Using the Point-of-Sale App

2.2.3. Using the Point-of-Sale App#

A simple way for merchants to accept GNU Taler payments is the use of the point-of-sale app. The app can be installed on an Android phone or tablet and is configured via a simple JSON file on a Web site:

  • In the app settings you need to specify the URL of the Web site where the app can download the categories, products and prices from which orders are to be compiled. You can optionally specify a username and password to authenticate to the Web server.

  • The syntax of the JSON file is described in the point-of-sale app manual. However, you may simply want to download the sample JSON file from our documentation and use it as a starting point.

  • A key option is the merchant backend with the authorization key which must be included in this JSON configuration. You may point the point-of-sale app to any instance of a merchant backend.

Once configured, the point-of-sale app allows the user to select a product category and then to quickly add products from that category to an order. You can easily edit the order, and finally use the “complete” button to generate a QR code. The QR code must then be scanned by the GNU Taler wallet to initiate the payment. Multiple orders can be entered concurrently, for example in a restaurant where multiple tables are waited on at the same time.