As a small retail or F&B business that is just starting out, it can be easy to overlook bigger investments. You would want to spend your money strategically; you want to focus all your effort and time on the process that induces the customer to make a purchase. But what about the point where the customer completes their transaction and convert?

Let’s cut to the chase; with all that attention and diligence put into getting the customer to the point of sale, it is imperative that the transaction itself runs smoothly. A slow checkout can take a toll on your sale. And that’s why a small business needs a POS system as much as an established business.

While every basic point of sale system can process payments and ring up sales, the best POS systems combine functionalities like payment processing, payroll and accounting, inventory and customer management, reporting etc., into robust POS hardware and software bundles.

But if you’ve ever tried looking for a POS system online, you’ve likely discovered a huge spectrum of POS solutions to choose from, which makes the decision overwhelming.

In this blog, we present you with the top 5 POS system recommendations to cut a bit of hassle out of your selection process:

SHOPIFY

Being a reputed name in the retail industry, Shopify offers free POS software equipped with functionalities that allow you to sell in a brick-and-mortar setting. Shopify also offers feature-rich eCommerce integration that enables marketers to sell on social media and third-party online marketplace.

Features:

• Comes with an affordable pricing structure.
• A range of inventory management capabilities - add products, specify variants like size, colour, and material, add SKUs, prices, and more information.
• Allows you to record customer’s address and contact details.
• Accepts payment from all major channels – credit card, PayPal, and other online methods.
• Offers the ability to create, print and scan barcode labels.
• Offers powerful CRM and reporting capabilities.
• Supports multiple-location business operation and management.

VEND

Vend is one of the top iPad POS platforms in the market today and among the very few systems that offer a built-in loyalty program. A highly customisable and comprehensive point-of-sale suite solution, Vend is widely used by small retail stores to handle customer transactions, sales, and varied inventory management tasks.

Features:

• You can quickly and easily set up a completely customisable online store and put your products online with only a single click.
• Comes with a dedicated iPad app and is compatible with various devices including Macs, PCs and iPads.
• Supports multiple-task management – it provides access to numerous features for managing customer information, dashboards and reports, promotions and pricing, main product catalogue, orders, inventory, payments, cash, returns, refunds, custom receipts, staff training and more.
• It is scalable and configurable - works with numerous business applications and allows you to integrate new functionalities as your business grows.
• It can work offline too. Even when if the internet goes down, users can continue selling and the platform will instantly synchronise all the transactions and data automatically once the system is back online.

SQUARE

Free to start, easy and quick setup, a comprehensive range of features - Square is one of the best POS options for small businesses that are in the lookout for powerful features from the get-go, at competitive prices.

Features:

• The Square Dashboard makes administrative tasks easier while reducing paperwork and billing mistakes.
• With a Square magstripe reader, you can receive and handle payments using credit or debit cards, straight from your mobile device.
• It offers features that ensure data security and protection against fraud.
• It offers an offline selling mode which allows you to sell even when you are on the go and have no internet connection.
• There are features for viewing, managing, tracking, editing items, updating product quantity and other tasks which make inventory management more convenient and hassle-free.
• It has effective reporting features and offer real-time analytics.

There’s no monthly fee unless you opt for additional functionalities to make managing your business easier. However, Square’s add-on features don’t cost much, and you can always choose to add only what you need and skip what you don’t.

TouchBistro

Designed with F&B service in mind, TouchBistro POS is widely used by bars, coffee shops, restaurants, fine dining setups, food trucks, and other similar settings. The platform is iPad-based, cloud-hosted and carefully tailored to help restaurants manage varied aspects of their business efficiently.

Features:

• Scalable and flexible – Offers the same level of efficiency and functionality to all types of food and beverage set-ups, from small coffee shop to a medium-sized cafe and well-established restaurant chains.
• Offers the reliability of a local, offline solution; you don’t need to worry about downtime during peak business hours due to loss of internet connection. The platform offers convenience and peace of mind with cloud-based reporting.
• It has smart features to address restaurant-specific challenges such custom floor plans, menu changes, table management, bill splitting, etc.
• Offers a specific assortment of add-on features focused on delivering the best customer experience, such as – reservations, loyalty program, online ordering integration, kiosk, consumer-facing display and digital menu board.
• Equipped with functionalities to boost staff efficiency. From easy and fast staff training to streamlined staff scheduling, the platform empowers you to ensure better control over your staff and enables your staff to perform their duties more efficiently.

ShopKeep

ShopKeep is a comprehensive iPad POS platform that is diligently designed for small retail shops, cafes, bars and other quick-serve businesses. This cloud-based solution has a user-friendly and intuitive interface and can be deployed within minutes. It offers smart retail capabilities that allow users to manage everything from payments to bookings, registrations, inventory, staff and even marketing tasks.

Features:

• Comes with built-in back-office features like staff management and customer management. You can keep a tab on your employees’ work hours and performance to ensure maximum efficiency. Its robust CRM tools provide you with in-dept data that can be used to identify top customers and remarket effectively.
• Includes functionalities for easy label printing, billing management and customisable paper or email receipts.
• Provides the ability to add inventory as sperate items and then manage in bulk, apply variants like size, material and colour and track the inventory.
• Provides access to multiple inventory reports which help identify customers’ shopping patterns, most-selling items and latest trends. This data can be used to make informed inventory changes for better sales, conversions and marketing.

Final Word

These were the best picks for POS systems as recommended by experts. But remember that the kind of POS system your small business needs will depend on the sort of tasks you need help with, the kind of sales you make, the traffic your store incurs on a daily basis, among other factors. Of course, a POS system that works well for a designer boutique may not make sense to a busy cafe down the street; A fitness facility may have different business requirements than a cleaning service.

To get a better understanding of what to look for in your POS system, get in touch with a professional. The industry expert will help you identify your operational, security, compliance and usability needs, and make the best decision for your budget.