Did you know that if you collect any customer data at all—whether it’s just a name and date of birth or more complex information—you are required to be compliant with all UK data regulations? You might be thinking: What the heck are those?

We don’t blame you. The world of compliance with regulations that dictate how customer data is handled and maintained is complicated and murky.

Specifically, we’re talking about the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which dictates when and how organisations can collect customer data, how they handle and store it, and when they dispose of it. Additionally, some regulations fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), which applies to website cookies and data collected electronically, as well as by fax or phone.

And while the regulations are complex, your EPOS system can actually make data compliance easier. Let’s take a closer look at what the UK GDPR is and how your EPOS can make it easy to make sure you’re doing what you need to do.

What Is the UK GDPR? 

Under UK GDPR, organizations are required to handle personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. Data must be collected for specific, explicit purposes and only the minimum necessary amount should be processed. And security measures must be in place to protect data from unauthorized access or breaches.

Additionally, organizations must respect individuals’ rights to access, correct, erase, or transfer their personal data, and to object to or limit how it’s used. Additionally, transparency is essential, meaning you have to advise customers what data is being collected, how it’s being used, and what users need to do to request its deletion.

How Your EPOS Provides Data Compliance

First and foremost, it’s important to understand what data your EPOS system can collect—and what it can’t.

It can collect order information, customer contact information, birthday, and even photos (such as for a gym membership). It does not store credit card info, as that is generally stored by your payment processor. Normally, customer data is collected when a customer places an online order or makes an online reservation, but also for loyalty programs.

In terms of how your EPOS stores data, it’s good to know that all customer information is encrypted, which is the first step towards compliance. This means that data you collect is protected and only accessible by those authorized to do so. That’s done automatically, so there’s nothing you need to do!

Another way your EPOS system automates compliance is by allowing you to set a time period for deletion if the customer remains inactive. This can be particularly useful for companies to automate customer data maintenance, ensuring that they do not keep customer records longer than obligated by law. For example, if your customer has a credit account with your business, you are obligated to store their data for seven years. You can configure your EPOS system to automatically delete their data should they not make any purchases for seven years.

Lastly, consent to collect and use data is an integral part of online data collection. Luckily, your EPOS can prompt customers automatically to provide their consent. That could be simply accepting cookies when visiting your website, or it could be a box customers are required to check off saying they’ve read the terms and conditions and/or privacy notices when making an online purchase.

Whatever your situation is, it’s best to take compliance with data regulations seriously. Not doing so can result in massive fines. Luckily, Everything EPOS is here to help! Contact our EPOS experts to discuss how our EPOS system can automate parts of your data compliance, helping you to avoid headaches down the road.