Frequently Asked Questions about our POS Systems

Here are some of the most common questions we receive regarding the free Harbortouch POS system:

What’s included with the point of sale system?

You’ll receive a 5-wire touch-screen monitor with magnetic stripe reader, an Intel dual-core processor POS system, a cash drawer, a thermal receipt printer, a customer display pole (retail only), a laser barcode reader (retail only), custom programming of the system for your business, on-site installation, on-site training, one cable run per system and a lifetime warranty that includes guaranteed replacement of defective parts, on-site repair, remote management, remote back-ups and 24×7 phone support.

Does Harbortouch work with gift cards?

Harbortouch POS systems work with our in-house gift card program.

Does Harbortouch work with loyalty cards?

Our loyalty card program should be released in the second or third quarter of 2011.

Is the system compatible with Quickbooks or other accounting software?

Harbortouch and its online reporting systems allow exporting in a format that can be imported to most accounting systems, including Quickbooks.

Can I use the POS system as an office computer for going on the Internet, doing e-mails, etc.?

Harbortouch POS systems are a built-for-purpose devices designed to be used as a dedicated POS system. The systems are blocked from surfing the Internet or sending e-mails other than the internal Harbortouch messaging system.

How does wiring and cabling work?

A POS system is run on a network which requires it to be connected to a router via category 5 (cat-5) cable. Some merchant locations may already be wired with cat-5 cable while others require Harbortouch to run the cable. A cable run of up to 10 feet from the POS System to the wall outlet is included with each package. However, merchants that require extra cable runs that include going through walls or above ceilings, requires an advanced cabling package.

This can be done in one of three ways:

1. We recognize that extensive cabling has to be done and add it to the Advanced Cabling Package section of the Service Agreement.
2. The Harbortouch implementation team determines that an Advanced Cabling Package is needed during the site survey call with you. We can then add it to the service agreement on your behalf.
3. The Installation team realizes when onsite that an advanced cabling package is needed and will complete the installation. This will result in you being billed separately for the cable drop at the end of the month.

Advanced Cabling Packages are most common in restaurants and not as common in retail stores. A restaurant that was not previously wired for Ethernet will most likely require one or more cable runs. This would especially be the case for remote printers.

Who does the installation?

We have a nationwide network of professional installers to handle the installation of these systems.

Who trains the merchant?

Our installers will provide on-site training in conjunction with remote training from our dedicated team of implementation specialists at Harbortouch.

What is the process that takes place from the time a deal is submitted until installation?

Please visit our Process page.

What type of merchants qualify for the free Harbortouch POS system?

All retail and hospitality merchants qualify for this program. Specifically, clothing stores, gift shops, liquor stores, delicatessens, convenience stores, restaurants, fast food, fine dining, bars, night clubs, etc.

What is the Lighthouse software?

The Lighthouse is a management and reporting tool that communicates information between the Interactive Merchant System (IMS) and the POS system, effectively integrating the POS and credit card aspects of your business. It eliminates the need for a back-office PC by allowing you to access the information on your POS system from any computer with an Internet connection. Among other features, the Lighthouse enables you to run various real-time reports and even make changes to your menu/product line remotely. For example, you could change the price of a menu item from home or while on vacation. The Lighthouse also delivers alerts to you on the Internet, cell phone or on the POS system. Such alerts could include when supplies ship, when a deposit has posted to your account, when you’re running low on gift cards, etc.

Do I have to pay for use of the Interactive Merchant System (IMS)?

The Interactive Merchant System is free for all merchants using Harbortouch. It allows you to interact with the POS system remotely using the Lighthouse software and also offers a wealth of other useful features.

What happens if I cancel early during the 5 year service agreement?

The penalty would be the remaining number of months on the service agreement multiplied by the $59.00 service fee. This is no different than receiving a free cell phone from a wireless carrier and then cancelling the contract early.

Does the POS system work on both dial and IP processing?

POS systems are designed to work only on high-speed IP processing networks and this is the case with Harbortouch.

Should I have a credit card terminal as a back-up in case the POS system goes down?

We don’t think that a back-up terminal is necessary, but it’s certainly up to you. All merchants receive dial-pay as a back-up processing method with UBC.

How will UBC handle a defective or broken POS system?

As long as you’re up to date on your service agreement payments, we’ll provide 24/7 support. This includes priority swaps of any broken or defective equipment. We maintain a daily back-up of your system, so we can remotely program a new system and send out the swap ASAP. This is the most efficient way to manage the repair and replacement of defective systems. This is essentially a lifetime warranty while you’re with us and a level of service unparalleled by the competition.

Will the system stop working entirely if the Internet goes down?

The POS system functions will continue to work. For example, a restaurant can still place food orders, interact with the kitchen and the bar, etc. The receipts will still print and operate normally. However, the credit card processing functionality will not work. All merchants receive dial-pay as a back-up processing method and these days Internet outages are extremely uncommon.

Will the system stop working if just one system goes down?

If you have four systems and one of them breaks down for whatever reason, the other three will work normally without any interruption. We’ll swap out the broken one and you’ll be back up and running with all four systems as quickly as possible.

Is the Harbortouch POS system an “entry level” or “basic” system?

These systems will compete with all of the big names; however, they will cost you nothing to acquire compared to the tens of thousands of dollars that the competition charges for a POS system. Our POS systems offer a full range of features and have the same reporting capabilities, etc. as more expensive systems.

Do all restaurants need a kitchen video display?

A kitchen video display system is usually only found in fast food restaurants and are not very common in casual or fine dining restaurants. If you would like to quickly relay orders to the kitchen, the remote kitchen printer option will be sufficient for most restaurants.

Does this system work with large chain accounts?

It doesn’t matter if you have a single location mom and pop store or a 1,000 store pizzeria chain. Our POS system is designed for scale.

For retail accounts, how does the inventory get loaded into the system?

If you already have your inventory in a standard format like Excel, we can import it for you. If not, the system comes with an easy to use wizard to help you input the inventory. We provide tutorials, instructional guides and 24×7 support to assist merchants when getting their retail account set up for the first time.

Will check guarantee or conversion services be available on the free POS system?

This is something that we hope to add at a later date but is not currently available.

Does I have to pay for shipping on the free POS system?

You pay your choice of shipping method (ground, 2nd day or next day air). The options and pricing are listed on the merchant agreement.

How long does it take for the system to get installed after I’ve completed all the paperwork?

Typically you can expect a three week turnaround from the time we receive the completed paperwork to the time of installation. Sometimes the turnaround time can be less than three weeks but a lot of it depends on you. This is because we need you to review the system and approve the menu screens and product database prior to installation. Providing accurate information upfront and being available for your scheduled calls will expedite the process for you.