How to use AI – and keep staff levels up

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, June 25, 2026

Zeller, an Australian fintech valued at over $1 billion, has cut its product development cycle from nine months to under four weeks by integrating AI strategically, enabling the launch of a new point-of-sale system for over 110,000 merchants. This AI-driven approach not only accelerates feature delivery by 70% but also offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional POS platforms, positioning Zeller ahead of major competitors both locally and abroad as it expands into Europe.

Zeller, an Australian payments platform valued at over $1 billion, has accelerated its product development cycle from nine months to under four weeks by strategically integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its operations. The fintech company now releases more than 10 new features every month, a pace attributed to targeted AI adoption rather than broad mandates for all staff.

Co-founder and CEO Ben Pfisterer emphasized that AI at Zeller is a tool that enhances engineers’ and product developers’ flexibility rather than replacing them. Contrary to many firms that require blanket AI usage, Zeller implemented a phased approach, seeding the technology with select team leaders before rolling it out more broadly. Pfisterer warned that indiscriminate AI use can lead to costly overruns, citing Uber’s swift exhaustion of its annual Anthropic budget as an example of how AI may become more expensive than human labor if improperly managed.

This calibrated strategy has enabled Zeller to develop a point-of-sale (POS) system that competes with global incumbents like Square, Shopify, and Lightspeed. The system offers a comprehensive end-to-end solution for Australian merchants, covering inventory management, payments, reconciliation, settlements, and payroll. Unlike traditional POS platforms, Zeller’s product eliminates subscription fees, instead charging a flat transaction rate when paired with its terminal. A built-in import tool reduces the onboarding process from days to minutes for businesses switching platforms.

After testing the POS system with local customers over two months, Zeller launched the product to its network of more than 110,000 Australian merchants this week. The company estimates the average hospitality or retail business in Australia currently spends up to $17,000 annually on POS software, hardware, and payment infrastructure, positioning Zeller’s offering as a cost-effective alternative.

Pfisterer noted that AI has improved the company’s responsiveness to customer feedback and accelerated feature delivery by approximately 70 percent. He highlighted that while AI has taken on more coding responsibilities, skilled engineers remain essential for overseeing quality assurance and ensuring development aligns with design goals. Far from displacing roles, AI has broadened opportunities by allowing employees with design or engineering backgrounds to engage more deeply across the product development stack.

Zeller employs different AI models for specific purposes: Anthropic’s Claude primarily handles development, Google’s Gemini supports business operations, and ChatGPT contributes to strategic planning. According to Pfisterer, this tailored AI deployment gives Zeller a competitive advantage over major Australian banks, which, despite heavy AI adoption, have been slow to innovate and launch new products.

In addition to its Australian operations, Zeller opened its first UK office in April, with the European expansion reportedly progressing ahead of schedule.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.