The China Mail - littlefish and Halo Dot Partner to Replace Payment Terminals with SoftPOS

Merchant operating system provider littlefish and enterprise-grade software point-of-sale (SoftPOS) technology developer Halo Dot have announced a strategic partnership aimed at enabling financial institutions to replace traditional payment hardware with secure mobile solutions. The collaboration integrates Halo Dot’s certified contactless payment infrastructure directly into the littlefish platform, allowing banks and merchant acquirers to offer a unified software-based solution that combines payment acceptance with comprehensive business management tools.

The integrated offering allows financial institutions to turn any compatible mobile device equipped with near-field communication (NFC) technology into a secure payment terminal. By combining Halo Dot’s globally certified SoftPOS capabilities with littlefish’s modular operating system, the partnership provides a single platform for point-of-sale transactions, merchant management, loyalty programs, inventory control, and customer engagement.

littlefish, which assists financial institutions in strengthening their relationships with business clients, and Halo Dot, a provider of enterprise-grade payment software, aim to address the growing demand from merchants for technology that extends beyond simple transaction processing. According to the companies, modern merchants require integrated tools to manage operations, engage customers, and improve efficiency, while financial institutions seek ways to deepen merchant relationships without adding hardware complexity.

"At littlefish, we’re focused on helping financial institutions build stronger, more valuable relationships with their merchants," said Brandon Roberts, co-founder and chief executive officer of littlefish. "Our partnership with Halo Dot brings together two highly complementary platforms that let banks and acquirers deliver a complete merchant solution, from secure payment acceptance to the business tools merchants need to thrive. Together, we’re making it easier for financial institutions to accelerate digital commerce while creating better experiences for merchants."

Gareth Corbishley, managing director of Halo Dot, emphasized the scalability of the combined technology. "Halo Dot was built to make secure digital payment acceptance simple, scalable and accessible," Corbishley said. "Partnering with littlefish lets us extend that capability through a market-leading merchant platform that gives financial institutions the tools they need to succeed. Together, we’re enabling organisations to deliver complete merchant experiences that help businesses accept payments, operate more efficiently and grow with confidence."

The partnership reflects a shared industry objective to simplify merchant enablement by merging payment acceptance with commerce operations. Halo Dot provides the secure infrastructure required for contactless payments, while littlefish delivers the operating system that powers daily business activities and merchant engagement. Each platform is designed to increase the value of the other for institutions deploying the solution.

For financial institutions, the integration offers a faster route to market and a simplified technology stack. The companies state that the solution allows banks to manage merchant relationships more effectively by turning every payment interaction into an opportunity to support the underlying business, rather than merely processing the sale.

The combined solution is currently available to financial institution partners globally. Initial deployments are already underway in African markets, with further roll-outs planned as additional institutions adopt the platform. littlefish is designed to integrate with existing banking infrastructure rather than replace it, aiming to accelerate innovation and allow partners to bring new merchant solutions to market in weeks rather than quarters. Halo Dot operates as part of the JSE-listed Araxi Group and serves merchant acquirers, independent sales organizations, payment service providers, and large enterprise merchants across financial services, retail, and logistics sectors.

Halo Dot’s technology is certified under the payment card industry’s MPoC (mobile payments on commercial off-the-shelf devices) standard. The company highlights its developer-friendly integration experience alongside security and compliance measures to support partners and merchants of all sizes.

L.Kwan--ThChM