Costco To Sell iPhone And iPod Touch Mobile POS

By Sam Lewis

CHERRY and e-Nabler combine forces for mobile POS solution

The award winning mobile POS software developer e-Nabler has partnered with CHERRY, a manufacturer of products for computers, transportation, and mobile POS systems, to create an all-in-one mobile POS solution for iPhones and iPod touches. The companies combine the eMobilePOS app developed by e-Nabler with CHERRY’s iTransigo POS sled, turning an iPod Touch or iPhone into a fully functional mobile POS — complete with swipe card readers, barcode scanners, and receipt printers. The sled and its corresponding app seem to have taken the Square’s idea as a mobile POS solution to the fullest of its potential.

The combo provides the ability to track and process sales, manage inventory, and integrate itself with QuickBooks and Sage 50. The system can be run anywhere with available Wi-Fi, which gives customers and associates freedom to complete transactions at their leisure, without the inconvenience of waiting in long lines. “A POS system is no longer a complex and costly investment; eMobilePOS makes it affordable for small businesses and you can be up and running in minutes,” says Joel Vázquez, president of e-Nabler. “Costco gives us the opportunity to have a huge footprint in terms of reaching customers and equipping them with a true business-grade mobile POS system.”

The new system from CHERRY and e-Nabler works right out of the box (assuming the mobile app has been programmed with the store’s inventory). Users simply attach their charged, iPhone or iPod Touch to the sled and all the features and conveniences of a mobile POS are at the users’ fingertips. “By partnering with eMobilePOS, we can provide all the features of a traditional POS system but at a fraction of the cost, and it is available wherever your business takes you,” says Mark Bondzinski, CID product manager at CHERRY.

This mobile POS solution from CHERRY and e-Nabler is available to more than eight million Costco businesses and executive members through Costco.com. While Apple products provide a cost-effective and user friendly interface for mobile POS, there are drawbacks for big retailers. The system designed by e-Nabler and CHERRY looks to be a great fit for small shops looking to improve their customer’s experience by going mobile, but larger retailers might be better off investing in a traditional, enterprise-class computer system for mobile POS solutions, or ensuring the i-device is properly ruggedized.