1 - Customer Metafields
Customer metafields now appear in Shopify POS - these are customisable data fields.
This now means that retailers can capture and track key customer information, including data such as
birthdays
loyalty status
membership ID
size and style
These fields sync between the online store and the point of sale hardware which means that your customer profiles become richer and more valuable. As well as giving extra options when it comes to marketing and personalisation, it can also help you make more informed decisions for important details like inventory management and more.
Your members of staff have the ability to update customer information if required, to help ensure everything is customised and current.
2 - Location-Based Filters
This new update enables you to target local customers quickly, which has benefits such as letting you:
create location-based lists for marketing
drive more in-store foot traffic
deliver unique in-person experiences
set it up extremely quickly
It’s a really powerful tool that lets you combine location data with purchase history which then gives the ability to create segments such as ‘VIP customers who live within 5 miles’. This can integrate directly with your marketing campaigns and help you drive traffic to specific locations.
The maximum radius for local customers is 160km/100m, with 10 delivery zones being the maximum amount you can create.
3 - Bundles in POS
The Shopify Bundles App is now available in Shopify POS which allows you to curate retail product bundles.
increase AOV and product discovery
create fixed or multi-pack bundles
view, sell and refund bundles in-store
Staff in stores are able to select products from the dashboard that form the bundle, or they can be scanned under a single barcode.
If you have a store-wide promotion, you can use bundles as well. There is the ability to apply store-wide discounts, but they need to be compatible.
(Bear in mind that combining discounts needs your store location to be using Shopify POS Pro.)
4 - Unverified Returns
You can now accept unverified returns in Shopify POS, without receipts or order numbers - a feature that retailers have been asking Shopify to implement for a long time.
The update lets retailers issue refunds to gift cards, save details in a customer profile, and keep track of returns.
You can define which staff have the ability to do this by setting permission levels. It is either set to ‘approved’, ‘denied’, or a manager can do it.
One thing to bear in mind is that returns are connected to a customer profile, so they will need to have one created in order to take advantage of this functionality. You’re also able to select reasons for the return and add notes about it., plus refunds can be applied to digital or physical gift cards for later spending.
5 - Offline Payments
If you’re trying to make sales but you lose access to the internet, in the past you’d have to sacrifice those sales - not any more. Now, you’re able to accept payments even when network connectivity is down. Shopify POS will process the payments once the connection is restored
You control purchase amounts and transactions accepted offline so you can limit the amount.
While this new functionality lets you transact even when you’re offline to save sales, there are some limits - you can’t create new customer profiles, for example.
Once internet access is restored, you’ll get a notification to inform you sales have been processed.
6 - Tap to Pay Expansion
This functionality allows you to accept payment on a mobile device like an iPhone or Android phone, and is now available more widely around the world, in these countries:
iPhone: US, CA, UK, AU, NL, IT, FR
Android: US, UK, ES, NL,IE, IT, AU, NZ, DK, DE, BE, FI, SG, FR
Payments can be accepted using an Android device or iPhone, by customers using a debit or credit card, or an enabled device.
7 - POS UI (User Interface) Improvements
Split screen search is now enabled, which is basically the equivalent of using 2 monitors at once. It makes the system easier and quicker to use. The whole UI is now more customer-focused and has a condensed display.
If you need support with your Shopify business - online and bricks and mortar - get in touch with our team. We’re Shopify Plus Partners and know the platform and its capabilities inside out.
