TOP POS

1
Vend Product Image

Vend

  • User-friendly, intuitive interface
  • Affordable
  • Free plan available
  • 95% customer satisfaction rate

Vend is a cloud-based POS and e-commerce solution developed in 2010 by Vaughan Rowsell. It is suitable for businesses of all types and sizes and supported almost anywhere in the world: US, UK, Europe, Australia, Canada.

Vend can easily be used on a Mac, iPad, Android device or a Windows PC. The system helps you with your inventory and product management, it has useful marketing tools, real-time reporting and a lot of third-party integrations.

9.8

BEST!

2
Bindo Product Image

Bindo

  • Great and innovative features (inventory management ones and more)
  • Good customer support
  • User-friendly
  • Very large inventory database
  • Offers “unlocked” hardware and works with third-party hardware as well
  • Mobile POS (mPOS)

The Bindo POS system is a cloud-based POS solution designed for iPads and iPhones. It is best tailored for small businesses, it has some great, innovative features to offer, a very large inventory database and a useful mobile POS (mPOS). It works with third party hardware and payment processors. It is not too transparent about its pricing and you have to contact them in order to get a custom quote. They have a C rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

9.6

Outstanding

3
Flagship Product Image

Flagship

  • A wide range of payment processing products and services at your disposal
  • No long-term contracts needed
  • Decent customer support
  • Various POS available systems, with all the necessary features included
  • Good setup speed

Flagship Merchant Services is an American company founded in 2001, in Massachusetts. It offers a wide range of payment processing products and services. In 2012, Flagship was acquired by iPayment. Today, Flagship is basically a reseller for iPayment (which provides most of the products/services) and First Data Corporation (a similar company from Atlanta, Georgia).

Flagship has an extensive client base, from small and medium businesses to brands such as Subway, Avon or Verizon.

9.5

Outstanding

4
ShopKeep iPad POS Product Image

ShopKeep iPad POS

  • An impressive number of features that tackle all aspects of a business, from payment to inventory, staff, etc.
  • Easy to use and intuitive interface
  • No long-term contracts required and no termination fees
  • Great customer support
  • Affordable
  • Supports multiple payment processors

ShopKeep iPad POS is a very good, cloud-based POS solution for people who run small businesses, especially in retail, restaurants, quick-food/mobile services, small pubs or bars, ice cream shops, bakeries and the like. While the fact that it is only compatible with iPads might be a frustrating limitation, the software does compensate with lots of useful features that organize and administrate all the aspects of your business, from inventory to payment, staff, marketing and so on.

9.5

Outstanding

5
Square Register Product Image

Square Register

  • Very affordable
  • No hidden fees, early termination fees; very transparent with their pricing
  • Extensive list of add-ons and integrations
  • Compatible with Android and iOS devices
  • Processes all types of credit/debit cards
  • Comes with useful services for no additional cost: data tracking, data reporting, etc.

Square is a financial services company based in San Francisco. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Square Register is a free POS app that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices, being one of the most advanced mobile processing solutions on the market. The app is best tailored for small businesses and businesses that are just getting started.

9.1

Outstanding

6
Leaders Product Image

Leaders

  • Suitable for a wide range of industries
  • Good tiered rates on qualified debit cards
  • 99% approval rate
  • Free setup consultation and free 24/7 customer support

Leaders Merchant Services is a credit card processing company based in California. It was founded in 2000 and it is currently an ISO (Independent Sales Organization) of First Data and iPayment, meaning a lot of their products and services are provided by these two companies.

Leaders addresses all types of businesses, from banks, hotels and restaurants to B2B companies, healthcare providers, gas stations or rental companies. It has over 100,000 customers.

8.5

Very Good

7
Shopify POS Product Image

Shopify POS

  • User-friendly and versatile interface
  • Integrates with over 70 payment gateways
  • No transaction fees when using Shopify payments
  • Good mobile apps, compatible with both iOS and Android
  • Great customer support
  • Free 14 days trial

Shopify is one of the giants when it comes to commerce platforms, for online and brick-to-mortar businesses alike. The interface is very clean and user-friendly, they offer a lot of plan options and their mobile app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. What we didn’t like about this company was the fact that some key features are only available with their most expensive packages and that there are transaction fees for using external payment gateways.

8.4

Very Good

8
Epos Now Product Image

Epos Now

  • Very easy to use
  • Free 30 days trial
  • Their POS system is compatible with Mac/iOS, Windows and Android devices
  • Good customer support
  • Stand-alone system that works with third-party hardware and any payment processor

Epos Now is a very user-friendly, cloud based POS system, compatible with Mac/iOS, Windows and Android devices. The interface is very intuitive and easy to grasp, you can use the software with third-party hardware and payment processors and the company offers an impressive customer support, even though their phone support is not 24/7 available with the cheapest plan. Epos Now is suitable for various types of businesses, from retail and full-service restaurants, to hospitality service providers.

8.2

Very Good

9
North American Bancard Product Image

North American Bancard

  • A wide range of payment products and services
  • No start up fee
  • Free POS equipment

North American Bancard (NAB) is one of the largest merchant account providers in the market today. It has over 250,000 customers, it processes more than $34 billion/year and it has over 900 employees. The company is involved in four main types of segments: ecommerce, credit card processing, mobile payments and cash advances.

They provide credit/debit card transaction services for brands like KFC, 7 Eleven, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts and others.

8.0

Good

10
Talech Product Image

Talech

  • Good customer support that is available on a 24/7 basis, even to customers who sign up for the Standard plan
  • Works with 3rd party hardware and any major payment processor in the US
  • Both plans support multiple locations
  • Has some special features that sets it apart from most of its competitors
  • Very easy to use

Talech is a cloud-based POS system designed specifically for iPads. Although that might be seen as an annoying limitation and a deal breaker for some users, this software deserves to be taken into consideration due to a number of reasons: it is very easy to use, it comes with a lot of useful features (some of them are really unique) and it works with 3rd party hardware.  

8.0

Good

Last updated March 22, 2024

All About POS

POS
What is a POS?

Any type of industry you can think of today uses POS systems. POS stands for Point of Sale and consists of the software and hardware used to pay for a good or service we purchase. They are used at hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, casinos, beauty salons, stadiums, etc. If something has to be paid for, a POS terminal will most likely be used for processing the purchase.

POS systems are all the more necessary nowadays when credit, debit or gift cards are universally used in any form of commerce.

POS terminals have to be able to help in miscellaneous tasks, from staff or inventory management to task automation, payment processing, customer relation management (CRM), rental services and so on. They are a huge help to the customers but especially the staff. Employees and managers can spend more time focusing on their customers' needs, since they don't have to waste any more time counting receipts, making inventory, remembering so much information, etc.

POS systems exist on the market since the '70s. The first one to be mentioned was the IBM 3650, an early electronic cash register which was released in 1973 by IBM.

The elements of a POS system

Regarding the hadware part of the POS systems, the basic elements of a POS system are the display (the screen/touchscreen) and the keyboard used by the salesperson or the client at the checkout. The POS systems can be PC computers, iPads or tablets. The hardware includes everything from the traditional or touchscreen cash registers to the hand scanners that read barecodes, scales for weighing items, cad readers or receipt printers. Tablets become increasingly popular in taking clients' orders in restaurants, answering customers' questions or taking the payments.

When it comes to the software part, it refers to the software used on the hardware (computer, tablet, servers, etc) in order to collect and process the necessary information: about sales, inventory, credit card transactions and so on.

The software can either be installed on your device and constantly maintained and updated, or it can be cloud-based (secured remote servers that are accessed through the Internet). The cloud-based POS solutions are also called SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). Most of them track your sales, so in case your Internet connection is lost, they sync them once you are online again. In the latter case, you have to pay a periodical fee (usually a monthly one) and you can access and use the software regardless of where you are.

Cloud POS systems are better for several reasons. They offer an easier integration, they don't require an in-house dedicated server and they are more efficient in terms of security, as well. They carry the data directly to their servers, using a secure HTTPS channel. That is very important, because when you are dealing with confidential customer data such as credit card details, security is a top priority.

Cloud based POS systems offer a wide range of advantages such as social media and account software integration, mobile payment support, auto sync, automatic backup, secure remote server support, employee and account tracking and much more.

The highest rated and most popular POS vendors on the market today are Shopify, Square, Clover, TouchSuite and others.

What to look for when choosing your POS system

POS

No matter what kind of business you're running, a POS system is going to be indispensable to you. Not only for processing payments but for employee management, inventory management and so on.

There are some important factors you should take into consideration when searching for the right POS system.

  1. The first aspect you should think about is the type of business you're going to have. POS systems apply to a wide range of industries, from retail to hospitality environments such as hotels, restaurants, etc. Not every type of business has the same needs, so knowing exactly what you want to do will clarify what kind of investments you have to make in that regard.
  2. Take a look at your budget. This one is kind of related to the aforementioned one. Modern POS systems don't come for free, and the more loaded with features and benefits you want them, the more expensive they are going to be. When shopping for your POS system you have to keep in mind that you don't need just the software, but the hardware part as well. The type and size of business you're involved in will determine how much hardware you need. If you are just selling coffee from a small shop or you have a mobile food truck you could do just fine with just a tablet and a card reader. But if you own a food chain, you'll probably need to make more serious investments in terminals, barcode scanners, receipt printers, cash drawers, etc. In terms of software, we think the best way to go is through cloud-based software. You'll have to pay a monthly subscription, but you'll have an efficient, secure system and tech support whenever you need it. You could also buy a license and pay a one-time fee, but you will only make things more complicated for yourself, because you will have to pay additional fees for upgrades and it will require long-term contracts, hindering your flexibility. On the other hand, the cloud solutions can be cancelled, upgraded or downgraded at any time, so we think they're way more advantageous.
  3. Look for easy integration. This is very useful because it will save you a lot of time and headaches. Integration lets you use a multitude of different tools/applications at the same time. Apps are now synced up so you don't have to waste your time engaging in various tasks. For instance, you can integrate your MailChimp account with your POS system so when a transaction takes place, you can collect your clients' email addresses and sync them with your MailChimp. Next time you have to send a newsletter to your clients, the job will be half done.
  4. Aim for vendors that offer good customer service. Although we all try to rely on our own knowledge and set of skills to avoid waiting times and other inconveniences that come with depending on others, we will most likely need tech support sooner or later. So make sure that the company you've chosen offers free, 24/7 support, be it via phone, live chat or email. Do your homework before signing up with anyone and make sure the customer support is fast, reliable, helpful and available at all times.
  5. Look for an easy to use interface. Make sure the interface is simple and user-friendly and it doesn't frustrate you, your customers or your employees.
  6. Solid security is a must. When dealing with electronic payments, credit card details and so on, security is of paramount importance. Learn eveything you need to know about the encryption services provided by the vendor. Encryption basically means changing the information into a form that is readable only to those who hold a specific cryptographic key. This process protects your clients' payment details from unwanted, unauthorized access. Make sure you choose a POS system that is PCI (payment card industry) compliant, meaning that it meets the standards/required regulations for accepting credit card payments.

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