#34787 Point of Sale Question

Created from Lead: https://artichoke.shield.syncromsp.com/leads/33077142/convert

Hey Peet,

What do you know about point of sale data collection laws/requirements?

Our development team is holding strong on wanting to require at least names to be collected during transactions.

It seems both PayPal and Stripe, the two systems that seem to be most compatible with our uses, don't allow us to require that information to be collected at the POS. It has to be optional input by the customer.

Is that pretty typical across most POS providers where they say the customer has to authorize that data collection? I'm trying to make a case for why we don't need to worry about it for the use case of this device which is mostly event point of sales where we are selling merch and taking typically smaller donations less than the IRS $250 amount requiring organizational receipting.

Boston Wakeham
Finance and Operations Director

Five Valleys Land Trust
120 Hickory Street, Suite B | Missoula, MT 59801
W: [fvlt.org](http://www.fvlt.org/) | C: 515.419.5440 O: 406.519.5190

I think the TLDR is ... Unless it's required by law or for other obvious reasons like shipping, all customer info collection should be optional, but in the US, I doubt there's any legislated reason that would bar you from requiring PII with your transactions.

Hmmmm ... you bring me fun ones. TBH, I'm not sure about either of these solutions and it truly depends on how it's integrated. For example I can collect payments from my clients with Stripe on my business management solution. However it's not possible to do so without an invoice and the invoice is attached to a customer, etc etc etc.

But if you're using a point-of-sale app that integrates with either Stripe or PayPal, it's beholden on the point-of-sale app to collect or not collect PII for the transaction. Does that make sense? *NOT A LAWYER* The US and Montana don't have any sort of real privacy laws about this ... but providing any aditionall information that's not strictly necessary for completing a transaction *should* be 100% optional. If the IRS requires FVLT to collect specific information from donors above $250 then transactions above $250 should require the collection of that data. And transactions $249.99 or less should have the same fields but have the option to opt out of the data collection.

If the $250 requirement is for something that benefits the donor, but isn't required by law for you to provide ... e.g. if they need a receipt from you to deduct this from their taxes, but you're not breaking any rules by not giving them one if they decline, then again it should be there, but optional.

All that said, I don't think anyone is barred from requiring a person's name to purchase/donate, but boy it could open you up to some possible claims of discrimination/overreach. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cheers.Peet

I always enjoy your hot take that's why the good questions keep coming!

Thats helpful context, and about what I was thinking. I've asked our accountant for more cut and dry on the IRS reporting requirements.

To me it seems like Stripe is a more accommodating and customizable, but complicated solution to implement (seems like it may need some advanced API/coding work - that has me concerned for future staff's ability to maintain).

PayPal, on the other hand, has some very user friendly and easy to set up features, but its overly simple structure, doesn't quite work for what our team is "wanting" (but maybe not needing). I think it would certainly get the job done.

Boston Wakeham
Finance and Operations Director

Five Valleys Land Trust
120 Hickory Street, Suite B | Missoula, MT 59801
W: [fvlt.org](http://www.fvlt.org/) | C: 515.419.5440 O: 406.519.5190

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From: Artichoke Support - Peet <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 2:59 PM
To: Boston Wakeham <[email protected]>
Subject: Point of Sale Question (message id: 96035348)