Shopify unveils new retail features and ‘Tap & Chip Reader’

Ottawa-based startup Shopify has announced a ‘Tap & Chip Reader’ and new retail features at its Unite developer conference in Toronto, Ontario.

The Reader supports contactless payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay and is designed to be taken anywhere in a store. An accessory, called the Tap & Chip Reader Dock, will allow businesses to create a dedicated countertop checkout point to make the payment setup more customer-facing.

Shopify says the new Reader will sync with its existing POS for ease-of-use. Tipping was also confirmed to come to Shopify’s POS as part of the new changes.

Shopify also revealed Locations, an inventory management system that will be available this summer. With Locations, Shopify says businesses can “easily add, update, and track your inventory at every place you stock products or fulfill orders from, including retail stores.”

Locations can also be used in non-traditional retail locations as well, such as basements or warehouses.

Also coming this summer is the ability to accept online returns and exchanges in person through Shopify POS. As a result, Shopify says customers won’t need to worry about return labels or shipping fees for online orders.

The update also makes upselling opportunities occur more easily; in an example given by Shopify, a customer who wants to exchange a $20 shirt for a $30 one will be able to be processed as a $10 sale, instead of having to completely refund the customer first.

Finally, Shopify announced a new mobile app coming later this year called Customer View, which runs on its current POS. With the app, retailers will be able to set up a secondary mobile or tablet device for customers to use during checkout.

The app will provide these users with “a clear view” of their products, prices, receipt options and more, Shopify says.

Source: Shopify