Getting Started With POS API Integrations
Overview
Loyalty programs have been proven to increase the number of return visits from participants. Integrating the loyalty system with the point of sale streamlines the process of identifying loyalty customers and their available rewards, and accruing points for each visit.
Punchh provides robust APIs for integrating POS (point-of-sale) terminals with the Punchh server. The integration helps businesses offer Punchh loyalty programs to their customers directly from their POS systems.
When a user wants to earn loyalty on an order, the POS operator first identifies the user by performing a user look-up (e.g., using an email address, a phone number, etc.) and then creates a check-in for loyalty users. A check-in records the user’s visit along with order details (such as menu items ordered, prices, etc.). If the user has offers in the account, the user can also request a redemption at the POS. Redemption is a discount that can be applied to an order. Punchh requires the user to be registered with the business in order to participate in the loyalty program.
What Are POS APIs?
When a POS operator takes a particular action at the POS, such as registering a new user, creating a check-in for a user, applying redemption on the food order of a user, etc., the POS contacts the Punchh server to retrieve, update, and store the associated information. For this purpose, the POS makes requests to the Punchh server and receives responses. These requests are API calls, and they are specific to every action taken at POS.
Every API call carries a set of required and optional parameters. The POS operator enters a set of values on a POS interface while taking an order from a user, such as menu items, redemption code, etc., and those values are accepted as parameters for an API call. Some parameters are globally required in every POS API call, and every API call also has parameters that are specific to each API endpoint.
POS API - Certification Tutorials
The Punchh Developer Portal contains tutorials that you can use to learn step-by-step how to integrate your POS with the Punchh POS APIs to offer loyalty programs to your guests from the POS.
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Overview of POS API Certification Tutorials - Conceptual Modules
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Overview of POS API Certification Tutorials - Example Scenarios Modules
POS API - Endpoint Reference Topics
POS API - Additional Reference Topics
You can browse a variety of additional POS API topics here.