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Retail

Retail stopped being one channel. The payment stack never noticed.

Click-and-collect, mobile checkout, self-checkout, returns, loyalty recognition: usually all in the same store, on the same day, with the same customers. Surfboard treats those as facets of one system rather than as separate vendors stitched together.

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  • 1 API across every channel
  • 1 Settlement, one ledger
  • 6 Formats on the same payment application
A retail checkout counter
I How retail actually operates

Built for the Way Retail Actually Operates

Retail isn't one channel anymore. It's in-store, online, click-and-collect, mobile checkout, self-checkout, kiosk, returns processing, and loyalty recognition, usually happening simultaneously across the same store with the same customers. Surfboard ships unified payment infrastructure that treats those as facets of one system, not separate vendors stitched together.

Tokenization unifies the customer across channels. Identification turns any card tap into a loyalty signal. Gift Cards cover monetary balances and entitlement-based offers. Multi-store branding cascades from chain to terminal. Hardware fleet logistics run programmatically. Reporting consolidates into one settlement that plugs into your ERP.

II Retail patterns

Retail patterns Surfboard handles natively

Six patterns retailers run on Surfboard daily. None require custom integration.

  • Multi-Channel Retail

    Customers buy online and pick up in store. Customers tap at the till and finish payment on their phone. Customers reserve online and pay on arrival. Surfboard's Unified Commerce handles all of it through one API, and reports it on one settlement.

    • One customer profile across in-store and online
    • Unified tokenization for cross-channel recognition
    • One settlement, one ledger, one reconciliation

  • Gift Cards & Store Credit

    Issue gift cards as monetary balances or as entitlements (e.g., "5 free returns", "VIP access pass"). Refunds-as-store-credit. Holiday campaigns at scale. All through the Gift Cards API, QR, barcode, NFC, and shareable link in every response.

  • Returns and Refunds Without Friction

    A customer buys with a card and returns the item. Surfboard recognizes the same card via Identification, looks up the original transaction, and issues the refund, same card, no receipt required. Or convert the refund into store credit via a gift card. Or both.

  • Loyalty Without an App

    Customer taps their card. Surfboard returns a persistent token. Your loyalty system recognizes them, applies discounts, marks the visit, accumulates points, without the customer ever installing an app. The card is the loyalty card.

    Pair with the Wallet integration for one-tap loyalty enrollment via Apple/Google Wallet.

  • Hardware for Every Retail Format

    Boutique counter, busy supermarket, fashion-floor mobile point-of-sale, self-checkout, kiosk, Surfboard ships terminals for every format. SurfTouch Retail for fixed countertop. SurfPrint for handheld with built-in receipt printer. SurfXpress for self-checkout. CheckoutX for SoftPOS on staff phones. All run the same payment application.

  • Multi-Store Configuration at Scale

    Chain of 200 stores? Branding cascades from chain → store → terminal. Tipping policy by region. Payment methods activated per store (Swish in Sweden, Klarna where licensed). Fleet logistics handled programmatically, replacements, returns, new-store openings, all through the Logistics API.

III Reach for these first

The retail capability stack

Each one is reachable from the integration you have already written. Nothing below is a separate product to buy.

IV Every format

Hardware for every retail format

SurfTouch Retail for fixed countertop. SurfPrint Pro K for handheld with receipt printer. SurfPad Pro for customer-facing keypad. SurfXpress for self-checkout. CheckoutX SoftPOS for line-busting on staff phones. Tap to Pay on iPhone for pop-up and event sales. All running the same Surfboard payment application, one certification, one mental model, every form factor.
V In code

Build modern retail payments

One API across every channel. Identification on every tap. Gift cards in any format. Multi-store branding cascade. Programmatic terminal procurement.

Read the Developer docs
// Issue store credit as a gift card after a return
  POST /giftcards
  {
    "cardType": "FUND",
    "amount": 49900,
    "currency": "SEK",
    "name": "Store Credit",
    "accessControl": "OPEN",
    "expiryDate": "12/31/2026"
  }

  // The tap at checkout recognizes a loyalty member,
  // before the payment runs
  {
    "eventType": "order.customer.identify",
    "data": {
      "orderId": "832cf9f93d2fd0410b",
      "cardId": "c550c29e80908c887a"
    }
  }

  // Recognized the token? Apply the member price,
  // then charge the order
  PUT /orders/832cf9f93d2fd0410b
  POST /payments

Build it yourself

Step-by-step developer guides for everything on this page.

In-store · Guide
Device Registration

Register a terminal to a store before it can take payments or receive a partner POS app. Covers rotating codes, QR/registration links, pre-shipped codes, and in-app registration for SoftPOS.

Read guide In-store · Guide
Multi-Merchant Terminals

Set up shared payment terminals for multiple merchants using the Multi-Merchant Group API. Ideal for food courts, events, and co-located businesses.

Read guide Online · Guide
Product Catalog

Create and manage product catalogs, products, variants, inventory levels, and analytics through the Catalog API.

Read guide Online · Guide
Gift Cards & Promotions

Issue and manage gift cards, track transactions, and create marketing promotions using the Surfboard Payments APIs.

Read guide Online · Guide
Store Management

Create, update, verify, and manage in-store and online stores using the Surfboard Payments Store APIs.

Read guide
Browse all developer guides