Category Archives: Point of Sale News

Culver’s Selects PAR Technology’s Brink POS® Cloud-Based Software for All Its Locations

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New Hartford, NY – April 14, 2021 –  ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a leading global provider of point of sale (POS) software and integrated technical solutions to the restaurant industry, today announced that Culver’s, a 790+-location quick-service restaurant concept headquartered in Wisconsin, has selected PAR’s Brink POS® as its point of sale solution across its entire network. ParTech, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR).

Culver’s, a mid-Western U.S.-based chain known for its ButterBurgers® and frozen custard, worked with long-time partner RDS Wisconsin during its software selection process, ultimately choosing Brink POS® because of its industry-leading integration partner ecosystem. RDS Wisconsin will be managing the relationship, including product rollout and servicing.

“PAR’s experience in QSR and innovative approach to technology, combined with RDS’ proven expertise and knowledge of Culver’s, its franchisees, and team members allows us to focus on our mission; ‘We genuinely care, so every guest who chooses Culver’s leaves happy,’” said Kelly Hanson, Vice President of Information Technology, Culver Franchising System, LLC. “We’ve also seen our guest preferences shift from 60% of our business to nearly all of our business being On-the-Go. PAR’s approach to mobile capabilities for our restaurants and franchisees will offer more flexibility to serve our guests both online and in our drive-thrus.”

“We’re honored and humbled by Culver’s trust in PAR,” said Savneet Singh, President and CEO of PAR. ”PAR strives to deliver the solutions that connect people to the restaurants, meals and moments they love, and we look forward to delivering on this brand promise. This is a storied restaurant concept, and PAR will work hard to help Culver’s continue their legacy.”

The initial pilot rollout will start later this month. Conversions for the remaining Culver’s locations will begin in late 2021.

About Culver’s

For over 35 years, Culver’s guests have been treated to cooked-to-order food made with farm-fresh ingredients and served with a smile. The ever-expanding franchise system now numbers over 790 family-owned and operated restaurants in 25 states. The restaurants’ nationally recognized customer service is based on small-town, Midwestern values, genuine friendliness and an unwavering commitment to quality. Signature items include the award-winning ButterBurger, made from fresh, never frozen beef, and Fresh Frozen Custard, including the famous Flavor of the Day program. For more information, visit www.culvers.com, www.culvers.com/facebook, www.twitter.com/culvers or www.instagram.com/culvers.

ABOUT PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

PAR Technology Corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary ParTech, Inc., is a customer success-driven, global restaurant and retail technology company with over 100,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries using its point of sale hardware and software. With the recent acquisition of leading Loyalty solutions provider, Punchh Inc., PAR has become a Unified Commerce Cloud Platform for Enterprise Restaurants. PAR’s platform enables quick service, fast casual and table service restaurants to improve their operational efficiency by combining its cloud-based Brink POS®, Data Central® backoffice, PAR payments and now Punchh loyalty software with the world’s leading restaurant technology platforms. PAR Technology’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PAR. For more information, visit www.partech.com or connect with PAR Technology on Facebook or Twitter.

Am I required to be PCI Compliant?

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Think of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) as an umbrella that covers any entity that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data; and even extends to service providers with the ability to affect the security of the cardholder data environment.

PCI Compliance is a requirement for any entity that meets the description above, because it works for business continuity. On your journey toward compliance, it is important to remember that there is a difference between the PCI DSS Compliance and PCI DSS Compliance Validation. Complying with the PCI DSS is not a feat that can be conquered overnight; it is an IT project.

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PCI Compliant graphic borrowed from Nettitude (credit https://www.nettitude.com/a-guide-to-starting-the-pci-dss-process/)

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE: QIR Customer Experience Highlights

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To maintain their certification, QIR companies are held accountable for the impact they have on the security of the cardholder data environment as they work to uphold the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (“PCI SSC”) Code of Professional Responsibility. Over the course of the last year, RDS has made major investments related to meeting the new QIR qualification and implementation requirements. Trained by the PCI SSC, RDS employees perform Qualified Installations every day in accordance with the QIR Program.

The diagram above shows the Qualified Installation process and parties involved. (diagram credit PCI-SSC)

The PA-DSS Implementation Guide is prepared by the software application vendor, such as NCR, and passed to the QIR Company (RDS). The QIR qualified employee uses this vendor-provided PA-DSS Implementation Guide, QIR Implementation Statement Instructions, and their knowledge of the PCI DSS, when implementing the payment application software into the merchant’s environment.

Throughout each stage of the implementation, the QIR employee documents details related to the install and PCI DSS on an Implementation Statement. This document provides a record of their work with a checklist of implementation/functionality items for the QIR employee to test and sign off. Within 10 business days of the installation, the QIR installer reviews the completed Implementation Statement for Quality Assurance. Once the document is signed off, the customer receives a copy for their records. To ensure continuing process improvements, the customer is invited to share their experience through a survey located on the PCI SSC website. The QIR Feedback Form serves as a tool for the PCI SSC to validate the performance of the QIR Company, in accordance with the QIR Program Requirements, through the customer’s experience.

RDS appreciates our customers’ feedback and can help guide and assist you as needed on your PCI Compliance journey. If you have any questions about our QIR Program, please email: compliance@rdspos.com.

QIR and The Small Merchant

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Did you know that 60% of small businesses go under within 6 months of a cyber attack*? According to industry research**, restaurants and retail small business merchants make up the biggest portion of total known breaches, and only about 20% are compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

In credit card processor speak, small business merchants fall into the Level 4 merchant category. As such, they are required to adhere to the PCI DSS and to demonstrate Payment Card Brand specific compliance annually. Failure to do so results in penalties by the processor. Merchants have seen many changes to their credit processor validation requirements over the last several years between updates to the PCI DSS, hardware, and the recent VISA Qualified Integrator and Reseller (QIR) mandate.

Last year VISA issued a QIR mandate to Level 4 merchants and were given a deadline of February 2017 to begin utilizing only PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) qualified QIR Companies for Point of Sale activities, or pay a fine. This is the first mandate of it’s kind, and other payment card brands are anticipated to follow suit in the near future. The mandate is meant to alleviate compliance risk during implementation and ongoing maintenance support of point of sale systems. By using organizations that have completed the PCI SSC QIR qualification, merchants improve security by ensuring that point of sale systems are installed and integrated in a manner that facilitates the merchant’s PCI DSS compliance and ultimately reduces risk.

RDS has over 130 QIR qualified technicians and is dedicated to cultivating internal PCI DSS awareness and serving as a resource to guide our customers throughout their PCI Compliance journey. As a QIR Company, RDS only installs and maintains PA-DSS validated payment applications and implements data security into every facet of business operations, from the implementation of point-of-sale systems, to keeping our employees trained and up-to-date with the latest security standards.

In the POS industry since 1950, RDS has continuously adapted and grown through many changes providing smarter products and support to our clients year after year. This includes cultivating PCI DSS compliant processes and environments to serve as an advisor to our clients. RDS is proud to have over 130 employees QIR qualified to conduct Qualified Installations and assure compliance with the PCI DSS.

*Cyber Security Statistics – Numbers Small Businesses Need to Know, Jan 3, 2017, Small Business Trends (https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/01/cyber-security-statistics-small-business.html)

**Verizon 2015 PCI Compliance Report
Visa graphic borrowed from PCI SSC (credit www.pcisecuritystandards.org)

Crazy Bowls & Wraps Selects PAR’s Cloud-Based Brink POS® Software

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Solution also includes Brink Online/Mobile Ordering and PAR EverServ® Terminals

New Hartford, NY- July 27, 2017 – ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a leading global provider of point of sale (POS) and workforce efficiency solutions to the restaurant and retail industries, announced Crazy Bowls & Wraps has selected PAR’s Cloud-Based Brink POS® Software and EverServ® 500 and 550 terminals for all 16 locations, with plans to expand with additional new store openings this year. Crazy Bowls & Wraps serves fresh, real food that is made from scratch daily.

ParTech, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR).

Crazy Bowls & Wraps was using a legacy point of sale solution, which made it difficult to implement back of house applications that integrated with above-store accounting, operational, and human capital systems. It was also extremely labor intensive to perform menu and price changes, as each location required individual updates performed by management. Efficiently analyzing customer and transactional information was a challenge, as well.

“With the capability of cloud technology today, we started searching for a solution that gave us remote management from anywhere, with a partner that could be there for us locally as we continue to expand our brand,” said Keith Kitsis, Founder, Crazy Bowls & Wraps.

RDS St. Louis, a value-added reseller, facilitated the process to identify the best solution for their needs.

The Brink solution, a cloud-based enterprise management system, will enable Crazy Bowls & Wraps to centrally control and deploy updates to all 16 locations, integrate with the current and future above-store systems, and position Crazy Bowls & Wraps for growth.

“RDS and PAR have provided great insights and support in the seamless transition of the new system and the growth of our omni-channel presence, providing our customers more ways to “go for the good.” From the store to the office, we have been pleased in the ease of use and expandability the product offers,” added Kitsis.

Crazy Bowls & Wraps is seeing improved customer engagement by offering them a best in class omni-channel experience from Brink’s online and mobile ordering platforms, and investigating the comprehensive loyalty solution. Although they are early in the process of implementing this, they are seeing great potential in both incremental revenue and speed of service improvements.

“We are excited to have Crazy Bowls & Wraps select Brink for all locations. Brink was designed to be  forward thinking and with the end user in mind, resulting in an easy to use and quickly adoptable solution,” said Paul Rubin, Chief Strategy Officer, ParTech, Inc. “With Brink online ordering and loyalty in place, guests will have a more engaging experience, and a more convenient and accessible way to order their favorite CBW dishes.”

“RDS is proud to have the opportunity to partner with Crazy Bowls & Wraps in providing PAR’s cloud-based Brink POS Software,” said Chris Cutting, General Manager, Retail Data Systems of St. Louis (RDS). “With the solution’s robust reporting and remote management capabilities, it addressed the issues that were once faced with their traditional, legacy systems. It is exciting to see CBW grow and offer the best possible experience for customers with online ordering and loyalty options. “

ABOUT CRAZY BOWLS & WRAPS

Crazy Bowls & Wraps opened its first store in St. Louis, MO in 1994. While CBW has continually evolved and expanded over the years, they continue to serve fresh, real food that is made from scratch daily. By making it easier to enjoy delicious, fresh ingredients, CBW helps people feel good about themselves and the world we share. For more information and a list of locations, visit http://crazybowlsandwraps.com/.

ABOUT RETAIL DATA SYSTEMS (RDS)

Retail Data Systems is the largest provider of Point of Sale Hardware and Software in North America. Founded in 1950, RDS now operates over 25 offices serving customers across the nation providing complete Point of Sale technology. Their team of over 400 professionals assure customers of the best 24/7/365 service available. Their list of industry leading POS hardware and software products provide a variety of solutions for companies large and small. For more information, visit http://www.rdspos.com/.

ABOUT PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

PAR Technology Corporation’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PAR. PAR’s Restaurant/Retail segment has been a leading provider of restaurant and retail technology for more than 30 years. PAR offers technology solutions for the full spectrum of restaurant operations, from large chain and independent table service restaurants to international quick service chains. Products from PAR also can be found in retailers, cinemas, cruise lines, stadiums and food service companies. PAR’s Government segment is a leader in providing computer-based system design, engineering and technical services to the Department of Defense and various federal agencies. For more information, visit https://www.partech.com/ or connect with PAR on Facebook and Twitter.

What’s the VALUE in Value Added Resellers?

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View the PDF.

Running a business is hard. Everybody realizes that it requires long hours and dedication. In an effort to stay focused on the product, many business owners find it difficult to become fully educated on how to select the right POS system for their business. Too often, an IT department is a luxury affordable by few, leaving management to add becoming a POS expert to their considerable list of tasks.

This is the VALUE in VAR.  They make running your business easier by providing sound advice and access to customized turnkey solutions resulting in owner confidence and more time to focus on their product and their customers.

RDS has assembled experienced teams that know and understand the products available, and how businesses in your industry stay in the black. Better than working directly with a manufacturer who delivers a one size fits all product, a VAR analyzes your business and develops a custom solution that reinforces your brand with your customers.

How? Value Added Resellers work with you, giving advice and providing many services such as PCI Compliant strategies, employee training, IT functions, custom integrations, installation project management, maintenance, skilled help desk support, payment services and financing options. It may be surprising for customers to hear, but manufacturers prefer working with VARs. They buy in quantity and their business is understanding how the products work. This relationship allows for some pricing advantages that VARs can then pass to customers.

How important are these services, really? It’s easy to see the value in a discounted price on hardware or software. But let’s look at just one of these added values– what is the real value of help desk support? The hard truth is that technology sometimes breaks. When it does, it is important to be able to get the help you need –quickly. Not all VARs are created equal. A comprehensive POS provider, RDS provides qualified help desk support 24/7/365.  Our Help Desk works constantly to maintain high standards in customer service. In some cases, they are able to prevent a full day of lost sales. But don’t take our word for it. Here are a few comments from customers:

 “You guys immediately get on the system to fix the problem. In a case when a replacement was needed, a new component was shipped overnight. Business still continued to run instead of being dead in the water like with our last POS company. The new terminal was up and running in two minutes. Just a quick call and up and running. Best of all the sites are NEVER down.”

 

– Alan Meyer, Meyer Oil Company

 

“RDS works hand in hand with our back office system and I can’t imagine not having RDS for our cash registers. For Instance, if we lose internet connection, we can still process credit cards off-line so it doesn’t affect sales and customer service. Any time there is a problem that we need to communicate right away, we are able to use after -hours support by calling. We always get a response right away.”

 

– Helen Daigle, Owner with Daigle Arby’s Franchise Group – Louisiana

 

“Honestly your whole support team is above the other vendors we use, so all of them should be commended.”

 

– Anthony Mann, Atlanta Botanical Garden

RDS has been assisting businesses for 65 years with POS solutions. In 27 offices across the country, our IT professionals are adding value to POS in Hospitality, C-Store, Retail and Grocery channels. Are you ready to cross off POS expert from your TO DO list? Call RDS at 855-737-1500 to talk about your options.

The Myth of Free POS

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We recently had a call from a customer who is planning on opening a location in Virginia that will be a full service restaurant with a bar. They were inquiring about a POS system that would be able to handle both operations. They heard that some companies offer “free” Point of Sale equipment.

The customer referred us to one of these companies on the internet and we took the time to read about their offer carefully. In today’s world, anyone can post anything online and reader beware, but the interesting point of this particular Review site was that it stated they do the research so that “you don’t have to.” To their credit, they did state that the supposed Free POS systems were accompanied by long contracts and that the terms/conditions should be reviewed carefully. They listed the top 5 advantages as follows:

  1.  Low Upfront Costs
  2.  Simple to Setup
  3.  Overnight Replacement Part Shipping
  4.  Lifetime Warranty
  5.  They Don’t Make Money Unless You Make Money

I will be addressing each point shortly, but the bottom line is that there is no such thing as Free POS. They still make plenty of money even if you don’t.

RDS POS offers tailored Point of Sale solutions systems focused on Hospitality, Retail, Grocery, and Petroleum/C-Store. Customers demanding an honest single source for their POS solution come to RDS POS for the best in Service, Software, and Hardware.

Most of us have heard the phrase “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Or how about “if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is not true.” Then how is it that there are still advertisements claiming “Free POS?” Is it possible there is such a thing as free POS for your business? Here are some common (and mostly misleading) phrases we found when researching this topic:

“Upgrade your Business to Point of Sale FOR FREE”

“FREE POS System for Hospitality, Bar or Retail”

“Is a FREE POS in your budget?”

“A comprehensive FREE point-of-sale solution for your business!”

To better understand, let’s quickly look at the components and pricing of a POS system: 19475626_m
1  Hardware – This could include the POS touch screen, all-in-one touch pc or separate processor (computer), customer display, barcode scanners, cash register drawer, kitchen display, and thermal printers.
2. Software: It is defined as the specific program than runs the point of sale operations and does have a variety of features.
3. Credit Card Processing– you must use their services, no negotiating on rates or terms
4. Training–  all remote, no  local, qualified trainer with any experience
5. Service & Warranty– at their mercy, no qualified support for on-site, nor any night and weekend support

It is easy to understand that all the above components cost money. Some imagine that the revenue from credit card processing may be able to allow sellers of POS systems to offer the system for free. This is typically NOT true. The share of revenues the POS provider receives is way too little to cover the costs involved if you are to get a real system. So, how is it that you see advertisements for “free POS systems?”

We went searching and found the answers. Here is what we discovered when we tried to purchase a two station POS system for FREE for a restaurant from one of the nation’s leading advertisers of free POS:

  1. Basic Package: $60/month per station: Total: $120/month. Includes touch screen with receipt printer and cash drawer
  2. Optional Equipment: Total: $33/month. Includes remote printer (x2)
  3. There is a $250 per quarter maintenance. That is an extra $6,000 in the five year term.

Then we moved on to the fun part– THE FINE PRINT! Commonly, most business owners are so busy with setting up their business that they don’t read the pages of fine print and this is where you can come across surprises. We suggest that you spend the time to always read the fine print and ask questions. Here are a few interesting and frankly scary parts from it:

Terms: The monthly payment agreement is for 60 months and then it is automatically renewed for an additional 48 months if you don’t give them notice 60 days period to the termination of the first 60 months. Early termination fee is equal to the number of months remaining and the entire amount is due upon termination! So if after operating for 36 months, you want out, then you need to pay them 24 months’ worth of payments immediately.

Rate Hike: The POS seller can adjust the monthly service charges upon 30 days written notice. So at any point, they can raise the fees and you have to accept it.

Credit Card Processing: You have to maintain this service with them and pay any fees they like. There is NO OPTION! This is a huge unknown, and does not allow for any comparison in rates or costs. Count me OUT!

Equipment Ownership: They own the equipment and upon termination, you must return all the equipment in working condition.

The actual provider: Your POS provider is actually a bank. Don’t know if I want the bank to know everything about my transactions.  What does a bank know about POS?!?

We know it’s hard to believe, but feel free to read the entire contract yourself.
Cost of ownership: Basic Package + Optional Equipment + Tax
$120+$66= $186 x 60 months = $11,160
Plus 20 quarters of $250 = $6,000
Total: $17,106.00 (Depending on what State you are in, you may have to add applicable taxes to it.

This is the cost if they don’t decide to raise the monthly fee as they see fit and if you forget to cancel the term 60 days before the expiration, then you are stuck for another 48 months or $13,728. You still have to pay whatever they charge for Credit Card Processing and you still don’t own the EQUIPMENT and are at the mercy of the seller. And you are still stuck with low level service and support.

CONCLUSION:
When we tried to bring up this to them and asked “how is this free?” we were told that this is like a cell phone contract. I am no fan of mobile phone companies, but at least with the cell phone companies you own the phone at the end and they can’t just raise rates on you if you are in a contract.

Directly stated, it is not only dishonest, but also grossly deceitful. One must wonder, if this is how a relationship starts, how will the rest of it go? The only factor we are not certain about is the service they provide when you have the system. You are obligated, so you can be at their mercy. They may be wonderful service providers, but in business, trust is everything and if they are this way in the beginning, who knows. A POS System is an investment in your business just like your employees who need to be trustworthy.

SOLUTION:
If you want an honest and reliable POS solution provider, then contact RDS POS Systems. Our goal is to help you build your business instead of locking you into fine print. Your success directly reflects upon us and brings success to us.

Contact us today with any questions: POS is what we do!

by Garry Easterling

Brian Podraza Named President by RDS/DSI

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Omaha, NE – Brian Podraza HeadshotRetail Data Systems/DSI has named Brian Podraza its new President. Podraza started with NCR Corporation in 1988 and accepted a sales position with RDS Wisconsin in 1991. He moved to the Chicago branch where he was later named General Manager. In 2008, he became the VP of Operations and helped successfully navigate the company through a difficult economy with record-breaking results.

“I am honored to have been chosen by the board to lead RDS into the next exciting era of the Company,” said Brian Podraza. “I’m proud of how focused and energized our people are right now. Going forward we will leverage our unique core strengths to help grow the company to the next level.”

Podraza replaces Bob Seider who is retiring with 35 years in the POS industry. “On behalf of the entire RDS team, we want to thank Bob Seider for his leadership and vision. In his 8 years as President, Bob has transformed our company to its current level of success. He leaves with the company’s best wishes.”

About Retail Data Systems
Retail Data Systems (www.rdspos.com) is the largest provider of Point of Sale hardware and software in North America. Founded in 1950, RDS now operates over 25 offices serving customers across the nation providing complete Point of Sale technology. Our team of over 400 professionals ensures our customers the best 24/7/365 service available. Our list of industry-leading POS hardware and software products provides a variety of solutions for companies large and small.

Media Contact:

Drew Clausen
812-372-2000
dclausen@rdspos.com
rdspos.com

Not-so-happy meal: McDonald’s satisfaction lags

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McDonald’s just can’t climb out of the customer-satisfaction cellar.

For the 20th year in a row, McDonald’s ranks dead last in customer satisfaction in a national survey of patrons of 12 major fast-food chains by the American Customer Satisfaction Index… (read more)

Source: USA Today

April 8th XP End of Life – Don’t be an Ostrich

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Windows XP was laid to rest on April 8, 2014.  It is survived by its siblings Windows Vista (stop laughing), Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Before you read further, this does not pertain to XP embedded.  You still have time left on that; end of life for XP embedded is January of 2016.  Not sure if you are on XP embedded?  Keep reading and contact us. We can help.

The passing of Windows XP marks a major milestone in the progression of desktop technology.  Many times Microsoft extended the life of the platform because of the success it had in the marketplace and the outcry of the impact ending support would have on the PC community.  Finally, just a few short weeks ago, Microsoft pulled the plug; this time for good.

A few months back we posted an article about the “tsunami of viruses” that were likely to hit at end of life.  Thus far, those fears have not come to reality; at least not anything that has created any public outcry.  Why is this?  It could be the end of life was much ado about nothing.  It also could be as many reports suggest; thieves are targeting smaller firms.  The attacks are likely happening, but not getting the headlines.  Additionally, recent reports show the market share for XP has only dipped by about 1.5% since end of life.  Larger firms, especially since the Target breach, have shored up their networks.  Smaller firms often the laggards, not so much.  Small business is vulnerable and the crooks know it.

One other major concern if you are still running XP on your front or back of house systems, XP is no longer PCI compliant.  Ensure that all system components and software are protected from known vulnerabilities by installing applicable vendor-supplied security patches. Install critical security patches within one month of release. (Source: www.pcisecuritystandards.org) 

If and when your business is breached and you are running Windows XP, you will likely not garner much sympathy from the PCI Security Council as they determine origin of fault and levy fines.

Many store owners we talk to are not even sure if they have XP.   There is a lot of misinformation out there.   If you are not sure if you are vulnerable, let us know.  This is not the time to stick your head in the sand and not take action.  We are happy to provide an assessment.    Whether or not you use RDS to help with the upgrade or change, protect yourself.  Upgrade your system and remove this liability from your business.