Harborthouch POS Review: Efficient, Cost-Free Solutions

Company Overview

Harbortouch, formerly United Bank Card Inc., offers a full range of products to help businesses operate more intuitively with features that automate operations such as payroll. The company has undergone several changes over the years, notably changing their parent company name from Lighthouse to Shift4 and partnering with dozens of third-party applications. The company promises to provide a seamless product that works with your existing hardware and software programs. Harbortouch provides a safe, PCI-compliant system bolstered by encrypted payment data on the terminal and cloud ends, relieving business owners of security concerns. 

Since their establishment, Harbortouch has received many awards and honors, including the Gold Stevie® in the Mobile Shopping App category and the Silver Stevie® in the Business-to-Business Products category. However, the company currently has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau, stemming from their failure to address over seven customer complaints.

Features & Services Overview

Harbortouch offers a range of services to help businesses achieve greater success. The company's POS systems offer many beneficial features, including:

• POS software: Accessing your business operations is easier with Harbortouch's innovative POS software that allows you to run your business from home or any secured connection, manage your inventory, and access your customer database. They put all the tools you need in one easy-to-use software platform that offers everything from employee management to customer loyalty programs and gift cards
• Hardware: The Harbortouch Elite III features an easy-to-use capacitive touch screen and a customized Android operating system that does have a significant learning curve. An optimized motherboard ensures simple cable management, while the ARM processor runs quieter and stays cooler than other systems. You can add other hardware options like bar/kitchen printers, kitchen display systems, digital scales, barcode scanners, and tableside tablet payment systems
• Implementation and training: Harbortouch handles every aspect of installation, training, and support service. They will schedule your on-site installation with an experienced and certified technician and provide you and your employees with comprehensive remote training after your system is up and running
• Inventory management: Harbortouch makes inventory management easy by automatically tracking every item and offering detailed reports to help you make wise purchase decisions. Their partnership with Orca allows for seamless inventory tracking and automatic ordering. In a nutshell, Orca will let you know the items in stock so you can adjust the menu or services and keep your employees informed from any location
• Third-party integration: Harbortouch partners with many third-party service providers, including Mailchimp, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Sling, and Social Schedules, so you can use your current applications and discover new ones. Many of these partners offer discounted service fees for Harbortouch customers, helping you save money
• Payment processing: With PCI-validated point-to-point encryption, the company helps you quickly take all credit and debit card types while maintaining compliance and protecting your clients. Depending on your business needs, you can use custom-built pricing options, dual pricing, and interchange plus payment processing subscription models
• Reporting and analytics: Harbortouch helps you make effective decisions and boost sales with real-time reports and analytics. Within seconds, you can view fully customized reports to get all the necessary information and check on current sales and employees to give you the facts behind what drives your business
• Payroll and HR: Harbortouch Elite gives you greater control over your employees' time tracking, allowing you to view daily, weekly, and monthly reports. Additionally, you can minimize reporting errors and auto-schedule employee payouts. Finally, the system helps you reduce your accounting and payroll expenses while decreasing the time spent figuring payouts
• Customer relationship management: Most business owners find CRM software essential for improving customer retention. Such software helps you learn about your customers, track their interactions, and eliminate the need to depend on your memory to give the best customer service. With Harbortouch POS systems, you can easily access customer information and use it to implement incentives and loyalty programs

Plans & Pricing

Harbortouch provides you with the hardware, software, installation, and training you need to start without any upfront cost. Your low monthly fee covers full 24/7 support and software updates, and the company offers a lifetime warranty on their hardware. 
Harbortouch Bar & Restaurant is $29.99 monthly, while Harbortouch Retail is $49.99 monthly. The company also offers a Harbortouch Salon & Spa package, which is ideal for many cosmetic retailers and costs $49.99 monthly. The Harbortouch Echo POS System is designed for small retail stores, yogurt shops, cafés, kiosks, food trucks, and other small businesses. It has a one-time setup price of $199 and no monthly subscription fee. For upscale and casual dining businesses, the company offers Elite POS, an excellent system for upscale and casual eating businesses, quick-service restaurants, and medium to large retail stores. The website encourages customers to report lower credit card processing fees, promising to match or beat them. New customers can take advantage of a risk-free thirty-day trial to test the POS systems and evaluate their compatibility with their business.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages

• Free POS system: Few POS companies provide their free hardware and software with no upfront costs. Business owners on a limited budget will appreciate not having to make large down payments that cover the cost of support, updates, and warranties
• Free demo: Before you buy, the company wants you to know what to expect from their advanced tech, so they offer a free online demo that allows you to get a hands-on approach to using the system and all the tools. The free demo is ideal for business owners still deciding and wanting to explore their options
• Integrative training and support: The company provides a trained and certified technician to set up your business's new POS system. Harbortouch offers 24/7 customer support from knowledgeable staff, and if you are a subscribed merchant, all hardware is covered under warranty. The company can also access your POS terminals remotely to fix problems, so you never have to worry about system downtimes
• Multiple location management: This provider offers POS solutions for managing multiple locations from home or on the go. Through Lighthouse4, you can press a drop-down button to choose which reports you want to view from your business locations and generate them on demand
• Customizable features and plans: Because your organization is unique and may require a customized plan and feature setup, this provider offers a variety of packages and alternatives. Choose from fully customizable menus, customer loyalty cards, and more. The company also offers personalized membership choices to assist you in managing your payment processing service costs, which is ideal for small business owners looking to save money

Disadvantages

• Binding contracts: Despite selling POS systems at no upfront cost, there is one requirement to consider. To acquire your systems, you must first sign a formal contract for at least one year, followed by a three to five-year commitment. This lengthy agreement may not appeal to some business owners, particularly those in the early stages of starting a business
• Slow customer support: Some customers expressed frustration regarding Harbortouch's customer service response times. Although the company offers 24/7 support, customers report long wait times for responses to billing and other questions related to their merchant accounts
• Unexpected charges: Some users complain about unexpected charges and show concern over the payment processing fees, which depend on the business owner's Trustworthiness and business volume. Many businesses would like to see more transparency in the cost structure to understand why they are paying certain fees

Harbortouch Reviews & Testimonials

Harbortouch has garnered conflicting consumer reviews, with some praising the quality of service and others complaining about slow response times. The BBB gives the company an F rating, and it is not accredited. There have been nine complaints and no customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau website, and Harbortouch has 8.3 stars out of 10. There are only two customer reviews on TrustRadius. Trustpilot gives Harbortouch a poor rating of 2.3 stars out of 5, based on 188 customer reviews.

Users say the system is easy to use and robust, offering all the necessary features they need in a POS system. Customers also enjoy the seamless integration, and some like the way the features help them run their businesses remotely.

Some customers complain about being charged $1,499.80 for canceling their service early. One customer experienced a POS system crash and could not get support to help, while another complained about extra charges that were not in their contract. Several negative reviews highlight poor customer service, with complaints about rude team members.

Unfortunately, there are not enough customer reviews to fully understand what Harbortouch offers their customers and how they address issues when complaints arise. It’s crucial to contact past and present customers to seek information and talk with a company representative to gain greater insight and have your questions answered.

Customer Support & Services

The provider promises free 24/7 support and can access your POS system remotely should problems arise with your platform’s operation. You can also receive help through the company's support website, or you can call the support phone number at 800-201-0461 or 800-632-1888. Customers can also get help by using their live chat or emailing the support team at possupport@harbortouch.com. Harbortouch has an FAQ page that answers the most common questions about their services.

Conclusion

Harbortouch offers an innovative POS system for businesses in many industries, including restaurants, salons, bars/lounges, and retail businesses. Their flexibility, customizable options, and third-party partnerships allow for seamless operations while helping customers save money. You can sign up for a free demo to try the features and see how the provider's POS system can help you improve your business operations. Most POS companies make you pay for the equipment upfront, but Harbortouch takes a different approach by offering free equipment and software. However, new customers must sign a one-year contract to receive their free POS systems. While contracts bother some customers, many feel it is a fair trade because they do not have to pay a large payment upfront. Harbortouch has mixed reviews and a poor rating on consumer review sites like the BBB and Trustpilot. Customers are generally unhappy with their support response times and fees, and the company does not always respond to complaints.

Ultimately, it is your decision whether you choose Harbortouch for your POS needs, and you must research carefully to learn more about the company and how they compare to other providers. Visit our review pages to learn about different providers so you can decide which meets your needs. Our comparison tool shows how POS providers compare against each other from different aspects, such as services, prices, and customer reviews. We also invite you to check out our blog, which provides topics that help you learn about innovations and considerations in the POS world.

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