Checkout.com announced on 20 October that it is expanding into in-person payments, responding to demand from large merchants that want the same infrastructure online and in stores. The solution is not tied to a specific terminal: merchants can connect devices they already own or pick new ones. Mollie, which serves more than 350,000 businesses, will use Checkout.com's acquiring platform for its own in-store payments while keeping control of hardware and customer experience. The service will launch first in the UK and the EEA and later in the US.

What it means: The convergence of online and in-store payments is one of the big trends in the acquiring market. Merchants with both an online shop and physical stores want one contract, one settlement and one view of all sales, rather than separate providers and separate reports. Checkout.com, known until now almost entirely for online payments, is entering a field where Adyen, Stripe, Worldline and the banks already compete. Its choice not to impose its own terminal matters, because many merchants have already invested in devices and till systems. In Greece, where the POS market changed sharply with mandatory links between card terminals, cash registers and myDATA, any new provider has to fit that framework, which is not a given for international players. For Greek chains with stores in other European countries, a single provider across channels can simplify reconciliation and fee negotiations. Before any switch, though, they need to confirm that the provider supports Greek integration rules, instalments and local cards, as well as acceptable settlement times.

Read the original on Checkout.com

Related service: myDATA integrations

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