So, you’re looking for a Point of Sale (POS) for your business. What now? What should you be looking for? It’s important you pick the right POS system for your business because it will be the heart of your operations, insight, and day-to-day management. A good start is to think off the top of your head what you want most in your system; what are your needs versus your wants. For example, do you value speed the most? Or features that are more specific to your type of business such as delivery management for restaurants or appointment scheduling for salons? Make a list and use it as your base when you start your search. To help with your big decision, we’ve compiled a list of the top 4 POS must-haves:
1. Flexibility
We no longer live in a world of just cash. Customers want options when it comes to purchasing - whether it be cash, credit card, or even mobile payments. You never want to lose a sale because you’re POS system can’t accept a certain form of payment. The #1 for any business is to make sales so make sure your system has the flexibility to accept different forms of payment. These days, you have access to advanced tablet-based POS systems that can do so much more than just accept payments too. Make sure your POS system can flex according to your needs and do everything from mobile ordering, inventory management, and employee scheduling.
2. Reliability
No one wants a POS system that blindsides them with issues. You want a system that you can count on and is reliable. A major issue can be when the Internet goes down – this can cause certain POS systems to stop processing transactions, especially with more dated systems that rely solely on the Internet. These type of situations can be avoided with working offline modes. Get a POS system that offers a true offline mode – with offline mode you can rest easy and feel secure that payments will continue processing smoothly without a hitch even if the Internet unexpectedly goes down.
3. Scalability
As your business grows, you want a POS system that can grow with it. What happens if your first shop turns into one hundred shops? You don’t want to pay a big price tag to migrate to another system. Avoid wasting money by choosing a POS system that is with you for the long-haul and offers multi-location management features, such as centralized menu controls, establishment groups, and enterprise reporting. Or if you plan to grow your retail business across different channels (i.e. brick and mortar, e-store, mobile), check if your POS system is built to support omni-channel retailing.
4. Security
Don’t lose sleep over security issues. Make it a priority to ensure your business and customer data is never compromised. Both business and customer data should be fully protected by a POS that makes security a priority. Look for a POS that offers both EMV and PCI compliance – with both, your business will stay up-to-date with the latest security standards and avoid penalties. Always keep security in mind when searching for the right POS system - you and your customers never want to feel unprotected.
We understand choosing a POS system is a big decision as a business owner. Access The Official Guide to Choosing Your Point of Sale white paper to compare different POS platforms and discover what POS system is best for your business.
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