Poynt
Poynt (GoDaddy Poynt) is an open commerce platform providing smart payment terminals and software for small and mid-sized merchants. Acquired by GoDaddy in February 2021, it monetizes via hardware sales, transaction processing, an app marketplace, and merchant cash advance financing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Poynt does
Poynt, now operating as GoDaddy Poynt following GoDaddy's February 2021 acquisition, is an open commerce platform provider that designs and manufactures smart payment terminals and associated software services for small and mid-sized merchants. Founded in 2013 in Palo Alto, the company pioneered the smart terminal category in 2014 with the launch of its first device, featuring dual touchscreens, eight-hour battery life, and acceptance of swipe, chip, NFC, cash, check, and QR payments. Its technology stack is anchored by PoyntOS, an open Android-based operating system, and Poynt Commerce Services (PCS), which allows third-party OEMs to embed the Poynt ecosystem onto compatible Android POS hardware. Poynt was the first PCI PTS- and EMV-certified smart terminal available to all merchants in the United States (October 2015).
The company's portfolio includes multiple terminal models (PST3, P3301–P3303, Poynt 5, P61B, N910, and the CHB30 mobile card reader), complemented by Mission Control (cloud-based fleet management for resellers), the App Center (third-party business app marketplace), Poynt Capital (merchant cash advance financing), QuickBooks accounting integration, and GoDaddy Poynt Processing (omnicommerce payment processing). Poynt monetizes through hardware sales, recurring transaction-based fees, marketplace/app commissions, and referral commissions on financing products.
The go-to-market model combines authorized resellers as the primary channel, direct enterprise sales with dedicated account managers, self-service developer onboarding via docs.poynt.com, and—post-acquisition—GoDaddy's existing merchant base. Customer segments span merchants, resellers, independent app developers, and payment processors/OEMs, with international reach across North America, Europe, Brazil, India, and the UAE through processor partnerships (Elavon, Wirecard) and channel partners (Rede, POSDATA, LivQuik, Mashreq). The company is a Delaware LLC (Poynt, LLC) headquartered in Palo Alto with offices in Tempe, Arizona and a European data protection contact in Köln, Germany, employing 51–100 people.
Poynt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Poynt
- Legal name
- Poynt, LLC
- Website
- https://poynt.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Poynt (GoDaddy Poynt) is an open commerce platform providing smart payment terminals and software for small and mid-sized merchants. Acquired by GoDaddy in February 2021, it monetizes via hardware sales, transaction processing, an app marketplace, and merchant cash advance financing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Poynt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smart Payment Terminals
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Computer Terminals (3575), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- POS Payment Software & Middleware (Terminal OS, Apps, Device Management) (FSAMADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- POS Terminal Hardware (Countertop, Mobile, PIN Pads) (FSAMADAA), Integrated POS Payments (ISVs & Vertical POS Platforms) (FSAMADAD), POS Terminals & All-in-One Retail Computers (HDACAKAA)
Keywords
Where Poynt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Poynt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of Poynt Smart Terminal devices including PST3, P3301, P3302, P3303, Poynt 5, and card readers like the CHB30 model. Devices sold to merchants directly or through reseller network.
- Transaction Processing Fees: Per-transaction fees set by reseller organizations and processors. Fees visible on daily Deposit Report on terminal or Poynt.net for direct purchases.
- Payment Processing: GoDaddy Poynt Processing offered as all-in-one solution with lowest rates in industry, zero hidden fees, and next day deposits.
- Developer Platform/App Marketplace: Third-party app developers build and distribute apps through Poynt App Center. Platform provides APIs for payments, orders, products, inventory, customers, loyalty, and accessories.
- Merchant Cash Advance (Poynt Capital): Resellers earn commissions ($600 average for turnkey marketing, $1,200 for full service lending) on merchant cash advance loans of $25k+ offered to existing Poynt merchants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Transaction-based pricing determined by reseller/processor |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | GoDaddy Poynt Processing - no hidden fees, no contracts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Poynt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Poynt designs and sells smart payment terminals (the flagship GoDaddy Poynt Smart Terminal plus PST3, Poynt 5, N910, P61B, and CHB30 readers) bundled with the PoyntOS-based open commerce software platform. The platform combines a developer app ecosystem (App Center), cloud-based merchant management (Mission Control), merchant cash advance (Poynt Capital), and licensable terminal software for OEM partners (Poynt Commerce Services), sold primarily to SMB and mid-market merchants, resellers, and OEMs.
Product overview
Poynt (now GoDaddy Poynt) is an open commerce platform provider that offers a comprehensive portfolio of payment and business management solutions. The core offering is the GoDaddy Poynt Smart Terminal family (including PST3, N910, P61B, Poynt 5, and various P3301-P3303 models) - all-in-one payment terminals running on PoyntOS that accept swipe, chip, NFC contactless, cash, check, and QR payments. The platform is complemented by Mission Control (reseller device management), Poynt Capital (merchant cash advance financing), App Center (third-party app marketplace), and Poynt Commerce Services (OEM software for hardware partners). Integration ecosystem includes QuickBooks accounting sync, multiple payment processors (Elavon, FirstData, TSYS, and others), accessory peripherals (EPSON/STAR printers, cash drawers, scanners), and third-party apps (order ahead, POS, timesheets, pay-at-table, gift cards, loyalty). The platform provides APIs and developer tools for building and distributing business applications globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GoDaddy Poynt Smart Terminal Flagship all-in-one smart payment terminal that accepts every major payment type (EMV chip, contactless/NFC, QR code, magstripe) and runs PoyntOS for apps, payments, and business operations; sold to SMB and mid-market merchants.
- Poynt Smart Terminal 3 (PST3) Third-generation smart payment terminal in the Poynt lineup, running PoyntOS with multi-payment acceptance, App Center support, and Mission Control integration for merchants.
- Poynt 5 Terminal Smart payment terminal in the Poynt 5 family, running PoyntOS and accepting EMV, contactless, QR, and magstripe payments for merchants.
- Poynt N910 Terminal Android-based smart payment terminal in the Poynt N910 family, running PoyntOS for in-person payment acceptance and commerce apps.
- Poynt P61B Terminal Poynt P61B smart payment terminal running PoyntOS for in-person payment acceptance across EMV, contactless, QR, and magstripe.
- Poynt Card Reader CHB30 Compact Poynt card reader (CHB30) for chip-and-signature card acceptance, sold as a companion device to Poynt terminals or for lighter mobile use cases.
- PoyntOS Proprietary open operating system from Poynt that powers all Poynt smart terminals and is licensable to OEMs and partners via Poynt Commerce Services, providing the payments, security, and app runtime layer.
- Mission Control Cloud-based merchant management dashboard for configuring Poynt terminals, viewing transactions, managing device fleets, and running back-office operations.
- Poynt Capital Merchant cash advance product from Poynt that advances working capital to merchants on the platform, with repayment automatically deducted from their transaction processing flows.
- App Center App Center marketplace embedded in Poynt terminals where third-party developers publish commerce, loyalty, inventory, and vertical apps that merchants install on their Poynt devices.
- Poynt Commerce Services (PCS) Licensable PoyntOS terminal stack for OEMs, ISVs, and resellers that enables partners to ship their own branded, PCI-certified payment terminals and commerce software built on Poynt's platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- No-hassle cash loans with next day funding for merchants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Poynt
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Poynt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration29 records
Feature5 records
Poynt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, regional and core.
- GoDaddyflagshipGoDaddy completed acquisition of Poynt in February 2021. The acquisition expanded Poynt's distribution reach through GoDaddy's existing merchant customer base and small business tools ecosystem. Poynt operates as GoDaddy Poynt brand.
- LivQuikregionalFuture Group affiliate LivQuik partnered with Poynt to provide merchants across India with access to Poynt's commerce platform.
- POSDATAregionalPartnership to bring connected commerce to merchants across North America through POSDATA's distribution network.
- MashreqregionalMashreq bank launched Poynt Smart Terminals in UAE, expanding Poynt's presence in the Middle East.
- AlipaycorePartnership to provide Chinese travelers seamless payment acceptance on Poynt Smart Terminals across North America, expanding acceptance for merchants.
- WirecardcorePartnership to bring Poynt terminals to merchants across Europe and Asia through Wirecard's payment infrastructure.
- ElavoncorePayment processor partnership bringing Poynt Smart Terminals to merchants in Canada and Europe. Elavon offers Poynt as a best-in-class smart terminal for small and mid-sized businesses.
- RederegionalPartnership to bring Poynt Smart Terminals to merchants in Brazil through Rede's payment network.
- QuickBookscoreQuickBooks integration allowing Poynt to automatically synchronize all transactions and streamline accounting for merchants.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Poynt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Square (Block): Square is the dominant direct competitor in SMB smart-terminal hardware and integrated payments. Like Poynt, Square offers all-in-one payment terminals with a developer-friendly ecosystem and bundled payment processing — making it the most comparable peer on product, customer (SMB), and business-model dimensions.
- Clover (Fiserv): Clover, owned by Fiserv, is a leading Android-based smart POS terminal platform serving SMB merchants through bank and ISO reseller channels. It competes head-to-head with Poynt on hardware form factor, App Market, and integrated processing, making it a close direct peer.
- Stripe Terminal: Stripe Terminal offers card-reader hardware and an integrated software platform for in-person payments, targeting developers and SMBs/mid-market merchants. Its API-first, developer-platform approach parallels Poynt's open-platform positioning.
Emerging players
- Toast: Toast provides Android-based smart POS terminals and software focused specifically on the restaurant vertical. While restaurant-specialized, it overlaps with Poynt on terminal hardware, app marketplace, and integrated processing economics for SMBs.
- Lightspeed Commerce: Lightspeed provides cloud-based POS hardware and software for retail and hospitality SMBs, including payment processing. Comparable to Poynt in target customer and omnichannel commerce approach.
- Shopify POS: Shopify POS provides smart-terminal hardware and integrated payments for retail SMBs already on Shopify's commerce platform. It is comparable to Poynt on omnicommerce (in-store + online) and SMB focus.
Broad incumbents
- Verifone: Verifone is a global incumbent in payment terminals with extensive certifications and bank/reseller distribution. It overlaps with Poynt on hardware devices and payment integrations, though Verifone's portfolio is broader and less developer-centric.
- Ingenico (Worldline): Ingenico, now part of Worldline, is a long-standing global POS terminal manufacturer serving banks and acquirers. It is comparable to Poynt on payment-terminal hardware and processor-channel distribution.
- Heartland Payment Systems (Global Payments): Heartland, part of Global Payments, distributes POS hardware and payment processing through ISO/reseller channels to SMBs. Its channel-led GTM model directly parallels Poynt's authorized reseller strategy.
Regional players
- SumUp: SumUp provides mobile card readers and smart POS terminals to SMBs primarily in Europe. It is comparable to Poynt on hardware-plus-processing model and SMB focus, and competes in the European geographies Poynt has targeted via Elavon/Wirecard partnerships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Poynt social profiles
Digital presencePoynt compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance11 records
Poynt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Poynt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Poynt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Poynt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Poynt
What does Poynt do?
Poynt designs and sells smart payment terminals (the flagship GoDaddy Poynt Smart Terminal plus PST3, Poynt 5, N910, P61B, and CHB30 readers) bundled with the PoyntOS-based open commerce software platform. The platform combines a developer app ecosystem (App Center), cloud-based merchant management (Mission Control), merchant cash advance (Poynt Capital), and licensable terminal software for OEM partners (Poynt Commerce Services), sold primarily to SMB and mid-market merchants, resellers, and OEMs.
Is Poynt a public or private company?
Poynt is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Poynt founded?
Poynt was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Poynt based?
Poynt is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Poynt make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are transaction Processing Fees, payment Processing, developer Platform/App Marketplace and merchant Cash Advance (Poynt Capital).
Who are Poynt's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Square (Block), Clover (Fiserv) and Stripe Terminal. Emerging players are Toast, Lightspeed Commerce and Shopify POS. Broad incumbents are Verifone, Ingenico (Worldline) and Heartland Payment Systems (Global Payments). SumUp is listed as a regional player.
Does Poynt have an API?
Yes. Poynt offers an open commerce platform with comprehensive API access for developers. The platform provides APIs for: Payments (payment fragments, transactions API, alternate payment methods including gift cards), Orders (Orders API), Products and Inventory (Products and Inventory API), Catalogs and Discounts (Catalogs and Discounts API), Taxes (Taxes API), Accessory control (Accessory API for printers, barcode scanners, cash registers, beacons, IoT devices), Customer loyalty programs, Webhooks for event-driven integrations, and Poynt cloud messaging. The API supports building point of sale applications, terminal apps, and cloud-connected solutions for merchants globally. Developer documentation is at docs.poynt.com.
What industry is Poynt in?
Poynt's product category is Smart Payment Terminals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMADAC, POS Payment Software & Middleware (Terminal OS, Apps, Device Management), with a secondary code of FSAMADAA, POS Terminal Hardware (Countertop, Mobile, PIN Pads). Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 3575.