Integration by sector
API integration for retailers
Retailers with shops and an online store run two sales systems that customers expect to behave as one. A price changed in the till should match online, loyalty points earned in store should be spendable on the website, a gift card bought online should work at the counter and an online order should be returnable in a shop. Integration between the point of sale, the ecommerce platform, loyalty and accounting systems makes that possible, and stops staff reconciling channels by hand.
This page covers connections between retail systems. Stock models and retail apps are covered on their own retail pages.
Illustrative diagram
Shared retail data
- Tills
- Prices
- Store stock
- Online store
- Products
- Orders
- Loyalty and gift cards
- One balance
- Both channels
- Accounts
- Daily summaries
- Liabilities
Prices and promotions in one place
Customers notice when a shop and the website show different prices for the same item. Choose one system to own prices and promotions, and publish them to the other, with an agreed timing for changes. Where you deliberately price differently by channel, record that as a rule rather than leaving it to manual edits. Promotions such as multibuys need checking in both systems, since tills and ecommerce platforms may calculate discounts differently.
Test a sample basket in both channels after every promotion change.
Loyalty and gift cards across channels
Gift card balances are money owed to customers, and loyalty points are a promise. Each needs one system holding the balance, called by both the till and the website at the moment of use, so a card cannot be spent twice. If the till system and ecommerce platform each have their own gift cards, decide which will be used across both, or accept that cards are channel-specific and say so clearly. Plan what happens if the balance system is briefly unavailable at the counter.
Returning an online order in store
Find the order
Till looks up the online order by number or customer.
Output: Order found
Check the item
Condition and return eligibility confirmed.
Output: Return accepted
Refund
To the original payment method or as agreed.
Output: Refund issued
Restock
Item added to the shop's stock, if saleable.
Output: Stock updated
Record
Online order marked returned; accounts updated.
Output: Channels agree
Recognising customers in both channels
Linking in-store and online purchases to one customer, through a loyalty card, email or phone number, allows points and history to follow them. Collect only what you need, explain how it is used and respect marketing preferences recorded in either channel.
Sales in the accounts
Till takings and online sales usually reach accounting as daily summaries by location and channel, with card settlements, refunds and gift card sales and redemptions posted to the right accounts.
Example: two gift card systems
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A retailer with four shops sells gift cards at the till and online, but each channel has its own cards, and customers are turned away when they try to use an online card in store.
- The till system's gift cards are chosen as the single system, and the online store is connected to check and redeem balances through it.
- Existing online cards are honoured by issuing equivalent till-system cards, with balances carried across.
- Gift card sales and redemptions from both channels post to one liability account.
What this shows: Customers could use any card in either channel, and the outstanding balance was clear in the accounts. This example is illustrative.
Before connecting tills and online
Products
- Same SKUs in both systems
- Barcodes linked to online variants
- Shop-only and online-only items marked
Money
- Price owner agreed
- Gift card and loyalty system chosen
- Refund rules for cross-channel returns
Operations
- Staff trained on online-order lookups
- What to do if a connection is down at the till
- Who checks daily summaries
Click and collect messages
When an online order is picked in a shop, the till or store app should update the order so the customer is told it is ready, and collection should mark it complete. Orders not collected within the agreed time need a process for reminding the customer and eventually refunding and restocking.
When connections fail at the till
Shops must keep trading if the connection to the online platform or loyalty system drops. Decide in advance what works offline, such as sales without points, and how transactions catch up when the connection returns.
Questions about API integration for retailers
Which system should hold prices?
One agreed system, publishing to both tills and the online store.
Can gift cards work in shops and online?
Yes, if both channels use one gift card system holding the balance.
Can online orders be returned in store?
With integration, the till can find the order, refund and restock correctly.
How do loyalty points follow customers?
Through a shared customer identifier such as a loyalty card or email.
Why test promotions in both channels?
Tills and ecommerce platforms may calculate discounts differently.
How do sales reach the accounts?
Usually as daily summaries by location and channel.
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