Whether a company has a single stationary location or a solopreneur takes his or her business on the road every day, people who sell goods and services need a modern way to take customer orders, track their businesses and, of course, take payments. Finding the right POS solutions can be difficult, but Clover POS has created a system that provides a wide range of features and benefits to suit nearly every business type.
What Type of Businesses Use Clover?
John Beatty and Leonard Speiser created Clover with small business owners in mind. From solopreneurs who own and operate every aspect of their company by themselves to people who run businesses with a small handful of employees, the easy-to-learn system is meant for startups. It is especially popular among restaurants and bars of all types, although you will likely find the Clover POS system in small offices, boutiques, and a variety of other types of businesses.
How Does Clover Work?
Clover’s basic system bundle comes as one hardware bundle that includes the terminal and its stand, a printer and a cash drawer. Business owners who need separate printers, a scale or a Bluetooth scanner can order them separately, but cannot change the original bundle. The creators chose a single bundle for the main system to make it as easy as possible to set up. It includes color-coded cables to make the setup even easier. Clover uses its own tablet system with a sleek white design that will look modern and integrate well into any style business. The stand swivels for customers who need to sign for their purchases and additional USB ports are available for those who wish to expand the system in the future.
Clover’s software looks much like any app you would find on your iPhone or Android device. In fact, it uses Android’s open source platform so that other developers can create software for the system if they desire. Functions are divided into specialized apps for organization and ease of use, some of which include a register, a table grid and a simple inventory app. For further customization, business owners can look to the Clover App Market. There, they’ll find additional inventory apps, seating scheduling apps for restaurants and many other popular plug-ins. However, users should keep in mind that not all apps are free to download. Some require the purchase of a license while others charge a monthly fee.
What Products Does the Company Carry?
Clover offers several POS solutions. The basic Clover Station is available for setup in a stationary location and includes an 11.6-inch touchscreen display for easy visibility. Other features are an encrypted card swiper, a high-speed printer that also works as a power and connectivity hub and a built-in swivel stand. The pre-configured bundle also features:
- Embedded high-resolution camera to scan barcodes and QR codes
- Single power source to reduce cord clutter
- Wireless, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity options
- Additional USB ports
While the standard bundle is an excellent choice, the company understands that no two companies have exactly the same needs. Business owners who would prefer a smaller stationary system can purchase the Clover Mini. The seven-inch screen makes the unit much more compact without forsaking functionality. The mini features on-screen signature capabilities, a front-facing camera, the ability to manage tips and multiple payment methods, and much more.
The options don’t stop there, either. A growing trend in the restaurant industry is to allow customers to pay right at their table. Restaurant owners who want this feature or simply need something easy to use when running a food truck or cart will likely enjoy Clover Mobile. This unit also features a seven-inch screen, supports multiple payment options and has a front-facing camera, but it doesn’t need to be plugged in to use. A single charge will last all day.
One way in which Clover is truly changing the way sales representatives do business is with the Clover Go All-in-One. Today’s shoppers like to get in and out fast and an increasing number of them are turning to systems like Apple Pay® to pay for goods and services with just a tap of their phone. The All-in-One makes transactions faster by offering email or text receipts for customers, compatibility with all major payment systems, strong encryption for security, a long-lasting battery and more.
Consumers aren’t the only ones changing how they do business. Business owners are taking their services with them everywhere. Whether a solopreneur sells products for one of the many clothing or health and wellness companies out there today or they provide a completely unique product, Clover Flex is the answer. The handheld device allows business owners to collect payments and take signatures on the spot, manage inventory from anywhere, and even takes payment without a connection — it simply processes them when the connection is back up. The Flex system also syncs with other Clover devices, making it easy for busy takeout restaurants to take orders before customers even get to the counter.
What Are Some Other Clover Features?
In addition to the basic functionality of accepting payments, Clover POS offers several other unique features. Gift cards are a popular item sold at many restaurants and stores and Clover’s gift card app allows its users to sell their own digital or physical gift cards or issue store credit directly from the device. The POS solution also provides business analytics based on the transactions made. The insights provided are easy to understand and helps business owners to discover trends that can boost sales. Users can even check out how well similar businesses in the area are doing. Finally, Clover allows business owners to create their own rewards programs for their loyal customers. The simple system makes it easy for customers to sign up, provides promotional materials and easily tracks the customers’ progress toward rewards.
What Are Some of the Best Apps for Clover?
Clover is an amazing product on its own, but the wide range of available apps make it even better. There is one for every type of business. Check out some of these options:
- Drink Exchange: This app allows businesses that sell alcohol to track which drinks are currently popular and change their prices according to popularity.
- Shift: A must-have for any entrepreneur, Shift allows business owners to track employees’ hours to see who is clocking in and out and when. It also helps with scheduling shifts.
- Salon Scheduler: Any business that sees clients regularly would benefit from this app. It not only allows for scheduling appointments but also has a journal feature for tracking the clients’ preferences and which services they paid for during the last appointment.
- Waitlist Me: Businesses or restaurants that have walk-in customers and sometimes become busy can use this app to alert customers when it’s almost their turn, freeing them up to run other errands or do some window shopping nearby.
- Ping Me If: Use this app to keep track of everything behind the scenes. It’s designed to email the manager if a specific event takes place. The manager can choose to receive an alert when certain inventory runs low, a large refund or discount occurs or a cash drawer has more than a specified amount of money in it.
This is just a sampling of the many apps Clover offers its customers. Regardless of the type of company users operate, they are almost guaranteed to benefit from one of the apps.
What Are the Benefits of Switching to Clover?
Simply put, the largest benefit of choosing Clover POS is the ability to provide customers with a modern shopping or dining experience. Older cash registers and POS systems are only set up to take cash, credit cards or debit cards. While this is likely to be enough for many customers, younger clients are increasingly using alternative payment methods like Google Wallet or Samsung Pay. Businesses that can’t accept these payment methods will likely lose out on customers, especially restaurants, bars or other establishments that cater to a younger crowd.
The custom analytics are nothing to scoff at, either. Clover’s analytics gather and analyze information that helps business owners to determine which items are selling, which aren’t, and even how their employees are performing. They’ll be able to identify strengths in the business and determine where weaknesses need to be addressed. They can even compare the information to nearby businesses in some cases.
Finally, users can’t beat the system’s portability. It used to be that company owners had to use a stationary POS system and if they wanted to offer mobile payment options, they would need to purchase a separate device from another company, making syncing less than easy. Although some people still need separate devices through Clover, they sync seamless and make it easy to track the entire business.
If you are interested in learning more about Clover, you will need to get in touch with an authorized retailer of the system. Merchant Account Solutions is one such retailer. Click here to talk to a representative about your business needs and get a quote for products and services.
Sean Mir