Connecting Your POS System

Connect your point-of-sale system to Cockato to automate loyalty point awards and customer tracking. Every transaction at checkout can automatically earn your customers rewards.

---

Overview

The POS integration uses Cockato's REST API to:

• Look up customers by barcode, email, or phone number
• Award points based on transaction amounts
• Record punches on punch cards
• Redeem rewards and welcome offers
• Track visits by outlet location

💡 Tip: The POS integration works with any system that can make HTTP requests — no special plugins or SDKs required.

---

Getting Started

1. Generate an API Key — Follow the steps in the "Generating and Managing API Keys" guide
2. Review the API Documentation — Visit the POS Setup Guides in Organization Settings
3. Configure Your POS — Add the API endpoint and key to your POS system's integration settings
4. Test with a sample customer — Verify points are awarded correctly before going live

⚠️ Important: Always test your integration with a test customer first. This ensures points are calculated correctly before real customers are affected.

---

API Endpoint

Your POS system communicates with Cockato through the transaction endpoint:

• Endpoint: https://your-project.supabase.co/functions/v1/pos-transaction
• Method: POST
• Authentication: API key in the x-api-key header

---

Transaction Flow

Here's what happens during a typical POS transaction:

1. Customer presents their loyalty card (barcode) at checkout
2. POS scans the barcode and sends transaction details to Cockato
3. Cockato processes the transaction:
   • Awards points based on the transaction amount
   • Records any punch card punches
   • Returns the updated customer balance
4. POS displays the updated loyalty status to the customer

📝 Note: The API response includes the customer's updated points balance, so you can display it on the receipt or checkout screen.

---

Supported POS Systems

Cockato's REST API works with any POS system that supports custom integrations:

💡 Tip: Check the POS Setup Guides in Organization Settings for system-specific integration instructions and code examples.

---

Phone Number Normalization

When looking up customers by phone number, Cockato automatically normalizes phone numbers to handle different formats. For example, 0412345678, +61412345678, and 61412345678 all match the same customer.

---

Testing Your Integration

Before going live:

1. Create a test customer through the signup page
2. Use the API documentation to send a test transaction
3. Verify the customer's points balance updated correctly
4. Check the Activity Log to confirm the transaction was recorded

📝 Note: You can use the API documentation page to make test API calls directly from your browser.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I award points and punches in the same transaction? Yes — a single API call can award both points and punch card stamps simultaneously.

What if the customer's barcode isn't found? The API returns an error indicating the customer was not found. Your POS should handle this gracefully, perhaps prompting the customer to sign up.

Is there a rate limit on API calls? Cockato does not impose strict rate limits for normal POS usage. However, extremely high volumes may be throttled. Contact support if you anticipate more than 1,000 transactions per minute.

Can I send historical transactions? Yes — you can backfill transactions by sending them through the API with the appropriate dates. This is useful when migrating from another loyalty system.