Microsoft Nabs First Compatible mPOS

Microsoft is enlisting the help of fellow payment service providers to bring mobile payment capabilities to retailers. The company’s Microsoft Mobile unit revealed Monday (June 29) that it has struck a deal to partner with mobile POS solutions firm Paycorp to bring those tools to other businesses.

“Microsoft is committed to reinventing productivity and business process, and this extends to the important collaborations embarked on with Business-to-Business partners, like Paycorp,” said B2B Lead for Microsoft Mobile Veran Maharaj in a statement. “Whether in the solutions we provide for large corporations or those aimed at smaller businesses and enterprises, it is about continually enabling new and efficient ways of working and doing business.”

The collaboration will bring Paycorp’s ZipZap mPOS solution to businesses so they can accept all credit card payments through Microsoft’s Lumia smartphone. The tool will also allow sellers to issue electronic receipts through text message or email and provide a free mobile app for users to view their transaction history.

For retailers, the mobile POS tool also offers management tools through Microsoft Office, which comes preloaded on the phone.

According to Wayne Abramson, the CEO of Paycorp’s POS subsidiary EFTPOS, the partnership “immediately capitalizes on smart technologies to make it possible for a wide range of businesses — from small retailers to businesses on-the-move — to accept immediate payment for goods and services.”

ZipZap accepts card payments by connecting a smartphone or tablet via USB or Bluetooth to a remote ZipZap PIN pad. Reports said it is the only mPOS solution currently compatible with Microsoft Windows.

Their partnership will first offer services to merchants through rent-to-own, 18-month contracts. The package includes the ZipZap card reader, a Microsoft Lumia 535 phone and 1G of data a month.

In addition to providing merchants with payments solutions, Microsoft is also exploring the launch of its own mobile payments solution, though experts have been skeptical about whether such a service will take off.