What are semi-integrated payments, and why card numbers never touch your salon software

Short answer: In a semi-integrated setup, your POS sends the amount to the card terminal. The terminal reads the card and sends it straight to the processor, then returns the approval, tip and transaction ID to the POS. Card numbers never pass through your software.

Three ways to connect a terminal to a POS

• Standalone: staff ring up the ticket in the POS, then retype the amount on the terminal. Typos and end-of-day mismatches are common.
• Fully integrated: card data flows through the POS software, which then carries full responsibility for protecting it.
• Semi-integrated: the software only controls the terminal and receives the result. This is the common choice for small businesses today.

How a semi-integrated payment works

1. Staff open the ticket and tap "Pay" in the POS.
2. The POS sends the amount to the terminal at the desk.
3. The client picks a tip on the terminal and taps, inserts or swipes.
4. The terminal sends encrypted card data straight to the processor.
5. The result comes back to the POS: approved or declined, amount, tip, last 4 digits, card brand and transaction ID.
6. The ticket closes itself and the tip is credited to the right staff member.

What your shop gains

• No retyping: no more $85 entered as $58.
• Accurate tips: the tip arrives with the transaction result, no handwritten notes.
• Better security: your software never stores card numbers, so there are none to leak.
• Easy reconciliation: every ticket carries a transaction ID that matches your statement.

Questions to ask before you choose

• Will my current terminal work with this software?
• Are refunds and voids done in the software or on the terminal? Do they need a manager?
• What happens when the internet goes down?

Kashela is semi-integrated: the amount goes from the ticket to the terminal, the result comes back to the ticket, and Kashela only ever receives the result. See how payments work.