Buying epos system is important for
your business. While the right system streamlines process and saves you time, wrong
system complicates simple tasks and complicated. You need a system that makes
it easy to ring up sales, manage stock, record customer data, assess staff
performance and generate sales reports. It should also share sales data with
other accounting software’s.
There are many epos systems which
are available as apps for iPads and Android tablets. These systems cost less
and occupy less counter space than normal systems without giving up features or
functionality. You can use them to check out at customer’s tableside or from anyplace
in the store, or accessorize them with stands, printers and peripherals. Tablet
POS systems are easy to set up and intuitive to use. Since they are
cloud-based, you can keep tab on your business and access back-office features.
Before choosing a tablet POS system,
think about which platform you like. Although a few systems keep running on
both iPads and Android tablets, most are platform specific. If you as of now
have tablets that you need to use or strongly prefer one working system over
the other, you'll need to search for a good system.
You also need to think about
whether you need an industry-specific solution. Many POS providers offer retail
or restaurant software, however some offer both and can be set up for businesses
in either industry or service based organizations. Add-ons and integrations are
available for these systems, allowing you to customize them with the specific
features as per your business needs.
1.
Look for transparent pricing and month-to-month service:
Older POS systems require you to
buy a software license, pay annual service fees and sign a multiyear contract.
You'd also pay to upgrade to the updated version every year. In contrast the
majority of the latest cloud-based POS providers offer their product as a month
to month subscription that you can cancel anytime. They often post their plans
online so you can see precisely how much support costs and which features are
available. These systems are updated frequently, month to month, and you get
the latest features.
The advantage of monthly service is
that you're not locked into an agreement and you have the flexibility of switching
systems anytime without paying any charge. Rather than being stuck with a system
that you're not happy with and choosing if it's justified, it to pay a few
hundred pounds to leave your agreement, you can proceed without penalty.
2.
Don’t lease epos hardware, buy it:
In spite of leasing enables you to get all epos hardware you want it for a low upfront
cost, industry specialists strongly advice against it, because in many of the
cases you may end up paying more amount than the cost of the hardware and you
won't even own it when the rent expires.
Moreover, most leasing agreements
are non-cancelable, so regardless of whether you close your business and return
the equipment, you're still on the snare for everything remaining on your lease.
Rather, you should purchase the hardware outright, regardless of whether that means
you start with simple basics and add extra accessories when you can afford
them.
3.
Select an epos system that gives you a chance to choose your payment processor:
A few POS systems are perfect
with almost all major processors and others give you a bunch of good processors
to browse. In any case, a few POS companies also provide services and require
you to use them. Since credit card processing can be costly, you need to choose
a epos software provider that gives you a choice of payment processor, allowing
you to comparison shop and select one that offers low rates and fees.
In case if you already have selected
payment processor or are under contract with one, the primary thing you should
do is ask the company which POS systems it's compatible with. Then you can choose
a system without having for another processor and pay a fine to escape your contract
early.