Stripe has unveiled a new Android-based smart reader that allows businesses to accept payments, run custom apps and collect customer details to unify online and in-person payments.
According to Stripe, the customisation capabilities of the Stripe Reader S700 takes it beyond traditional hardware by allowing businesses to brand their splash screen and run custom apps for taking orders, offering loyalty programmes and collecting customer information such as signatures and email addresses.
The company said the new handheld or countertop device can be used by businesses such as restaurants accepting tableside orders, concert promoters selling merchandise in changing locations or even fitness studios accepting payments for single classes.
Recent research shows that 64% of shoppers worldwide prefer brands with both an online and in-store presence. On the back of the launch, a key benefit of Stripe’s online checkout is the ability to capture a customer’s preferred payment method alongside their loyalty program and then pass that information to the physical store. It is then accessible on Stripe Reader S700 when that customer walks in to make a purchase. Orders placed on Stripe Reader S700 can also sync with a business’s inventory management and a customer’s online order history, the company said.
“Stripe Terminal users are constantly creating new commerce experiences. They need a flexible, all-in-one device that can keep up, and which works with their existing integration,” said Kate Brennan, head of product for Terminal at Stripe.
“With Stripe Reader S700, we are providing a dynamic, customizable point-of-sale device. It is ideal for businesses that want to create unique in-person checkout flows that travel easily from the counter to the curb,” she added.
The latest hardware addition follows the launch of Stripe Reader M2 in 2021, Tap to Pay on iPhone in 2022 and Tap to Pay on Android earlier this year. It will be part of Stripe Terminal, a set of developer interfaces, pre-certified card readers, and logistics management tools.
Stripe Reader S700 will be available this summer in the US and by the end of the year in all 23 countries where Stripe Terminal is available.
