An ISO based in Southern California is using LeafPresenter point-of-sale tablets to differentiate itself from competitors and save money for merchants.
The ISO, known as Moolah LLC, specializes in "white glove" treatment that includes delivering POS devices in person and making sure merchants are pleased with them, especially with Leaf tablets, says Mark Rasmussen, the ISO's managing partner.
"We make sure we go through the functionality and the features," Rasmussen says of setting up hardware for clients. "We love to show up and answer their questions face-to-face."
Moolah has been providing Leaf equipment for a couple of months, he says, noting that the tablets are designed and made for the point of sale.
"I was really intrigued by the fact that they didn't go down the standard path of an application on top of an iPad," Rasmussen says. "It's for work and not for play. It's weighted correctly, looks great, has great tactile feel. It doesn't feel like you're holding your kid's iPad, and you're going to run transactions on it."
Leaf tablets sell for $250 each, compared with a $750 price tag for an iPad with an encrypted card reader and a stand, Rasmussen says.
Leaf charges $50 per month for its LeafBusiness portal, regardless of the number of Leaf tablets in use, says Patric Caya, Leaf manager of partner acquisition.
"They've knocked it out of the park with their user interface, both on the front end and the back-end management," Rasmussen says of Leaf equipment. "It's a game changer for today's small business owner."
That change seems especially important for the many small merchants still using stand-alone terminals and cash registers, a segment that presents a huge opportunity for ISOs," he suggests.
Moolah has placed Leaf tablets in a wine bar, where the staff and customers have embraced the devices, Rasmussen says.
"They're fans." he says.
Another client, a juice bar with curbside pickup, is using the devices outdoors to make transactions, Rasmussen says.
Employees also use the devices for "line busting," the practice of using handheld devices to complete transactions with customers lined up at the POS.
Boutique owners enjoy using the devices to come out from behind the counter, engage customers directly and conclude the transaction on the spot, Rasmussen says.
The devices have been so useful that POS mobility has become a "hot topic" among merchants, he finds.
For countertop transactions, the device's charging bay doubles as a stand, Caya says.
Moolah plans to send reps out to promote Leaf tablets directly to merchants, Rasmussen says. The salespeople will leave behind actual-size cardboard cutouts of the devices, he notes.
"We're in a very crowded space, and everyone seems to lead with price savings," he says. "We like to lead with technology, so Leaf fits in perfectly with us for that."
The amount of money ISOs and agents stand to gain from placing the devices varies but can include upfront bonuses and residual payments, Caya says. ISOs can use just about any processor for Leaf transactions, he notes.
