[FTC] Introducing featherPay - Point of Sale Device for Feathercoin

[ChekaZ]

Hey Guys,

I wanna introduce you the Point of Salve Device for Feathercoin, made by uncle_muddy from the FeathercoinTeam.

This post is from the FeathercoinForum, here is the Link to the Original one: https://forum.feathercoin.com/index.php?/topic/7206-dev-introducing-featherpay-point-of-sales-device

One of the things I noticed very early on was how complicated it was for merchants to accept feathercoin for goods, others on the forum wrote a guide on how to do it but it all seemed very long winded and a little too complicated to me, this coupled with going to a few meet-ups at the Oxford Blue and watching the bar staff have to deal with a laptop on the bar to allow us to pay with our favourite crypto currency. The cogs started to turn as they do and this is what I have come up with.
 
featherPay
 
A simple and easy to use handheld payment terminal that merchants can use to take payments via feathercoin for any goods or services that they sell or deliver, how easy would it be for these people to accept feathercoin if all the technology was wrapped in a simple handle held device?
 

 
So how does it work?
 
Quite simple really, there are 4 steps to each transaction
 
1.       Obtain the current value of feathercoin
2.       Tell the device the transaction value
3.       Present a payment QRCode for the customer to scan
4.       Display confirms for the transaction
 
featherPay is designed with 3 connectivity methods in mind
 
WiFi
Everything takes place in real time, every time a transaction is started the current exchange rate is obtained via the network connection, once the transaction has taken place the merchant can get a visual on the number of confirms for the transaction. Aimed at the corner shop, pub, coffee shop etc..
 
3G
Exactly the same as operating in WiFi mode, but with the added advantage of not needing the WiFi connection.  Opening up a greater choice of locations for feathercoin merchants. Aimed more at the market trader, street vender type of merchant.
 
Off-Line
Prior to the trading day, the merchant can obtain the current exchange rate and this is saved to the device, when the trading day is finished the unit is connected to WiFi and all transactions throughout the day are processed. It goes without saying that step 4 from above does not work in this mode as there is no network connection to obtain the confirms against the payment address from. Again aimed at the market trader and street vendor type of merchant.
Input into the payment terminal is via both a touch screen display and the small number pad, for most actions you tap the buttons on the touch screen and for transaction values you input the value using the number pad.
 
Transaction Walk Through
 
The payment terminal constantly displays a simple start screen advertising the fact that feathercoin is accepted by the merchant
 

 
When the merchant taps the screen, the terminal moves onto the second screen displaying the current value of 1 FTC and the ability to input the transaction amount in the local FIAT currency
 

 
Tapping the “Process” button moves the terminal on to the 3rd screen creating a unique wallet address and a corresponding QR Code for the transaction ready to be scanned by the customer using the wallet application on their mobile phone. Also displayed is the total number of FTC required for the current transaction. Tapping “Cancel” causes the terminal to terminate the transaction and return to “feathercoin ACCEPTED HERE” screen
 

 
Once the QR Code has been scanned, tapping the “Confirm” button displays the final screen in the sequence which allows the merchant to check on the confirmed status of the transaction from the blockchain. Again tapping “Cancel” causes the terminal to terminate the transaction and return to “feathercoin ACCEPTED HERE” screen
 

 
The “New Transaction” button simply stops the background confirm checking process and returns the terminal to the “feathercoin ACCEPTED HERE” screen, ready to start the process again for the next customer.


Regards,
ChekaZ
FeathercoinTeam

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[Cryptopher]

Heya,

This is neat, a nice positive step for integrating Feathercoin commercially.

When is such a device available, and how much would it typically cost per unit?

The offline mode is interesting, it's essentially operating as a futures contract - which has the potential to either benefit the vendor or the client, depending on the volatility of the price throughout the day. Needless to say, buying something at the start of trading should give a truer reflection of the market price, if the market is volatile.

I can see why you give the option of an offline mode though, you wouldn't want the merchant to be without means of taking payment during periods of no network connectivity, making the payment system highly available. The merchant would typically have to make it clear that they are operating at a set rate, so that clients aren't frustrated if the price has changed unfavourably.

Is the Oxford Blue trialling this tech?

[uncle_muddy]

Hi,

Thanks for the positive words

I haven't worked out what they cost to build as yet, still working a couple of little bugs out of the code at the moment and part of that may result in a slight change to one of the components.

Off-line mode is still under development as I have had a couple more ideas around it and how it would work, the customer can always see the exchange rate being used during their transaction regardless of the mode as it is displayed on the second screen where the FIAT value is entered, they also get to see the total number of FTC being used for the transaction on the QR Code screen so there are a couple of options for the customer to re-evaluate the purchase.

I have agreed with the Oxford Blue that they can have a device once we have closed down a couple of things for a trail, after all it was there where I spent my 1st feather coins and got the idea for this from having watched their staff struggle with a laptop on the bar

UM

[Cryptopher]

That's fantastic! Yeah, I've never been to the Oxford Blue but I know that their establishment is often mentioned in the same breath as Feathercoin.

This device is exactly the boost that Feathercoin needs in order to see more merchants accept payments in brick and mortar stores, especially those in and around hotspots like Oxford.

I look forward to hearing updates on this. It's a shame that the topic isn't getting as many views as it deserves - I think a lot of that has to do with how busy this sub-forum is with all of the altcoin activity.

[newIndia]

Is it going to work like bitpay ?

[uncle_muddy]

Maybe a trip down to the Oxford Blue once the device is finished to see it in action is called for

It was born from the idea to make taking payments via crypto as simple as possible, I'm hoping that a device like this will allow a few more bricks and mortar stores to at least trial crypto if nothing else. I'm currently working on a corner shop local to me, and am hoping that I can get him to see the light so to speak.

I will keep posting updates as I have them so you can drop by and take a read, as for topic views... they are what they are but if nothing else I have managed to raise your intrest and 1 more person is better than none

[uncle_muddy]

Is it going to work like bitpay ?

Thats up to the merchant!

The internal wallet will forward all coins on a regular bases to any FTC wallet address of the merchants choice so it really is up to them how they chose to trade out the coins etc...

[Cryptopher]

Maybe a trip down to the Oxford Blue once the device is finished to see it in action is called for

It was born from the idea to make taking payments via crypto as simple as possible, I'm hoping that a device like this will allow a few more bricks and mortar stores to at least trial crypto if nothing else. I'm currently working on a corner shop local to me, and am hoping that I can get him to see the light so to speak.

I will keep posting updates as I have them so you can drop by and take a read, as for topic views... they are what they are but if nothing else I have managed to raise your intrest and 1 more person is better than none

Definitely, I'll let my crypto friends know of this development too. I was looking at the online food menu for the Oxford Blue, looks good - road trip could be in order hehe. Not sure if I could bring myself to part with precious Feathercoins just yet though

[ChekaZ]

Maybe a trip down to the Oxford Blue once the device is finished to see it in action is called for

It was born from the idea to make taking payments via crypto as simple as possible, I'm hoping that a device like this will allow a few more bricks and mortar stores to at least trial crypto if nothing else. I'm currently working on a corner shop local to me, and am hoping that I can get him to see the light so to speak.

I will keep posting updates as I have them so you can drop by and take a read, as for topic views... they are what they are but if nothing else I have managed to raise your intrest and 1 more person is better than none

Definitely, I'll let my crypto friends know of this development too. I was looking at the online food menu for the Oxford Blue, looks good - road trip could be in order hehe. Not sure if I could bring myself to part with precious Feathercoins just yet though

Great to hear that you spread the word!

[iawgoM]

Awesome work uncle muddy! And I'm happy to give you some additional help with graphics when needed
Can't wait for the mass production!

[krisdavison]

This is huge how many coins can boast to have made one of these outside of bitcoin. Not many I'm sure.

The Feathercoin community is punching well above its weight!

[El Dude]

This is huge how many coins can boast to have made one of these outside of bitcoin. Not many I'm sure.

The Feathercoin community is punching well above its weight!

like any real merchant is going to accept feathercoin , keep dreaming LOL

Feathercoin 24 hour volume $4,360   

[Ruthie]

This is huge how many coins can boast to have made one of these outside of bitcoin. Not many I'm sure.

The Feathercoin community is punching well above its weight!

like any real merchant is going to accept feathercoin , keep dreaming LOL

Feathercoin 24 hour volume $4,360   

We have over 15 merchants that accept feathercoin as payment and thats NOT including real bricks and mortar businesses.

[Ruthie]

El Dude especially for you https://www.feathercoin.com/merchants-who-accept-ftc/

[krisdavison]

And there is a marketplace www.feathercoinmarket.com

 Feathercoin is making its own bowwave. 

[vizay]

This is huge how many coins can boast to have made one of these outside of bitcoin. Not many I'm sure.

The Feathercoin community is punching well above its weight!

like any real merchant is going to accept feathercoin , keep dreaming LOL

Feathercoin 24 hour volume $4,360   

I notice that you keep posting about the low 24 hour volume FTC has at the moment, I think you're viewing it from the wrong angle?
Don't you think that trading volume is quite irrelevant in a case like this? I mean, if a solution like this would be taken in by more and more merchants the volume will go up since more people would adapt and trade with ftc.

tl;dr
Usage of a crypto currency is not determined by the current trading volume, however, the trading volume will be strongly determined by a coins current usage

[BitSlapper]

This is awesome!

You guys are coming up with some pretty cool stuff over there, like the Feathercoin ATM based off of the Bitcoin ATM project.

I used to mine FTC way back in December. If I ever get a Scrypt ASIC I'll go back mainly because your community is coming up with some innovative ideas for real world crypto currency integration. Can't justify using GPU's lol.

I know the ATM was done with an arduino. The engineer in me needs to know what was used to make the point of sale device! Does anyone here know? Is it a custom PCB? Do you know what processor was used?

Hurry up and make this into a global business so you can ship them here to stores in the U.S.A.


Also, with ideas and drive like this FTC will definitely come back and probably even pass LTC.

LTC relied way too long on it's De Facto position in the crypto community without actually moving forward.

Bitcoin can move slowly because more of the world hears about it in the news everyday, with friends like the FBI promoting who needs enemies

If any coin is going to become a major player like BTC they will need innovation like this.

[iawgoM]

The engineer in me needs to know what was used to make the point of sale device! Does anyone here know? Is it a custom PCB? Do you know what processor was used?

I've forwarded your question to the guy who designed the device: https://forum.feathercoin.com/index.php?/topic/7206-dev-introducing-featherpay-point-of-sales-device/page-3 You might follow that thread

[krisdavison]

You may not need an ASIC as Feathercoin is planning on changing its algorithm away from scrypt once the development of neoscrypt is complete. 

This should mean normal people can get back into mining FTC. I can't wait

[flobdeth]

You guys are coming up with some pretty cool stuff over there, like the Feathercoin ATM based off of the Bitcoin ATM project.

If any coin is going to become a major player like BTC they will need innovation like this.

They have some epic stuff going on, they just get on with it.  IMHO they leave most coins standing with what they're coming up with, bar BTC.

Pity they can't get some proper funding from somewhere to help bring all this together, maybe the bitcoin foundation should look outside their clique for once?  Feathercoin is a real player that everyone overlooks.  I struggle to understand why, the community is the best I have come across, the ideas going on never stop coming. They don't just talk endlessly about getting the "coin" on sites that have a million other alts to contend with.  It's worth taking the time to stop by the official forum to keep up with what's going on, or even this one https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=649737.0

Keep up the good work