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Small merchants that use Square, Clover, or Lightspeed point-of-sale systems have a simpler way to get their products listed online and potentially reap better placement among Google search results following the integration of a service called Pointy into the three POS system providers.
Pointy, based in Ireland, supplies merchants with a device that connects to in-store barcode scanners. As a merchant scans a product, the details are delivered to their Pointy account via a cellular connection in the device. The account generates a Pointy page for the merchant that contains the store location, a product listing with geographical tags, store hours, and a short description. The information helps smaller merchants better compete with larger ones, Pointy says. Pointy submits merchant pages to search engines for indexing.
Merchants using Lightspeed, Square Inc.’s service, or First Data Corp.’s Clover do not need the Pointy device. “When the retailer installs the Pointy app on their Clover, Square, or Lightspeed POS we integrate with their inventory and it serves the same function as a Pointy device,” a Pointy spokesperson says.
Pointy says the service will be free for merchants using one of these POS systems. “However, we have some paid services which we charge for on a monthly basis,” Pointy says. “These services are optional. One example is Pointy ProductAds. These are highly targeted Google Ads which we run for the retailer in just two clicks.”
Pointy’s goal is to help smaller merchants compete. “Pointy solves a very basic problem, by helping consumers find local stores selling what they want to buy,” Charles Bibby, Pointy cofounder, says in a news release. “We obsess about simplicity—our integrations with Square, Clover, and Lightspeed will help us get the power of the Pointy platform into retailers’ hands even faster and more easily. It’s a next step in helping bricks and mortars tool up against e-commerce giants.”
Pointy’s U.S. customer roster includes more than 5,000 stores.
