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Finding the Right POS- What to Consider
January 8th, 2019
When trying to find the right POS system for your business, there is quite a bit to consider. Probably the most obvious and first asked question would be how much? There are POS solutions that are absolutely free up front, which is great for the merchant who does not want to spend thousands or one who is just cash strapped. In cases like this though, you are going to be working with their processor. So, this does not give you much flexibility. But if you have someone who you can count on for service and support, that isn’t a big deal. Then there is the other side of the coin. A merchant can look into a system such as Aloha or Micros and spend $5,000-$10,000 PER STATION. For many though, that works. They want the proven system and don’t mind paying for it.
However, the industry is ever changing. There are no longer just a couple of POS systems to choose from. Not only are there a good amount of full blown POS, but now there are many tablet based solutions where you just download the software onto the iPad or tablet. This can be a great set up. There are many systems like this such as Lavu, OctopusPOS, and many more. With these types of set ups, the up front cost is normally not as much as a full blown POS system, but you will be paying a monthly software or support fee which can run from $39 upwards to hundreds of month, depending on how many stations that you have.
If that’s too much still, there are really cool hybrid solutions such as Poynt, which somewhat looks like just a stand alone terminal, but has a lot of the POS features, such as inventory, menu set ups. It also has a third party marketplace where you can pay or download other apps that can help your business grow and make it more organized.
In short, there are many solutions and especially if you are going to spend thousands and will be using the system for years, you want to make sure you know what type of solutions are out there. Don’t let a company force you into their one size fits all system. There are many great products and POS systems out there. One that works well for one company may not work for another. But in the end, you want to work with a company that can offer multiple systems and really give you options for a great long term solution.