The Types Of POS Systems and Which One Is Best For Your Business

A POS system helps you manage your retail outlet effectively and efficiently. It allows you to bill purchases, update inventory, and keep track of what is happening in a business.

It is an effective way of automating your business so that your work becomes easy. If you have decided to implement a POS in your store, then you must know all about the different types of POS systems available.

The article lists out the various types of POS systems with information on each of them. The information in the report will help you understand which method is best for your business, learn more.

1. Mobile POS

The most basic way of using POS is through your mobile phone. This is simple and easy to implement. All you need to do is install an app on your mobile phone and use it to manage your store.

All the POS functionalities are available on the mobile phone. Most vendors offer the app free of cost when you use their payment processing services. You will get a card reader that can be connected to the mobile to accept credit card payments.

You can send invoices by email or print them on a mobile printer. The app is handy for those stores having less inventory. It is suitable for use in exhibitions and by mobile service providers.

2. Tablet POS

These are the point of sale systems that work on a tablet that has either Android or iOS installed on it. These are popular systems thanks to low investments for retailers. Most vendors give the service fee if you avail of their payment processing services.

The tablet comes with an app allowing you to manage your store, update inventory, and bill customers. You can use a card reader to accept payments. You can integrate it with other hardware like a barcode reader, or a cash drawer. This is suitable for most types of stores and best suited for small stores that are looking for a cost-effective solution.

3. Terminal-based POS

This is the traditional type of POS that you see in most department stores and supermarkets. These are ideal for medium to large-sized retail outlets. The system comes with a computer terminal that has software to manage your store, bill clients, accept payments, print bills, and do a lot more.

The terminal is connected to a barcode reader for secure billing. It is connected to a cash drawer to make accounting cash easy. It is also connected to a printer to print bills and other documents. Terminal POS has cloud connectivity allowing you to save data on the cloud, ensuring backup.

This is a slightly more expensive system and more suited for large organizations that have huge volumes of transactions.

4. Online POS

This is a system that uses a POS software that is online. You can either use a computer or a tablet to run this system. This is an ideal system for stores that have low volumes of transactions, but transactions are of high value. You can connect a regular printer to this since the transaction volumes are not too high.

Since the software is online, you can access it from making it convenient to use anywhere, and this is helpful if you want to do back-office processing from home.

5. Self-service Kiosk

This POS has a kiosk that can be used by customers. These kinds of stalls are suitable for specific applications. For example, if you have a restaurant and you want to allow customers to place orders themselves, you can use a kiosk where they can place an order and even pay on their own using the card reader attached to the booth.

Stalls can also be used for information, where clients can search for products and locate them in the store. The self-service option allows you to save the workforce. It has different applications and is an excellent way to enable customers to do things on their own.

If you are wondering which POS system to choose, the answer is that it depends on your business type and volume. When you work with a provider like Shopify, you can get hardware with an app that you can use on a tablet or your mobile phone. You can accept payments either through Shopify payments or through a third-party provider.

Multiple features are available in the Shopify POS that makes it suitable for all types of stores. Three plans suit businesses of different sizes. You can get one that suits your demands and get effective POS.