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Overview

The Apollo User Interface (UI) provides a mechanism for the end user to interact with all applications running on the Apollo terminal. The UI consists of three main components:

  • Payment Interface : The interface controlled by the payment application on the terminal. This interface can only be customized through theme settings and is otherwise fixed as it forms part of the formally certified portion of the Payment Terminal’s core functions.
  • Application Interface : The interface that may be controlled by the external application via CPS or PSP. Various screen types are available in order to implement custom user journeys.
  • Maintenance Interface : The interface in control of the terminal. It cannot be configured or altered, it is intended for local access to terminal status information and a number of specific settings relating to connectivity. Use of the Maintenance Interface should be considered rare as most terminal configuration and maintenance actions are instead performed remotely by the MyPayter Terminal Management System.

Customization Options​

There are four key ways that the controller can customize their user experience.

  1. Themes
  2. Automatic Screens
  3. Built-in Screens
  4. Fully Customizable Screens

These options grow in complexity, with Themes being relatively simple and Full Customization involving advanced tools and techniques.

Apollo as the only HMI

Relying on the Apollo's full-color touchscreen as the only Human-Machine interface (HMI) is perfectly valid.

It is however slightly limited in what it can do, and if using Built-in or Fully Customized screens, the entire customer journey must be mapped out and communicated to the terminal at each point of change.

Payter will only handle the screens when payment is taking place and will revert to an idle screen unless otherwise directed.

Themes​

Theme customization can be as simple as using either our light, dark, or default theme to set the color scheme of the terminal. Additionally, a logo can be set that will appear on most screens, including during payment. Finally, Theme Customization can include amending specific colors for specific elements of all of the terminal's screens. This can allow a controller to match the overall look and feel of the terminal to a specific brand, for example.

You can see more details about Theme customization here.

Automatic Screens​

The user journey, and the overall appearance of the solution can be greatly enhanced by using one of three built in screens:

  • Screensaver
  • Offline Screen
  • Custom Idle Screen

How to configure each screen, and the circumstances in which they are each shown, can be found here.

Using Custom Images (Assets)

It is possible to load images onto Apollo terminals to use either in Automatic Screens, for Logo's, or to use in our Built In or Custom Screens.

You can learn more about how this is done in the Assets guide.

Built In Screens​

Payter have created eight standard screens that can be shown on screen outside of the payment process. Many of these screens contain buttons that the user can use to select products, make other choices, or provide confirmations. We detail each of these screens here.

note

This functionality is only available to Integration Controllers using the Cloud Payment Service or Payter Session Protocol

The Apollo UI is controlled by sending a map of parameters to a given user interface screen type. Each screen type has its own list of properties that can be controlled dynamically and are also affected by the loaded theme.

Control of the UI can be performed via various interfaces, for initial exploration of the possibilities using the Payter Cloud Payment Service (CPS) is the most straightforward. The same screens can also be displayed via other interfaces that support UI control such as Payter Session Protocol (PSP) . In addition the property maps used in CPS can be directly mapped on the PSP protocol. For example: for CPS, a REST call is performed on the UI endpoint with the map in the JSON request body, while using PSP the map is encoded in the UI request message as a null terminated key-value map.

Interactive elements on the UI, such as buttons, will trigger a UI event. This will generate an event message on the control interface. For example in CPS a webhook will be called that was provided as part of the original UI request or for PSP the PSP UI Event Message.

Fully Customized Screens​

Payter can provide on request a Command Line Interface tool that can be used to 'build' custom screens containing elements that are present in other existing screens such as:

  • Buttons
  • QR Codes
  • Progress Bars
  • Spinners
  • And several others

Payter will need to validate any created screens to ensure they meet certification requirements.

caution

This functionality requires advanced development skill, and furthermore is considered premium functionality.

Supporting the use of the tool, and validating the end result, comes at considerable additional expense and as such access to this solution is licensed separately and not provided free of charge.

We have made the documentation available so that the tool can be evaluated prior to agreeing any additional fees to use it.

By arrangement, Payter made be able to design additional templates that meet a Partner's requirements without requiring the Partner to learn how to use the tool. This service will be chargeable.