POS

Starbucks has launched in a new app called "Starbucks Now" for Starbucks Rewards members in Beijing and Shanghai. Pending its success, the app will roll out across the rest of China before the end of the year. The app features GPS functionality so that customers can select their nearest store. Users can then choose and customize a beverage, select food, view order time, and...

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt , one of the largest frozen yogurt franchise chains, continues to work with Sintel Systems as a point of sale provider. Point of Sale terminals can be viewed for Tutti Frutti locations by visiting TuttiFruttiPointofSale.com Yon, a Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt franchisee, has been a loyal customer since 2010. She expresses her satisfaction about Sintel Systems during...

Have more questions about the PD-II scale or integrated POS systems? Contact us. Sintel Systems is the direct to end user full-service provider of tailored Point of Sale systems  with embedded merchant account processing and secure global/loyalty network. Sintel Systems services clients in globally in over a dozen languages across retail, restaurant and service industries, including frozen yogurt shops, pizzerias, sushi restaurants, cafés and retail stores. As...

Franchising is booming, both here and across the pond. FRANdata says demand for franchise units in the U.S. is expected to increase more than 12 percent in 2014, the highest rate of increase in five years. The UK has over 900 franchise operations. "The diversity on offer is substantial," writes Paul Stafford, public relations manager at the British Franchise Association...

Randy Vlasic and Alex Veinot have known each other since high school. After graduating from college, the two best friends ended up working together as sales executives for the same company. However, the two longed to open their own business. In a recent Franchise Players Q&A interview, Vlasic and Veinot talk with Entrepreneur.com's Kate Taylor about how they decided that...

The boom in franchising continues through 2014, but the past year also saw private equity play an important role. In a recent post in the Legal News section on JDsupra.com, Thomas Pitegoff says that private equity offers a franchisor with a growing franchise system a promising pathway to rapid growth. "An investment group can assist a franchise company strategically, tactically...

In a series of posts on his website, KrebsOnSecurity.com, famed cyber security professional Brian Krebs, has written about Bebe, the latest retailer to suffer from stolen credit and debit card data at the point of sale (POS). "The most common way that thieves steal this type of card data is by hacking into cash registers at retail locations and planting...

Franchising's boom includes Australia, according to a report from down under. Franchising Australia 2014, collated by Griffith University and sponsored by the Franchise Council of Australia, found there were 1160 business format franchisors operating in Australia, with the sector employing 460,000 people and having an estimated total sales turnover of $144 billion. Impressively, between 2012, while the overall number of...

  It has been nearly one year since the infamous Target breach that took place at the height of the 2013 holiday shopping season, resulting in the digital theft of 70 million consumer credit cards. And what a year it has been for consumers. In 2014 the disturbing trend of point of sale (POS) breaches in major retailers, and smaller...

A strategy to expand without significant capital expenditures has Steak 'n Shake franchising more aggressively. A recent Nation's Restaurant News (NRN) report on Steak 'n Shake's financial results notes that according to a 2014 annual report released by parent Biglari Holdings total earnings before income taxes fell nearly $2 million, to $26.5 million in 2014, from $28.4 million a year...

News about point of sale data breaches continues unabated but we also see convictions of those who would conspire to hack into point of sale (POS) systems. One such example is found in a post by Grant Gross on PCWorld.com's LEGAL business, security blog, "U.S. man sentenced for hacking POS systems at Subway." As the only full-service point of sale...

Success in franchising spreads to many others when one considers the key roles played by suppliers, and professional advisors. In a recent CPAPracticeAdvisor.com post, Hugh Duffy, Chief Marketing Officer for Build Your Firm, a marketing firm dedicated to the accounting industry, writes about Navjeet Chahal who started Chahal & Associates in 2003. Chahal has managed to share in the success...

For 34 years, Bryan Rhodes worked his way up the ladder in the fast-food franchise industry, from beginning behind the counter to ultimately become the vice president of operations at a Burger King franchise. Only then did Rhodes conclude that, well, the restaurant industry wasn't for him — but franchising was. In a recent Franchise Players Q&A interview, Rhodes talks...

Retail breaches at the point of sale have security vendors scrambling to better understand the situation ahead of the holiday shopping season. A recent post on eWeek.com looks at one report, issued by Cyphort, which analyzes some of the main culprits of point of sale malware. As the only full-service point of sale provider — from software development to franchise...

It is encouraging to see a strengthening of the bonds between franchising and our military veterans. Since its launch last year, home services company Home Franchise Concepts (HFC) has signed twenty veterans to become franchisees through the Million Dollar Franchise Event (MDFE) initiative. We found news of the program in a recent post on the Daily Herald website HeraldExtra.com, "Local...

We love reading about how franchising can power growth for privately held companies. Any way you slice it, it's hard to imagine how the Achatz Handmade Pie Co. could establish 150 locations across the United States in the next five years without turning to franchising. Indeed, after 21 years the much-loved brand based in Michigan's Chesterfield Township has sold its...

A number of once-thriving franchises are facing disgruntled franchisees, store closures, bankruptcies and never-imagined marketing scenarios. In their recent Better Your Business special report, "How To Steer Clear Of Franchise Financial Disasters," CNBC.com's Zac Bissonnette speaks with an unnamed Quiznos franchisee who summed up his experience: "There has been a decline in support. The corporate and field office support staff...

We enjoy reading Jason Daley's Franchisors posts on the website Entrepreneur.com, and wish to share, in particular, "How I Grew My Wheelchair Ramp Company Into a Franchise," about the experience of franchisor Julian Gordon. In his Q&A with Entrepreneur.com, Gordon shares how after twenty years running a metal fabrication shop, he became disheartened with the boom-or-bust cycle of the construction...

As consumers are poised at the advent of the holiday season, the recent security lapses at the retail point of sale continue to reverberate, and according to Wayne Rash writing for tech observer eWeek.com, it isn't looking great for brick-and-mortar retailers. Buyers continued to be worried about credit card security breaches to the point that Target revenue dropped dramatically after...

Retailers share the view that retail point of sale is under siege from online criminals. And now, ahead of the holiday shopping season, they're being asked to deploy a variety of new solutions designed to improve the retail experience for their customers. "And that puts an undue burden on retailers of all size," says Merchant Warehouse Chief Revenue Officer, Ken...

Changing budgets and tastes, the growth of online shopping and security at the point of sale all represent challenges, and opportunities, for retailers. In the last year, mobile point of sale (mPOS) has also continued to grow and evolve. Industry researchers point to the advent of tablets and powerful apps as driving the revolution in how organizations serve their customers...

Security lapses at the retail point of sale continue to make news. The latest involves CurrentC, one of Apple's competitors in the hotly contested mobile payment space. In a business news website CNBC.com post on the recent breach, technology reporter Cadie Thompson writes that CurrentC, a mobile payment system backed by the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), "sent out an email...

More people are dreaming of franchising, ready for a life change as the market is once again heating up. But before you take the plunge, make sure your due diligence includes working with a franchise attorney, someone who knows franchising inside and out. We strongly agree with a SmallBizTrends.com post we spied, "The Importance of Hiring A Franchise Attorney," by...

The world's largest convenience store franchiser, 7-Eleven, is nearing completion of prepping stores from its 2011 Wilson Farms store chain at a store franchising sale in Western New York. Part of the company's national strategy, 7-Eleven purchased the 188-store Wilson Farms chain and shed some 30 stores through auction, closed others and prepared the 90 area stores for franchising. Given...

As news about retail point of sale (POS) breaches continues unabated, information about how to better protect customers, and reputations, becomes paramount. The information technology channel observer Business Solutions Magazine (BSMinfo.com) ran a recent guest column by Andrew Bagrin, Founder and CEO, My Digital Shield is on topic in this regard, but his focus is more on the users than...

Franchising continues to be an attractive career change consideration for many Americans, in part because of proven business plans and methods. Therefore, it is imperative that potential franchisees understand what it takes to be successful within a given chain's franchising framework. Just as we happily share our vast point of sale experience and expertise with startup owners in order to...

We enjoy reading the Q&A posts in the Franchise Players section on the website Entrepreneur.com, and wish to share, in particular, the one recently with seasoned franchisee Binoy Kothari. In his Q&A with Entrepreneur.com, Kothari shares how he sought opportunities in the restaurant industry and became a franchisee, beginning with Subway in 2002. In 2010, he purchased three struggling Baskin-Robbins...

Particularly for the retail industry, the staggering amount of payment card theft at the point of sale is a hallmark of 2014. As such, in terms of consumer confidence and loyalty, validated cybersecurity is becoming a market differentiator. In a post by Tara McGraw Swaminatha and Aravind Swaminathan, both with the DLA Piper law firm, found on the business advisor...

As news about point of sale data breaches continues unabated, it is perhaps worthwhile to consider the issue from the criminal's point of view. One such example is a slideshow prepared by Russ Spitler, vice president of product management at the security management firm AlienVault, and part of a post on the website ITBusinessEdge.com, "From a Hacker's Perspective: How to Breach...

Texas Roadhouse, the steakhouse franchise, has been rounding up sales as it grows out its footprint, according to the Motley Fool in a recent Top Franchises post on Nasdaq.com. Given the strong presence Sintel Systems has in the retail, restaurant and service industries' point of sale marketplace, we share these service sector growth trends with our customers and franchise hopefuls...

News has arrived of another point of sale (POS) security infiltration; one similar to those which compromised Target, Neiman Marcus, UPS, Michaels Stores, Walmart and SuperValu. We found details of the malware attack in a recent post on the personal finance website PFHub.com, "Malware Installed on Jimmy John’s POS System: Data Breach," which states that Jimmy John's fell victim to...

More information is coming available regarding Apple's new mobile payments system. According to a recent post on the website pymnts.com, the Apple payment system will use tokenization as well as contactless payment based on the new point of sale terminals used in the company's own stores. As the only full-service point of sale provider — from software development to franchise...

Franchising is booming. FRANdata says demand for franchise units is expected to increase more than 12 percent in 2014, the highest rate of increase in five years. Furthermore, the lending shortfall for franchises (that is, the difference between projected loan demand and loan supply) is expected to be one-half that of last year's figure. And yet, how frequently do you...

The payment card giant MasterCard is throwing its full weight behind near-field communications (NFC) payment systems, also known as contactless payment technology. NFC technology allows for contactless payments to be made using radio waves to transmit data between devices that support the technology, provided they are in close proximity at the point of sale. A recent post on Out-Law.com is...

The nation's business press is taking note of Amazon's efforts to create tools and services for traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. "The recent launch of Amazon’s in-store credit card reader and checkout software was one of Jeff Bezos’s most deliberate acts to date to grab a slice of the 85 percent to 90 percent of total purchases that still happen in the physical world," writes Re/code columnist Jason...

The recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling, that McDonald's is considered to be a co-employer along with the owner of a franchise, continues to send shockwaves in the fast-food sector of the economy. As one example, California is expected to pass S.B. 610, called the California Franchise Relations Act, which will bolster the rights of franchise owners and give...

The latest news suggests that Home Depot has been hacked in the same manner as Target, Neiman Marcus, Michaels, UPS Store and others. In a recent post on ComputerWorld.com, Jeremy Kirk of IDG News Service says that hackers may have the upper hand for years as the retail industry slowly upgrades its systems. As the only full-service point of sale...

The nation's pivot toward better-burger restaurants continues to gain momentum as rumors surface that Danny Meyer's Shake Shack is considering an IPO this year. In her online post, "Shake Shack Considering An IPO," Nation's Restaurant News editor and restaurant finance expert Lisa Jennings says, "The news follows an earlier rumor that the parent to the West Coast’s Habit Burger Grill chain...

Many businesspeople today are considering frozen yogurt franchising, and it can be helpful for them to read the story of how someone else found success in that arena. Brian Trager, for example, spent 20 years as an international businessman, a producer-exporter in Costa Rica, consulting in Vietnam and working in New York City startups before getting into frozen yogurt franchising...

The volatile issues of payments and payment security have consumers, financial institutions, retailers and security professionals all wondering how to make shopping more secure. Security professionals are admitting that today, when you make a purchase, the way you make that purchase — in person, over the phone, online — can determine just how secure your transaction will be. "One in...

In one of our recent posts, "NYC To Host International Franchise Expo (IFC)," we recommended the June, 2014 event as an excellent way forward into the world of franchising.  Recently we noticed a short video, made at the IFC, in a post on Entrepreneur.com, "Would You Make A Good Franchisee?" Because franchisees are a unique breed of entrepreneur, the three-minute...

The franchise formula has a proven track record, but many potential entrepreneurs may be wondering if they have exactly what it takes to become a successful franchisee. To find answers, consider Joel Libava's "10 Habits of Highly Successful Future Franchisees" post at Entrepreneur.com. "In order to be a successful franchise owner, you have to do a lot of things right...

Gourmet Hamburgers Fast food burgers are, well, done. In "Americans Are Totally Over Fast Food Burgers," the title of an interesting online article on The Huffington Post, Jillian Berman writes, "Some day soon, a burger and fries will no longer be the quintessential American fast-food meal." Berman's claim is supported by a recent report from analysts at Janney Capital...

What lessons may be learned from the problems plaguing Sbarro, RadioShack and Quiznos? In their recent post, " Why These Once Thriving Franchises Have Fallen on Hard Times," Entrepreneur.com looks at how the once-thriving franchises are facing bankruptcies, store closures, disgruntled franchisees and nightmarish marketing scenarios. "There are many aspects of franchising that have nothing to do with chance, such...

This week’s episode of Restaurant Startup focused on sweet treats. Sugar Knife is a small startup that infuses alcohol in each and every product. Their popups have focused on the popular smores bar. The sticky pig is also a dessert business that identifies itself as a“bacon-centric sweet shop,” with interesting choices like bacon truffles. Ultimately, Tim and Joe choose the...

S&H Green Stamps set the foundation for the customer loyalty programs we see today. Beginning in 1896, participating retailers purchased the stamps from S&H that were then passed along to customers in accord with the dollar amounts they spent in stores. Customers then redeemed their stamps once they had accumulated enough for the item or items they wanted. Those who...

News has arrived of "Backoff," another point of sale (POS) malware now plaguing retailers. In an Arstechnica.com post, "Stealthy New Malware Snatching Credit Cards From Retailers’ POS Systems," Backoff is described as a variant of the malware installed on point of sale systems that was used in a series of recent attacks by cyber criminals.  The post notes that the...

In what may be another sign of continuing growth and dynamism in the restaurant sector of the economy, Patrice & Associates Hospitality Recruiting (PAHR) has introduced a regional development franchising program. Given the strong presence Sintel Systems has in the retail, restaurant and service industries' point of sale marketplace, we share these service sector growth trends with our customers and...

Dreaming of franchising? Fantastic! You're ready for a life change and the market is heating up. But before you take the plunge, make sure your due diligence includes interviews with existing franchisees who can say, "Been There, Done That." We strongly agree with an Entrepreneur.com post we spied, "Interviewing Existing Franchisees," and subtitled "When investigating a franchise, don't forget to...

FoxBusiness.com is reporting on how, in the response to the recent high-profile hacking incidents over the past year, technology is being developed to further security for credit card purchases. Expect to see a newly established global standard for credit cards called EMV, the acronym for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. The new EMV cards harbor computer chips and work with authentication...

Franchises can fail, but how and why? And how may failure be avoided? Franchising, licensing and intellectual property lawyer Tony Wilson shares some thoughts on the subject in an online report, "Why So Many Franchises Fail," at TheGlobeandMail.com. Just as we happily share our vast point of sale experience and expertise with startup owners in order to help them make...

News has arrived of the arrest being of one of the world's most prolific traffickers in stolen financial information. The U.S. Department for Homeland Security has announced that the Secret Service has arrested Roman Valerevich Seleznev. The Russian national known as "Track2" was originally indicted in the Western District of Washington in March, 2011 for allegedly carrying out breaches of...

In a recent Financial Times post, British columnist John Gapper claimed that the U.S. "lags behind badly in the basic infrastructure of retail banking" after receiving a "quaint" check for one dollar from a U.S. bank. The online payments and commerce gadflies pymnts.com rushed into the fray to defend against Gapper's charges in a fun-to-read post titled "Does the US...

Retailers have been tracking traffic and measuring conversion rates for decades, but are franchisors and their franchisees on the same page? And if so, who pays for it? Author Mark Ryski, CEO and founder of HeadCount, says, "I see a consistent disconnect between franchisors and franchisees when it comes to analytics, especially store traffic and conversion analytics." As the only...

Forbes.com is reporting on how, in the aftermath of the recent high-profile hacking incidents over the past year, technology is being developed to further security for credit card purchases. The hacks perpetrated against the likes of giant retailers such as Michaels, Neiman Marcus and Target have opened a view into the multi-million dollar business of credit card attacks designed to...