You’ve heard that it’s recommended: traditional cash tills can only get you so far, but a point of sale system can do everything it can do and more. Aren’t there multiple business tasks that give you a headache, such as creating monthly sales reports, managing inventory with a spreadsheet, and accounting? A POS system can perform these tasks for you without the margin for human error.
While there are many features different POS systems have in common, they also come with a variety of capabilities, perks, caveats, and price tags. If you are ready to implement a new POS platform in 2020, how do you know which one is right for you? Here are a few of the top POS systems available to get you started:
VendHQ
UK-based company Vend is an excellent cloud-based point of sale system provider that makes it easy to connect every aspect of your business. Do you have multiple locations that run like separate establishments? With POS systems like Vend, you can have all locations operating with the same database. Doing so makes it easy to keep track of customers that bounce between stores, manage inventory between them, and glean a comprehensive view of how and why some locations and strategies perform differently.
Vend also makes it possible for you to access your dashboard from your phone. Are you traveling for work and need to check in on something? You can sync all of your products with a simple click and always have detailed, real-time insight into how your business is performing.
The platform also enables you to accept multiple kinds of payment, including cash, credit cards, debit cards, checks, and even mobile payment methods like PayPal. Vend’s Lite package costs $99 per month, Pro goes for $129, and you can get a quote for large multi-store retailers.
ShopKeep
No one likes waiting in lines. One of the greatest perks of electronic POS systems is that they allow you and your employees some mobility. With ShopKeep, for instance, all you need is a tablet and card reader, and your staff is free to roam around the store and check customers out wherever they are on-site.
ShopKeep offers different options for businesses belonging to different niches, such as retail, specialty retail, quick-service, restaurants, clothing stores, coffee shops, and food trucks. Each comes with various features that suit that industry’s needs (for example, tableside ordering tools make it easy for restaurants to provide swift and accurate service). You can get a free quote from ShopKeep on its website.
Lightspeed
Are some items selling better or worse than you expected? Well, then you need to adjust your inventory accordingly. Order too much, and you waste money. Order too little, and you fail to meet demand and face disappointed customers. With in-depth reports and integrated catalogs, Lightspeed can help you decide how much product to have on hand and sell different items in unique bundles.
Lightspeed offers many traditional features, like payment flexibility, but it also makes it easier to allocate your resources wisely. You can trace unit costs and even fulfill special orders. Are you unsure what hardware you will need? Lightspeed has plenty of options that can optimize your efficiency without breaking your budget. The standard package costs $119-$139 per month, but other packages range from $69 to $259.
Epos Now
Epos Now is an excellent retail management platform for small to mid-sized businesses. It includes many of the features previously mentioned, such as inventory management, reporting, customer management, and more. Another of its useful features is payroll management. Instead of managing payroll separately, why not incorporate everything into one platform? Epos Now’s online store includes software and hardware options, so check it out to determine which fits your needs and budget best. Plus, you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial to decide if it’s right for you.
Square
Square is a popular option that offers fully customizable POS systems that are easy to use. It doesn’t matter if you have a brick-and-mortar business or an entirely virtual one (or a combination of the two), Square’s platform offers in-depth analytics that can help you manage every aspect of it.
You can even create custom invoices and give customers more convenient ways to pay you while still being paid quickly. Like Vend, Square can also integrate with a variety of external applications. Stripe charges 2.6 percent of every transaction plus ten cents and offers various plans for different features.
There are many POS system options out there, so consider carefully what features you do and don’t need. Which POS system do you think will fit your business?