Queuing up at the checkout counter in a retail store or supermarket is one of the biggest frustrations for shoppers as indicated by several surveys done globally by leading industry polling agencies, which is why receipt printing speeds are of utmost importance.
Two thermal printers launched by NCR Corporation, the NCR RealPOS 7167, and the NCR RealPOS 7197 have made a huge impact on the retail sector, in a variety of environments including supermarket, specialty, convenience, department stores, and hospitality.
Both printers have gained popularity in the retail sector because they offer fast, quiet point of sale receipt printing. The fact that the printers have the smallest footprint in their class have been seen as added value by retailers for whom space is always a premium.
Apart from printing receipts for customers, the 7167 has a high-speed impact slip station to imprint cheques and other forms, while the single-station NCR RealPOS 7197 has specifically been designed for retailers who only need receipt-printing capabilities.
“NCR developed these printers from the ground up to deliver exceptional value,” says Con Vass, area sales leader, South Pacific, for NCR’s Retail Solutions Division.
“While providing a high-quality, two-colour record of transactions in a fraction of a second, both are designed with features to reduce total cost of ownership to retailers. Their small footprint – including the NCR RealPOS 7167 two-station – helps make the best use of valuable counter space or checkout lane space.”
In order to keep the checkout lines moving and reducing shopper frustration, both printers deliver receipts at a speed of 50 lines per second and come with receipt paper low sensors, these signaling paper low prompts enable the cashier to plan the change at a logical break point in customer queuing, and the simple drop-in paper loading, makes it quick and easy to do, a feature introduced by NCR back in 1993.
The dual-station NCR RealPOS 7167 comes with a flat slip table, designed to be easier and faster to use than printers with a curved slip table, and offers a forms indicator light, to alert the cashier when the cheque or form is aligned correctly.
The combination of these two features result in a higher first pass success rate and fewer paper jams which helps to improve operational efficiency and speed the checkout process. The optional “flip” module allows printing on both sides of a cheque, which is another time saver.
Both printers offer a two-colour record of transactions in a fraction of a second, which helps retailers enhance targeted communications to customers. The printer’s memory can house numerous logos and graphics that can promote an upcoming sale, a new promotion, or even provide a coupon.
Both printers are designed with features to reduce retailers’ total cost of ownership and offer several investment-protection features: for example, with auto-sensing RS-232 and USB interfaces, retailers can easily switch from legacy to current generation communications without the need to change expensive communications cards. Just swap cables.
In addition, the command set is compatible with earlier NCR models and this reduces the need for re-programming the POS terminal when switching to the new printers. Both printers also offer single-button programming that guides operators through firmware configuration as well as local and remote diagnostics, making it easier and more accessible than awkward dip switches.