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Merchants using the point-of-sale system from National Retail Solutions Inc. soon will have the ability to use a potentially crime-thwarting value-add feature.
The Newark, N.J.-based company is adding a silent alarm feature to its POS system. Expected to be available by the end of the first quarter, the feature involves entering a unique passcode that triggers a notification to a monitoring company that police are needed. Most POS systems and electronic cash registers need a code to open the cash drawer. The criminal will not know the code is different from any other one, says Elie Katz, NRS founder, president, and chief executive. NRS is in talks with a national monitoring service, but Katz declined to disclose the company.
A big market for the service is independent convenience stores, especially those located in large cities which might be easier robbery targets, Katz says
“They are prime targets,” Katz says. Criminals know the stores have small amounts of money and typically there are few people in the stores. They also know the stores are easy to get in and out of. And, they also know some store owners may be afraid to report the incident or don’t know how, Katz says. Future enhancements might include a customer-facing camera that snaps an image when the silent alarm is initiated.
Adding the silent-alarm feature ties directly into NRS’s desire to help its customers improve their businesses, Katz says. “We started our business to give them the tools to be successful,” he tells Digital Transactions News. Realizing the security issue is paramount, the next step was to develop the silent-alarm feature. “While we can’t prevent crime, we are going to give them more tools to not only be successful, but to protect their investment,” Katz says. NRS also offers loyalty programs, inventory-management, pricing, and vendor-management tools as part of its POS software.
The NRS POS system costs $1,299, which includes dual-facing screens, a barcode scanner, card reader, receipt printer, and cash drawer. The monthly fee is $19.95. NRS offers a flat credit or debit card processing fee of 2.49% plus 10 cents or a custom rate for stores with electronic payments of more than $10,000 per month.
NRS distribution is via 168 sales teams that are part of its parent company, IDT Corp., which made its name selling phone, payment, and money-transfer services, and approximately 100 sales agents or distributors, Katz says.
NRS counts more than 7,500 installations since its POS system debuted approximately two years ago.
NRS also has other developments in the works, Katz says. One is a new credit card processing division and another is to gain payment-facilitator certification.
