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Daniel Kehrer

Guide to Point-of-Sale (POS) Software and Systems

How point of sale software and a point of sale system can boost your business

By Daniel Kehrer, Editor, Business.com & Work.com

Cash registers are kaput. Today even the smallest business rings up sales with POS software and point of sale systems that performs multiple tasks such as gathering customer and inventory information, scanning bar codes, reading credit cards, printing receipts and displaying messages to buyers.

The ability of point of sales systems to instantly update inventory after each sale is huge. Point of sale software and hardware can tell you — by the day, week or month — what items are selling, what items aren't, and what you need to order. Three things you need to know about point of sales systems:
  1. Point of sale software and equipment can improve customer service by speeding checkout and instantly answering questions about product availability.
  2. Initial point of sale systems setup can be a pain for existing businesses using older methods so you may want to pay a vendor for help installing your new store management software system. For new businesses, however, it's simple to start out with point of sale software and a dedicated point of sale system, including a POS cash register.
  3. Point of sale systems include many components. Whether you need a retail POS cash register, restaurant point of sale, computer point of sale or wireless point of sale, you can start with the basics and add features as your business grows. There are also web-based point of sale systems that provide what you need online.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done


Web-based point of sale solutions can do it all

Internet-based point of sale solutions and store management software applications offer a flexible, affordable alternative to the outright purchase of POS hardware and point of sale software. Great way to add electronic point of sale at multiple locations for minimal cost.
I recommend: Merchant OS and EffortlessE are two web-based POS services that can help retailers track and organize sales and inventory. The systems are simple and require no special training or software expertise. 

Let your QuickBooks be your POS cash register

If you already use QuickBooks to manage your finances, check out QuickBooks: Point of Sale 5.0. QuickBooks is bundling the POS software with hardware to create an all-in-one solution at substantial savings.
I recommend: Ring up sales on your PC rather than a POS cash register with QuickBooks: Point of Sale

Tap Microsoft's new small business point of sale software solution

Microsoft Point of Sale is a popular POS software solution for small business. You can bundle it with HP hardware, including touch screen display, receipt printer, POS cash register, card reader and keyboard.
I recommend: Microsoft Dynamics Point of Sale aims to make it easy for small, independent retailers to pull the plug on outdated electronic POS cash registers.

Consider Dell point of sale systems bundles

Dell offers several point-of-sale solutions for small business. The complete system combines all the POS hardware and point of sale retail software you need.
I recommend: Select a point of sale systems package or customize your own solution from Dell POS.

Select a long-time small business point of sale systems leader

Cam Commerce Solutions is one of the largest suppliers of point of sale systems and POS software to small and mid-sized businesses.
I recommend: Visit Cam Commercial Solutions.

Find hubs for your point of sale systems

POS Guys is an online point of sale systems "superstore" that offers a full line of equipment, store management POS software and well-done buyer's guides, including credit card terminals.
I recommend: Go to POSGuys.com to see all their offerings on point of sale retail software and hardware.

Bone up on point of sales systems basics

BuyerZone is an excellent place to comparison shop and request quotes on point of sale systems and to bone up on basics.
I recommend: Their detailed and objective Buyer's Guides on POS systems are super helpful.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

  • A customer display for your POS cash register, also called a "pole display," shows items, prices and other information to the customer, and can also be used to display ad messages.
  • A hand-held terminal can wirelessly transmit sales back to the base station; especially handy for restaurants.
  • Some point of sales systems are equipped with store POS software that will even produce purchase orders for items running low.

The official source of Point-of-Sale (POS) Software and Systems is
the POS Software page at Business.com

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Point of Sale Systems
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Point of Sale Software Directory
Compare POS software using Capterra's free, comprehensive directory.
Capterra.com
Point Of Sale Equipment Leasing - Free Price Quotes
Compare Rates and Save. Visit Now for Free Price Quotes!
Free Price Quotes | Start Request Now
Equipment_Leasing.BuyerZone.com

Recommended Solution Providers

Thomasnet: Credit Card Reader Resources
Vertical portal containing credit card manufacturers, service companies and distributors.

Barcoding, Inc.
Multi-vendor systems integrator that recommends, supplies and installs data collection systems

Barcoding, Inc.: Barcode Software
Commercial off-the-shelf or custom software development.

Bar Codes Inc: Credit Card Reader
Auto-ID distributor, focused on barcoding, RFID, point-of-sale equipment and labels.

NexTag: Credit Card Readers
Supplier of various credit card readers for all types of businesses.

Best Sites to Learn More

About.com: Understanding pos equipment
Offers articles about a wide range of point of sales (POS) systems, including cash drawers, receipt printers, monitors, touch screens, programmable keyboards, scanners, and handheld data entry devices.

Buyerzone.com: POS Equipment Buyer's Guide
What you should know about various POS vendors before making equipment purchases.

Bocat: Barcode Scanner and Equipment Buyers Guide
Provides help for professional purchasers to find barcode prices and information with price search engines, B2B marketplaces, auctions, manufacturer and vendor links.

Computerworld Buyer's Guide: Barcoding Solutions
Reviews and reports on software products.

Best Blogs and Forums

The Wizard of POS: Point of Sale Blog
POS equipment and software trends, observations, news, and opinions.

Tek-Tips Forums: Point of Sale Systems Forum
POS systems users discuss problems, solutions, and share experiences with equipment and software.

PHP Point of Sales: Point of Sale Forums
These discussion threads includes everything from POS product announcements to technical support.

Credit Card Processing: POS Product Reviews
Get news, reviews and comparisons on credit card processing equipment.



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