Card terminals in Nürnberg, Germany

Choose a payment point that suits the sale

A counter-based workflow gives staff a consistent place to check items, confirm the amount and complete payment. It suits shops where purchases already pass through a till. Its trade-off is that collection customers and shoppers needing advice may share the same queue.

A portable terminal could let staff take payment beside a display or at a collection point, subject to the device and connection options available. This adds flexibility but needs clear responsibility: who holds the device, who checks the result and who marks the sale complete? Table-side payment only makes sense if seated consultations are genuinely part of your service.

Check connectivity where staff actually work

Assess the exact places where you expect to take payments: the main counter, a rear collection desk or a temporary selling area. Ask which connection types each proposed device supports and test the intended connection there. Do not assume that a connection working near your router will behave identically throughout the premises.

For payments away from the shop, confirm supported mobile connectivity, coverage requirements and charging arrangements. Ask what staff should do if connectivity drops during a transaction. A clear interruption procedure is more useful than assuming a payment failed and immediately trying again.

• Identify each payment location and its available connection.
• Confirm device requirements and any connectivity charges.
• Agree how staff check an uncertain payment outcome before retrying.

Separate online orders from money still due

An online order, a confirmed payment and a completed collection are different events. Your staff need to see which has happened before requesting payment or releasing goods. Decide how an order reference will link the online record to the in-person handover, including when a customer buys an extra item.

NeroWeb supports direct online ordering, while NeroPay offers card terminals and NeroPOS/ePOS software. Ask the team to confirm whether the proposed setup supports your required order and payment workflow. Do not assume automatic stock updates, shared customer records or existing software integrations are available.

Worked example: a paid collection with an extra purchase

Hypothetical example: an independent homeware shop in Nürnberg receives an online order for a lamp, paid before collection. At handover, the customer adds a lampshade. The assistant checks the original order reference and payment status, then takes a separate payment for the additional item rather than charging for the lamp again.

If payment status cannot be verified, the assistant follows an agreed checking route instead of guessing. The observable success check is straightforward: the original order has one confirmed payment, the extra item has its own sale record, and collection is recorded once. Test this scenario before relying on it during trading.

Compare settlement and the full commercial offer

Payment confirmation is not the same as settlement into your business account. Ask about settlement timing, cut-off times, weekends, deductions and how refunds appear in reporting. Confirm supported payment methods for Germany and which records will let you reconcile terminal activity with online orders and account receipts.

With an eligible NeroPay card terminal, NeroPOS, NeroWeb and NeroBooking software can be included without an additional software subscription charge. Terminal costs, payment processing charges, eligibility and applicable terms still apply; applicable delivery costs also remain for online ordering. Request a written proposal covering the devices, workflow support and commercial terms you actually need.