One of the biggest issues in both retail and hospitality industries is theft at Point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Often, employees will commit fraud by authorising discounts and voids for friends or family members without proper consent from their managers. This is so easy to do due to traditional authentication methods that are often used, such as passwords, pins or swipe cards that can easily be stolen or shared.
These industries often have lower wages and high staff turnover, making them a high target for fraudulent activities. Did you know, on average, in America retailers would have to sell $2,000 of merchandise to make up for every $100 stolen by employees?
As well employee theft, another factor caused by authorisation that influences these industries is efficiency at the POS terminal. Customers want their service to be as quick and efficient as possible, including how long they are queuing for and transaction time. Customer satisfaction is key to making profit, you want them to return regularly and always be satisfied with the service you provide.
Loss of efficiency = Loss of customer satisfaction
So, what’s the solution? – Fingerprint Biometrics. Employees will need to be physically present to clock in or authorise payments using their personal fingerprint, and there’s no way that someone can pretend to be someone else. Managers can personally approve voids and discounts themselves and any transactions that are made will be tied to the specific person who carried them out.
As well as for safety purposes, this solution largely increases efficiency as it removes the need for passwords, pin codes and swipe cards. Employees simply need to scan their fingerprint and the transaction will be processed (if they are authorised to do so). This saves time that may be wasted typing in codes correctly or searching for your swipe card.
HOLD – Employees accountable
ELIMINATE – Employee theft
PREVENT – Authorised overrides
SPEED – Increase transaction time
The HID DigitalPersona 4500 Biometric Fingerprint Scanner is a USB peripheral, perfect for individual desk top users, as well as multiple users in shared environments. The compact design conserves desk space and its professional, modern appearance looks elegant in point-of-sale environments.
To use, just place a finger on the reader window and the fingerprint will be automatically captured and sent to the DigitalPersona FingerJet Biometric Engine for verification. The silicone coating allows a wide range of fingerprints to be read accurately from multiple angles. The high-quality metal casting prevents unintentional movement.
To find out more about how this solution can help you, contact us today.