ECR Retail Systems Launches Mobile Point of Sale Device for the Airline Industry

ECR Retail Systems has developed and launched the ECRGo2, the industry’s first fully-certified, all-in-one contactless, handheld mobile point of sale (MPoS) device for the airline industry.

This new terminal enables airlines to reduce the number of devices currently required to take payments and enables airlines to meet VISA and MasterCard’s contactless mandate, which states that merchants accepting payments from these payment networks must establish contactless payments as standard by the end of 2019. Naturally, this raises urgent strategic device upgrade choices for the airline industry and associated logistics industries to consider.

The fully mobile, web-enabled ECRGo2 combines a 2D barcode reader; a card reader (pin entry device) that accepts all payment types including mobile wallet options such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and PayPal, plus chip and pin, and swipe and sign payments; a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen; and an on-board, silent thermal printer, in one secure, attractive, lightweight and portable payment terminal for the airline industry.

The ECRGo2 has been designed to utilise the benefits of Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise and can communicate via WiFi, 4G and Bluetooth. It meets all necessary security and payment standards, and is EMV levels 1 and 2 and PCI certified. The ECRGo2 also runs ECR’s unique AirPoS software and means that the system can be used as a wider strategic business tool that provides smart analytics about in-flight retail trends for marketing, logistics and customer service teams.

Simon Pont, CEO, ECR Retail Systems, said: “Enabling airline crews to work even more productively and efficiently on-board will have a hugely profitable effect on airlines’ businesses.  We have put a lot of thought into the design of the ECRGo2 and believe that this first all-in-one contactless MPoS payment device not only improves the customer experience for the modern passenger, but that it will significantly help cabin crews be more effective and efficient with their in-flight duties.”

With this device ECR plans to provide an alternative to the two- or three-device systems that are used to manage on-board payments for ancillary products and services. It also believes that this tablet-touchscreen, all-in-one, contactless MPoS terminal will enable the airline industry to transform customer relationships and take payments quicker, whether on or offline, and improve how airline crews manage, create and sell ancillary goods and services in-flight.

Simon Pont continues, “The launch of this all-in-one contactless terminal offers an attractive, easy-to-use solution to airlines and in-flight crew, that solves an array of challenges. For some airlines, this might translate to greater requirements for device portability, better connectivity, reductions in device weight and battery charging times, and challenges with technology compatibility. It will also help deliver a more pleasurable and ergonomic user experience for cabin crew, and for passengers purchasing ancillary goods.”

The ECRGo2 will also be available to the Rail and Ticketing sectors, where ECR’s current clients include: David Lloyd, National Express, Rail Gourmet, Irish Rail, Big Bus, Ticket Kiosk, Virgin Active, Virgin Trains East Coast and World Duty Free Group.  ECR Retail Systems’ solution for the airline industry is called AirPoS, and this complements the proposition to other industries, which are: RailPoS, LeisurePoS and TicketPoS.

The ECRGo2 is comparatively priced against traditional incumbent MPoS devices.