Why Does the Connect Hub In-App QR Box System Require a Phone?

The Connect Hub In-App QR Box system requires a phone because the phone runs the merchant banking application and Connect Hub Merchant Manager, allowing supported payment notifications to be used with the QR Box for audible alerts.

What Roles Do the Phone and QR Box Perform?

Merchant Banking Application

The merchant banking application runs on the phone and is the source of supported payment notifications.

Phone and Connect Hub Merchant Manager

The phone runs the merchant banking application and Connect Hub Merchant Manager so that supported notification information can be used by the notification system.

QR Box

The QR Box provides an audible indication of the payment event in the location where the merchant wants staff to hear it.

A Phone Is Required, but It Does Not Need to Be Next to the QR Box

The phone is required in the In-App QR Box setup because the system works with notifications from merchant banking applications running on the phone, not because the QR Box requires short-range proximity to the phone. With supported setups, the devices can be in different locations and use different internet networks.

The Connect Hub In-App QR Box system differs from systems that rely on other notification sources because it works with notifications received from supported merchant banking applications. A phone is therefore a required part of this setup. In practical use, the phone is the device on which the merchant banking application is installed and operated. It also runs Connect Hub Merchant Manager, which works with notifications received from supported merchant banking applications. When a payment event occurs and the merchant banking application delivers a notification to the phone, Connect Hub Merchant Manager can use supported notification information with the Connect Hub notification system. The QR Box then serves as the device that provides an audible alert for the merchant. The phone and QR Box therefore perform different roles. The phone is used for the merchant banking application and Connect Hub Merchant Manager, while the QR Box provides an audible indication of supported payment events in the location where the merchant wants the alert to be heard. The reason the phone cannot simply be removed from the In-App QR Box setup is not that the QR Box must remain physically close to the phone. It is because this version of the system uses notifications originating from merchant banking applications running on the phone. The phone and QR Box do not need to be placed next to each other, and with supported setups they do not need to use the same Wi-Fi network. However, the phone used with the system needs suitable internet connectivity, a supported merchant banking application, and the required Connect Hub Merchant Manager configuration. If a merchant already owns a compatible Android phone, that existing device may be usable with the system. Purchasing a new phone is therefore not necessary in every case, provided the device is compatible and can be configured appropriately. A useful way to understand the In-App QR Box setup is to see each component as having a different role: the merchant banking application provides the payment notification, the phone and Connect Hub Merchant Manager allow supported notification information to be used by the system, and the QR Box provides the audible alert within the merchant environment. Customer payments continue to go directly to the merchant's bank account. Connect Hub does not receive or hold customer funds. It uses supported notification information to help merchants recognize payment events and operate their configured notification system.