POS Systems Review

Find the Best Point of Sale System

If you are looking for a new point of sale solution, you either are just starting out, have one that is not satisfying your needs or you are ready to upgrade to a more advanced or modern system. If you are just starting out, you have the advantage of not having to worry about migrating inventory data to a new system, and you have the full world of payment processors at your feet, pleading with you to sign up with them. If you are already in business and are looking to change to a new POS system, you will want to find one that satisfies your needs and is relatively simple to migrate your data to.

All-in-one POS systems are certainly appealing. They include all the basic hardware with the software preinstalled. They are a plug-and-play solution. Basic POS packages are commonly offered in retail or restaurant packages. The retail packages usually include a terminal, monitor, barcode scanner, cash drawer, card reader, keyboard, mouse, receipt printer and retail software. The restaurant packages usually include a touchscreen monitor, terminal, receipt printer, cash drawer, card reader and restaurant software.

Some POS providers also offer salon packages that include salon-specific software that can manage appointments and customer accounts. Grocery packages usually include software that can manage grocery store's unique needs, such as compatibility with a scale and in-counter barcode scanners.

Many POS providers also offer you the choice to create your own unique package. You can also work with an account representative to create the perfect package for your business. The advantage to creating your own solution is that you can choose which software you like the best. You can also add POS hardware and software to a system you already own. You can also easily add devices that can help streamline your processes, such as kitchen printers, wireless tableside order-entry devices, customer displays and more. The best POS providers will be able to help you configure the best solution for how you do business.

To help you determine the best POS solutions for your business, please check out our reviews and articles about POS systems. For an all-in-one solution that works seamlessly with QuickBooks and Sage accounting software, see AccuPOS. To learn more about the best POS provider we found for the lowest upfront price, see Harbortouch. If you want to choose your own parts and software, see POS Guys

POS Systems: What to Look For

Point of sale systems are the core of your business. They track sales, inventory, process payments and help keep your customers happy. Since a point of sale system issuch a crucial part of your success, we put our research skills to work to help you make the right choice. We evaluated a long list of POS providers to determine which companies provide business owners with POS systems for a low start-up cost, and which ones offer a good selection of hardware, software and mobile tools, as well as exceptional after-purchase care.

Terminals & Peripherals:
There is a huge variety of point of sale hardware available online. We looked for POS companies that at least offer touchscreen systems, which is what many restaurants are now using. We also looked at whether they provide a range of full-system options and whether they provide popular peripherals such as barcode printers, customer displays and PIN pads.

POS Software:
For the most part, POS resellers offer popular point-of-sale software such as QuickBooks POS, Cash Register Express, Restaurant Pro Express and Aldelo. However, a few offer software such as Harbortouch or proprietary retail POS software. We looked at which software each service sells, as well as the quality of the software. When it comes to features, or what your POS equipment can do, these are software dependent, not hardware related. If you need features such as table assignments in your restaurant or inventory reports for your retail store, you will need to obtain software that can do that for you.

After Purchase Care:
Keeping your POS terminal running smoothly is critical. Good customer support can often be a decisive factor in selecting retail POS systems. Frequently, service plans require a monthly or yearly support fee, but it is worth it for 24/7 support and conveniences such as overnight delivery of replacement parts. We contacted the POS providers we reviewed to ask them what support services they offer their clients after purchase. We looked for afterhours telephone support, installation assistance, training, remote support and more to determine which POS company offers the best post-sales support.

Mobile & Wireless Technology:
The demand for mobile POS terminals is increasing. In this category, we rated those companies that offer wireless tableside, or inventory tools at the minimum, the highest. Others that offer software compatible with the iPad and Android devices also received a bump in their ratings in this category for staying abreast of current technologies.

For reasons that have yet to be proven, an attractive POS system with efficient software increases business. Customers seem to like to see technologically advanced systems, and they definitely enjoy a speedy, accurate checkout. If you are using a clunky old cash register or if your company is just starting out, take the time to find the perfect POS system for your business. It will speed up your checkouts, streamline your accounting and keep your customers happy.

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Electronics » Computers » POS Systems
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Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
10-9  Excellent
8-6    Good
5-4    Average
3-2    Poor
1-0    Bad
AccuPOS Harbortouch POS Guys TouchSuite ShopKeep Gotmerchant International Point of Sale Vend POS Nation Semicron Systems
AccuPOS Harbortouch POS Guys TouchSuite ShopKeep Gotmerchant International Point of Sale Vend POS Nation Semicron Systems
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Ratings
9.88
9.45
9.33
9.13
9.00
8.88
7.25
7.25
6.75
5.95
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
10.00
9.38
10.00
10.00
8.75
8.75
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
8.75
8.75
8.75
9.38
8.75
10.00
8.75
8.75
8.75
10.00
7.50
7.50
10.00
10.00
8.75
7.50
8.75
2.50
2.50
10.00
7.50
10.00
10.00
10.00
5.00
2.50
8.75
7.50
5.00
2.50
 
Packages Available
Retail
Restaurant
Grocery Store
    
 
Salon  
 
 
 
Terminals & Peripherals
Bundled Packages
 
All-in-One Touchscreens
 
Touchscreens
 
Terminals
 
Bar Code Scanners
 
Card Readers
 
Cash Drawers
 
Reciept Printers
 
Keyboard/Mouse
NA
 
PIN Pads
NA
 
Customer Displays
NA
 
Kitchen Printers/ Monitors
 
Checkout Scales
 
 
POS Software
Harbortouch  
   
    
QuickBooks POS   
     
 
Cash Register Express   
   
 
 
Aldelo for Restaurant   
     
 
Salon Iris   
     
 
Restaurant Pro Express   
   
 
Proprietary
  
 
  
Other(s)   
     
After Purchase Care (may require service plan)
24/7/365 Telephone Support
 
 
 
 
24 Hour Email Support
 
 
Remote Assistance
Over-Night Replacement Shipping
NA
Onsite Technicians Available  
$
NA
Migration Services
   
Warranty Period (Years) 1 Lifetime 1 - 3 .25 1 - 3 Lifetime Varies NA Varies Varies
Mobile & Wireless Technology
Handheld POS
 
Tablet Support
 
 
 
Handheld Inventory
 
Android POS
  
 
  
iPhone/ iPad POS  
  
 
  
Services Offered ( often 3rd Party)
Credit Card Processing
 
Cash Advance & Loan Options  
 
 
    
Financing
 
      
Remote Backup    
 
  
Leasing