04 July 2005
Doha - Hotels and some retail outlets in Qatar are beginning to make use of new wireless point-of-sale (POS) technology being offered through Qatar National Bank (QNB Al Watani). Credit card holders, the bank says, will no longer have to worry about their cards being taken 'out of sight' to be swiped, since the palm-sized device can be used wherever the customer is, so long as there is mobile phone coverage.
The new system can be used for VISA, MasterCard, JCB, Amex and NAPS cards, and while QNB General Manager (Operations and Information Technology), Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari says it will be particularly useful for restaurants, for executive check-out or in-room-dining at hotels, there are obviously many other situations in which it could provide an ideal solution. It could, for example be used by courier or postal services to collect charges for door-to-door delivery, or for home-delivery of food, if the suppliers choose to adopt the technology.
According to QNB, their GSM point-of-sale system enables real-time processing and approval for credit card purchases in a way that is unique in the country at present.
Doha - Hotels and some retail outlets in Qatar are beginning to make use of new wireless point-of-sale (POS) technology being offered through Qatar National Bank (QNB Al Watani). Credit card holders, the bank says, will no longer have to worry about their cards being taken 'out of sight' to be swiped, since the palm-sized device can be used wherever the customer is, so long as there is mobile phone coverage.
The new system can be used for VISA, MasterCard, JCB, Amex and NAPS cards, and while QNB General Manager (Operations and Information Technology), Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari says it will be particularly useful for restaurants, for executive check-out or in-room-dining at hotels, there are obviously many other situations in which it could provide an ideal solution. It could, for example be used by courier or postal services to collect charges for door-to-door delivery, or for home-delivery of food, if the suppliers choose to adopt the technology.
According to QNB, their GSM point-of-sale system enables real-time processing and approval for credit card purchases in a way that is unique in the country at present.
© Khaleej Times 2005
