The first is the introduction of a 30-day free trial program that allows merchants to test out the Harbortouch POS system for up to 30 days and return it, with no obligation and penalty, if they are unhappy for any reason. This program is only available for merchants utilizing Harbortouch Hospitality software.

In addition, merchants will now own their free POS equipment once the initial five-year service agreement is complete. Previously, the equipment was owned by Harbortouch and needed to be returned if the merchant canceled their account. This new policy is retroactive for all existing free POS merchants.

Harbortouch CEO Jared Isaacman states, “We are constantly improving our offerings to meet the needs of our current and future customers. These have been two of the most requested features since the launch of our free POS program, and we’ve responded to our customers’ feedback by implementing these important enhancements. Through our beta testing of the 30 day trial program, we have found that once a merchant has experienced the benefits of a Harbortouch POS system, they simply don’t want to go back to operating without it.”

For more information about the Harbortouch free POS system, visit www.harbortouch.com.

Featuring a sleeker look, all-in-one design and more powerful processor, Harbortouch POS Elite is designed to meet the needs of a broader range of businesses, especially those catering to higher end markets.

“Our groundbreaking free POS program just got better, with this new platform providing an ideal solution for businesses with more sophisticated needs,” said Harbortouch CEO Jared Isaacman. “We’ve given the system a whole new look by integrating the CPU and monitor into one with a brushed aluminum finish for a more upscale appearance, but that’s just the beginning. What’s inside is even more powerful.”

The POS Elite incorporates a state-of-the-art processor, increased storage space and highly-responsive touch-screen display into a durable and attractive form factor for exceptional speed, productivity and style. To complement this high-performance equipment, Harbortouch has also announced some innovative new features which will be released over the first quarter of 2012:

• An integrated reservation system, which allows restaurants to accept online reservations and track them directly through their POS system with a simple and easy-to-use interface;
• Harbortouch Tableside, giving restaurant servers the ability to input customer orders tableside via Apple iPad on a dedicated app that mirrors the interface of the actual POS software for a dramatic increase in efficiency—while offering an impressive dining experience for restaurant patrons
• Lighthouse POS management portal, offering online management capabilities from any PC with an Internet connection, including the ability to make real-time menu changes and access a wide range of advanced reports from sales, labor stats and payroll to product mix and bankcard-related functions, all viewable by individual merchant location or aggregated across all locations.

“Lighthouse is a major innovation for store owners and managers, who no longer must be tethered to their desk to keep up with operations,” Isaacman said. “With anytime, anywhere web access, you can lock up as soon as you close after a long day and handle management functions at home, or even take a vacation without worry. Lighthouse lets you keep tabs on what’s happening in the store while you’re away and even send messages to employees through the integrated POS inbox system.”

The new Harbortouch POS Elite is available with various customized software packages designed for quick and easy implementation in a variety of businesses including:

• Harbortouch Hospitality, with countless time and money saving features perfect for fine dining, casual or quick service restaurants;
• Harbortouch Retail, featuring new and improved retail management functionality with an integrated color/size/style matrix, support for rentals and consignment, robust customer and inventory management and more;
• Harbortouch Delivery, perfect for pizzerias, Chinese takeout and any other hospitality business offering delivery;
• Harbortouch Spirits, featuring custom features for wine and liquor stores; and
• Harbortouch C-Store, designed specifically for convenience and other quick-stop stores.

Harbortouch offers free setup and implementation, including installation of all hardware and training for all POS customers. Complete customer service and technical support are available 24/7 by phone and email, and live chat is accessible directly through the Lighthouse portal. The Harbortouch POS Elite hardware is backed by a lifetime repair/replacement warranty for as long as the merchant maintains a merchant account. An approved merchant account and monthly service agreement are required to participate in the free POS program.

For more information about the Harbortouch free POS system, visit www.harbortouch.com.

The plug-in supports various transaction methods, including a “quick-sale” which can quickly generate a payment with or without an invoice, “multiple invoices” which can process numerous invoices simultaneously, and “recurring payments” which creates recurring transactions with effective date, frequency, number of payments and amount.

The plug-in can also import transactions into QuickBooks® from the merchant’s credit card terminal or POS system for reporting purposes.

Harbortouch CEO Jared Isaacman states, “Our payments plug-in dramatically enhances the functionality of QuickBooks® software. The ability to automatically generate and apply payment to an invoice or customer, upon transaction approval, saves merchants time by eliminating double entry. Additionally, the various transaction methods provide merchants with maximum convenience and flexibility.”

ALLENTOWN, PA (9/29/11) – Harbortouch is pleased to announce the release of an integrated caller ID module for use with its Hospitality software.

The fully integrated caller ID module will allow merchants to view incoming calls directly on their POS screen. If the call coming in is recognized as an existing customer, the system will automatically display that customer’s information and then enable the merchant to create a new order for this customer. If the number calling is not recognized, the system will bring up the “create new customer screen” to enter their information and then allow the user to easily create the order for that customer. Their information will then be saved for future orders. If the merchant has multiple Harbortouch stations at their business, they can decide which station is set up to receive the calls so that their other stations are not affected.

Three options are available: 2-line, 4-line and 8-line, depending on the expected inbound call volume.

Harbortouch Technical Director Kei Cheng states, “This is an accessory that was frequently requested by our merchants and it adds to our already robust equipment offerings.”

The software application is compatible with Apple, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile operating systems and Harbortouch is offering three equipment options to support all mobile processing needs. The standard hardware for this program is a magnetic stripe reader, which attaches to the phone through the device’s audio jack. Compatible with Apple, Android and BlackBerry devices, this equipment is being offered free of charge. If merchants require a receipt printer, Harbortouch also offers a printer with an integrated mag stripe reader for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices as well as another model for Apple devices.

In addition to offering the standard audio jack card reader free of charge, Harbortouch has also waived the software license fee on all new CHARGE Anywhere mobile accounts to provide the most cost-effective program available.

Harbortouch EVP of Sales & Marketing Brian Jones states, “Mobile payments are a quickly growing trend and Harbortouch is excited to deliver the best program out there to serve this market. The addition of a mobile payment solution helps complement our already robust service offerings, enabling us to meet the requirements of virtually any merchant.”

The KVS consists of a 17” monitor and “bump pad”, which is basically a remote control for the screen. The monitor is installed in a restaurant’s kitchen and displays all orders placed by the servers or cashier, allowing orders to be quickly relayed from the front of the restaurant to the kitchen. Orders display on the 17” monitor in an easy-to-read queue that can be managed with the bump pad, allowing the kitchen staff to delete orders as they are completed. Perfect for quick service restaurants, each order is timed and the clock will turn red when the order time reaches a specified threshold.

Harbortouch is also now offering a digital scale for businesses that sell items by weight. The scale measures in both pounds and ounces and features a heavy-duty cast aluminum casing with an easy-to-clean stainless steel platform on top. The scale is highly accurate with “auto zeroing” technology which enables it to automatically calibrate itself when zero weight is on the platform.

Harbortouch Technical Director Kei Cheng states, “We are constantly trying to improve our Harbortouch offering, whether that’s through additional accessories or updated software or hardware. These two new accessories help us better meet the needs of many retail and hospitality merchants.”

One of the more notable updates to the software is that it now supports Harbortouch’s in-house gift card program. ECR merchants are now able to take advantage of 50 free custom gift cards and a 60-day free trial and process these gift cards directly through their cash register. The software has also been optimized for faster and more reliable operation, providing the best user experience possible for our merchant customers.

Merchants are able to easily customize their ECR’s keypad using Harbortouch’s simple online wizard. The ECR is programmed to the merchant’s specifications before being shipped so that the equipment can be utilized from day one.

CEO Jared Isaacman states, “Large national restaurant chains and big-box retail stores have been taking advantage of this technology for years because of the myriad benefits it offers. At a time when many small and mid-sized businesses are struggling, we are providing these benefits that many business owners may not have previously been able to afford. In addition to speeding up payment transactions, POS systems automate many aspects of day-to-day business including employee management, thus streamlining a merchant’s overall operations and allowing them to focus on keeping their customers satisfied and spending. Another tremendous benefit provided by POS systems is the comprehensive reporting they provide. Advanced reporting functionality provides business owners with greater control and allows them to make more informed business decisions while saving on accounting and bookkeeping expenses.”

Although they are being offered free of charge, Harbortouch POS systems feature top of the line hardware and software, providing the same features and functionality as competitors’ systems that are being sold for tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, Harbortouch systems are superior to more expensive POS systems in many ways. The touch-screen monitor utilizes 5-wire resistive technology while most competitors are using 4-wire screens. Although that may not sound like much of a difference, consider this: the life expectancy of a 4-wire monitor is 3 million touches while a 5-wire monitor’s expected life is an astounding 35 million touches! The central processing unit (CPU) features a slim, sleek design and is so small it can be mounted right on the back of the monitor. Although it is housed in an incredibly small package, this powerhouse boasts lightning fast speed with an impressive Intel 1.6 Ghz dual core processor. It is actually the first POS system to utilize a dual core processor. The system also features 160GB of storage space and 1GB DDR2 memory, double that of the industry standard.

On the software side, Harbortouch Hospitality offers countless useful features including a graphical table map, easy menu editing, inventory tracking, integrated time clock for employees, and the ability to quickly perform many common tasks such as splitting checks and sharing menu items. Harbortouch Retail also offers inventory tracking and a built-in time clock in addition to purchase orders, invoices and barcode scanning. Both software options also include a customer database, employee security levels and integrated credit & debit processing. They also feature a wide range of reports including financial and sales reports, employee productivity, labor reports, discounts, voids and refunds, among many others. A wide range of accessories is also available for the systems. Setting up POS software has always been a time-consuming and intimidating task, but Harbortouch has simplified the process to make it easy for even the most technology-adverse business owner. Restaurant owners can simply submit their menu with their order to have Harbortouch technicians customize the system for their business. Retail business owners can take advantage of a step-by-step wizard to guide them through the setup process. This streamlined setup process along with an extremely intuitive user interface offer an easy transition for merchants so they can take advantage of all the benefits of POS without all the hassle.

Merchants also benefit from a lifetime warranty program, which allows them to receive a new monitor or CPU unit if theirs is defective or breaks from normal wear and tear. This replacement program is valid for as long as the merchant maintains a merchant account with UBC. An approved merchant account and monthly service agreement are required for the merchant to participate in the free POS program.