Between the fitting room and the register lie ten meters — and sometimes a complete change of heart.
In a boutique, payment is part of the staging: the terminal sits in plain view on the counter, payment ideally happens where the decision is made, and a return has to run as smoothly as the sale. Which terminals and POS systems deliver that — and at what rates — is what we compare for you: independent and free of charge.
What makes the difference in your business
The terminal is in plain sight — treat it like your interior
You choose your lighting, hangers, and counter with care — the terminal sits right next to them and is seen and touched by every customer. There are devices with clean design, in black or white, with a charging cradle instead of a cable. The payment moment is the last impression before the door: a scratched housing with a tangle of cables tells a different story than the rest of your store.
Take payment where the decision is made
A mobile terminal on Wi-Fi or cellular turns the fitting room into a register: the customer pays in the moment of saying yes — not after a walk through the store that leaves time for second thoughts. Look for battery life that lasts a long Saturday and a charging dock that doesn’t clutter the counter. And if the Wi-Fi falters, the device should switch to cellular without anyone noticing.
The return is the second half of the sale
A refund belongs on the same card that paid — refunding card payments in cash creates register discrepancies and discussions at the counter. Worth knowing: not every provider enables the refund function on the terminal automatically. Before signing, confirm that your team can process returns directly on the device and how the reversal is documented in the POS — Germany’s Cash Register Security Ordinance requires clean records here too.
Apple Pay isn’t an extra feature — it’s an expectation
A customer who wants to pay with an iPhone or Watch experiences a terminal that can’t handle it as broken. What matters for your costing is the mechanics behind it: the wallet usually holds a debit or credit card, settled via Visa or Mastercard — at their rates, not the rate of girocard (Germany’s debit card). Check both rates in the pricing model, or your monthly statement will surprise you — the younger and more international your clientele, the more so.
With Apple Pay and Google Pay, the customer confirms the payment on her own device — face or fingerprint instead of a PIN pad. Your terminal isn’t even touched: the payment moment at the fitting room takes barely longer than a nod.
Send us your latest statement — and, if you like, a photo of your counter. You’ll receive a selection of terminals that match your rates. And your store.
Get your comparison