. A key deadline is looming in October 2015, when liability for counterfeit fraud will shift to U.S. merchants if they cannot process EMV card transactions.

The new terminal also is compatible with the Perkwave loyalty program, currently in development, Isaacman says. Merchants will be able to send customized offers to potential and current customers, he says.

The Perkwave terminal features a remote updating capability, and a feature that monitors its status. It can alert Harbortouch’s technical support department of issues with the terminal, such as downtime or a malfunction. “This feature enables the company to proactively resolve issues, in some cases before the merchant is even aware of the problem,” Isaacman says.