The innovative Cennox UVC Keypad Cleaner uses UVC light to attack surface-clinging viruses present on point-of-sale terminals and Chip & PIN devices, helping retailers protect customers and give them confidence at one of the highest touch point areas of any store. Providing protection in less than 30 seconds, the device will allow retailers to prepare for the ‘new normal’ as stores adapt to maximise staff and customer safety while ensuring business continuity.

The device was conceived by Cennox’s Chief Operating Officer Nick Cockett at the start of lockdown, with a working prototype developed in less than two months.

Cockett said: “Many shoppers are going into supermarkets and retail stores under the false impression that a spray of bleach or alcohol solution will keep them safe, but research shows that these solutions can take up to 10 minutes to become effective. When you think of how many customers might use a payment terminal in that time, you begin to see how ineffective these measures truly are.”

Partnering with the University of Ghent, Belgium, for the final testing stage which will be completed in the coming weeks, Cennox developed its POS UVC device as a fast and effective way for stores to protect shoppers with minimal change to the in-store experience.

The casing sits around a retailer’s existing Chip & PIN device, closes and blasts the device with UVC light, neutralising the virus in 30 seconds.

Cockett continued: “Retailers are having to put measures in place to adapt to the new store environment, but customers are going to need continued reassurance that the systems and processes retailers adopt give them the best chance of staying safe in order to trust the Government’s message to ‘shop with confidence’. While UVC is a tried, tested and proven solution, the application we have created is a unique, patented device at this crucial time for retailers when they need total confidence in the measures they put in place.”

By using UVC light, the Cennox device has no impact on the environment, compared to items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or anti-bacterial wipes that are adding significant quantities of waste to landfill.

Cockett concluded: “The Cennox team has a strong reputation for developing industry-leading solutions to the practical problems addressing High Street banks and retailers for many years now. We are proud to deliver real solutions to a changing world.”

The device has been designed to integrate with the top 10 POS systems and can be customised to fit a host of alternative terminals.