It's Saturday afternoon, and business is busy.  

Clients are waiting, appointments are overlapping, and your team is juggling tasks like they were in the circus. You need to find a way to speed things up.

Enter mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) systems. These flexible, easy-to-use systems make finishing appointments a breeze, and your team can quickly cash clients out from anywhere – no more being chained to the checkout counter.  

Read on to find out more about what an mPOS is and how it can benefit your beauty and wellness business. 

mPOS: Meaning and How It Works

A mobile POS machine is a point-of-sale (POS) system that works like a portable cash register. It allows salon and spa staff to take payments from anywhere with an internet connection. Whether at your main location, a pop-up shop, or an off-site client visit, you can process funds with an mPOS, making checkout faster and less awkward for clients. 

An mPOS for salons or other self-care businesses typically has hardware (the physical machine) and software (the technology that processes payments). 

Mobile POS hardware is a handheld POS terminal or card reader that lets clients swipe, insert, or tap credit and debit cards. Many also accept payments through mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

Mobile POS software runs on mobile devices like iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. In most cases, all you need to do is download the mPOS program or app to your digital device and link it to the card reader. Just follow the instructions from your hardware and software provider. 

Some POS software have both mobile and desktop capabilities. Although an mPOS only option will have lower setup costs, you can find a provider with a mobile option for a desktop platform or a POS system that accepts mobile payments. 

Let's break down how an mPOS works: 

1. You complete a service and enter the service cost into the system. 
2. The mPOS system calculates the total cost of the service or purchase, including any applicable taxes and discounts. 
3. Your client pays using a credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet.
4. The mPOS system processes the customer's payment. Once the sale goes through, you can offer the client a printed or emailed receipt. The transaction also gets stored in your records.

You might also want to get a wireless barcode scanner for your mPOS set-up. This lets you scan items like massage oils and haircare products when customers want to buy them. You also need a receipt printer if you want to provide paper receipts (though going paperless with email receipts is more eco-friendly and cost-effective).

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6 Benefits of a Mobile POS System

Leveraging an mPOS in your self-care business can help you speed up operations and create a better customer experience. Here are six more benefits: 

1. Fast

mPOS technology is advanced, meaning it processes payments very quickly. This reduces wait times and makes checking out smoother for everyone involved. Faster transactions mean shorter lines, and you're more likely to sell products and services when clients aren't faced with long waits. 

2. Schedule- and Budget-Friendly 

The best mobile POS systems often have lower upfront costs than traditional POS systems. This is because mobile ones use devices you may already have, like smartphones and tablets. You’ll likely only need to buy a card reader to attach to your phone.

An mPOS also saves you time. Yes, the software itself is fast, but features like automated inventory tracking also reduce the time you spend manually counting products and completing other tedious tasks.  

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3. Flexible

With an mPOS system, you and your team can process payments anytime, anywhere, as long as the device has an internet connection. You can even redesign your business's layout so employees can complete transactions where service takes place, making your floor plan more customer-friendly without worrying about where clients will pay. 

4. Easy To Use 

Most mPOS systems are intuitive and require minimal employee training to get up and running. The software installs quickly, and the hardware is familiar if you and your team already work with non-mobile-enabled card readers. 

5. Secure 

Many mPOS systems offer secure payment processing through built-in payment data encryption. Data encryption scrambles up sensitive financial information so fraudsters can’t read it, protecting you and your clients from potential theft.   

Mobile POS systems also comply with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council, which is a set of best practices for protecting clients' payment information and your business data. Any company accepting credit card payments has to follow these rules.  

6. Scalable and Customizable 

As your beauty and wellness business scales, your mPOS should, too. You should be able to add more devices and users so you can expand your operations without too much stress (or cash). For example, you can open a new location for your business and use the same system there as at your flagship salon.

Many mPOS systems also offer customizable features and integrations. Whether you need specific reporting capabilities or loyalty programs, you can tailor your mPOS to handle them. You can even create shortcuts on your smartphone or tablet, like for popular products or bundles, to make checkout even faster.  

Features To Consider When Choosing a System  

Most comprehensive salon software – like GlossGenius – integrate with mPOS systems. Along with payment processing, most options have a range of features to suit your business and cover all the bases – like updating inventory, managing client information, and generating comprehensive reports about how your business is doing. 

Here's what to consider when choosing software: 

Appointment Management Integration 

When you run a salon or spa, you know how important it is to be able to easily schedule and change appointments. That's why you should choose an appointment management tool that integrates with your mPOS. 

In addition to an mPOS system, GlossGenius is completely integrated with client booking so you can easily schedule appointments, manage team bookings, and access client information all from the same device you use to accept payments. You can view the teams' or individual staff members' schedules and access client information in no time. Plus, automated reminders and confirmations keep your clients informed and reduce no-shows. You can even send birthday messages. 

Inventory Management 

Real-time inventory tracking is a must-have mPOS feature. Choose a system that lets you manage stock levels accurately by updating inventory quantities every time something changes, preventing mistakes and product shortages.  

GlossGenius' mPOS includes inventory management to keep your stock in check. The barcode scanning feature lets you scan an item to add it to inventory, and GlossGenius will auto-populate the product’s detail and image. You save time, track items automatically, and make smarter purchasing decisions. This feature is automatically built into our mPOS system so you can spend more time doing what you do best – being creative.  

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Customer Management 

Running a business is all about the clients walking through the door. Select an mPOS system that gives them an incredible experience through customer profiles, which can host details like the client's visit history, purchases, and personal preferences. Your system should also include built-in marketing tools that send out targeted promotions and reminders, boosting engagement and encouraging clients to rebook. 

GlossGenius' mPOS includes a built-in client management solution, complete with everything you need to turn a first impression into a repeat client. Our comprehensive tool lets you create, edit, and save client profiles with before-and-afters, personal notes, and more so you can truly get to know who you're serving. 

Simplify Payments With GlossGenius' Mobile POS  

Are you looking for an easy-to-use mPOS system to take your self-care business to the next level? You're in luck – GlossGenius's all-in-one solution lets you process payments directly through the app on your phone or tablet. With our point-of-sale feature, you can accept nearly every payment method that comes your way, ensuring a seamless checkout experience for your clients.

Try GlossGenius free for 14 days!

Sign up for a 14-day free trial with GlossGenius today to simplify payments at your salon or spa.