GoDaddy Debuts Pocket-Sized POS for Small Businesses

Web provider GoDaddy has introduced a smaller point-of-sale (POS) tool for small businesses.

Smart Terminal Flex, announced Thursday (April 25) is designed to fit inside an apron pocket while still helping businesses operate with more efficiency.

The tool, the company said in a news release, is “ideal for brick-and-mortar businesses, particularly those that have limited space or take payments away from a typical counter, like cafes, food trucks or auto body shops.”

It also includes a dashboard where business owners “can view and manage sales, orders, inventory and custom reports across online and in-person sales channels,” GoDaddy added.

The release notes that GoDaddy entered the POS space in 2021 when it launched its original Smart Terminal.

The company also recently announced that the gross payments volume from its commerce offerings rose to $1.7 billion by the end of last year, an increase of 125% year-over-year.

The company also recently launched GoDaddy Airo, an artificial intelligence (AI) solution to help companies enhance their online presence. As PYMNTS wrote earlier this month, it’s among the increasing number of generative AI programs designed to make it easier for small businesses to boost their online footprint.

“By weaving AI into our product offerings, GoDaddy can help alleviate some of the administrative and time-consuming tasks on small business owners’ plates while empowering them to grow their businesses in new and unique ways,” Laka Sriram, vice president of product, U.S. independents at GoDaddy, told PYMNTS in an interview.

As that report noted, the range of new AI-powered website services available for businesses is growing. For example, a new AI-powered website builder lets users tailor websites to their needs using just text input. And in the customer service arena, AI chatbots improve user engagement, while other platforms provide AI-generated personalized content in the hopes of boosting visitor satisfaction and loyalty.

Elsewhere in the small business space, PYMNTS wrote Thursday about the way small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the healthcare provider segment are now using real-time payments more widely than other payment rails.

Research by PYMNTS Intelligence shows that in the past year, 83% of businesses interviewed either sent or received real-time payments, with 57% using real-time rails in both directions.

“Moreover, 38% of healthcare provider SMBs identify a real-time payment rail as their most used form of payment,” that report said. “This is more than twice the share that said credit cards or checks were their top method. This usage highlights a definite preference for instant settlement in the healthcare space.”