Wordline SoftPOS – A Sustainable and Contactless Payment Solution!

08 / 04 / 2022

SoftPOS is a payment acceptance solution that converts a smartphone into a contactless payment acceptance device. It eliminates the need for a merchant to invest in a traditional POS terminal and allows them to accept payments via Tap-on-Phone.

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The global digital payments landscape and especially India’s has been undergoing a transformation primarily because of the growth of smartphone adoption and payment mechanisms being designed around these phones. This is not to say there wasn’t already a secular growth in digital payments taking place, but it was dependent on an acceptance infrastructure being built at merchant locations to support this growth.

However, building a payment infrastructure is costly which means it usually tends to leave out a significant chunk of the merchant population – the merchants at the lower end of the pyramid.

This is where SoftPOS comes in; it eliminates the need to build a payment infrastructure and given the smartphone ubiquity, it is present at small and micro-merchants. SoftPOS as a payment acceptance mechanism is cost-effective and secure. As a solution, it leverages the widespread penetration of contactless cards and smartphones across the country and complements existing acceptance touchpoints like POS terminals and QR; especially across tier 2 and below cities. Currently, SoftPOS is being widely used by thousands of merchants both in India and globally and is set to only grow exponentially.

What is a SoftPOS?

SoftPOS is a payment acceptance solution that converts a smartphone into a contactless payment acceptance device. It eliminates the need for a merchant to invest in a traditional POS terminal and allows them to accept payments via Tap-on-Phone. In addition, it allows merchants to accept Link-pay (where an SMS/email is sent to customers and they can pay for it remotely) and QR, among others.

Another feature that can be enabled on the solution is ‘khata’ which allows merchants to operate an electronic ledger as well as record all transactions, including cash. The app also has the capability to create a catalogue of items available with the merchant for sale.

How does a SoftPOS work?

The on-boarding process of a merchant is DIY (Do It Yourself) in nature and takes just a few minutes.
The app lets a merchant upload their basic details and relevant KYC documents and it’s done! Once the merchant is live with SoftPOS, it can start accepting payments through their smartphones. For cardholders, it is the most convenient payment method for a seamless shopping experience.

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Benefits of SoftPOS

SoftPOS is a cost-effective solution and will allow deeper penetration of digital payments into hitherto under-served parts of the country. Merchants can operate their personal phones as a full-fledged payment solution. It allows for new features and functionalities to be rolled out quickly. It allows merchants to easily expand their retail footprint beyond traditional boundaries, events, home delivery, etc. Pilot transactions through SoftPOS indicate the swift uptake among merchants and consumers alike and this trend shall continue.

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Worldline’s relentless efforts in introducing and investing in innovative payment solutions have shaped new ways of doing business. Join the community of innovative businesses and enhance the consumer experience with us. Learn more about Soft POS here

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Sunil Rongala

Head of Strategy, Innovation & Analytics, Worldline India – Member of the Worldline Scientific Community
Sunil Rongala is the Head of Strategy, Innovation & Analytics in Worldline India. A Ph.D. economist, Sunil has deep experience in the digital payments domain, macroeconomic research, product innovation & execution, analytics, risk management, and thought-leadership. He was part of the founding management team of a payments start-up till final exit.

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