Don’t Wait! Speed Up Your Checkout Lines With These 4 Tips

How to speed up checkout lines with a POS system

Here are several ways to use your POS system to move your customers through the checkout process faster.

1. Arm your sales associates with mobile POS units.

Connecting tablets or phones to your POS system can be an easy, cost-effective way to check out more customers quickly, without sacrificing precious square footage and purchasing countertop POS equipment for additional checkout stations. With POS-enabled tablets or phones, your sales associates can approach customers in line and ring up their purchases. Alternatively, after helping customers find products, associates can ring up purchases on the spot, sparing your customer from any wait.

Here are some popular and effective products to consider when choosing a mobile POS system:

• Clover Go: This compact mobile credit card reader connects wirelessly to a tablet or mobile phone to accept swiped, inserted and tapped cards as well as digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. The Clover Go mobile payment app gives you the full functionality of a fixed POS system, including product selection, discounts, customer data capture and loyalty programs. For more information, check out our full review of Clover.
• Square: The Square Reader for contactless and chip payments costs $59 and uses Bluetooth to connect to a compatible tablet or mobile device. If you want a device that accepts payments and prints receipts, consider the Square Terminal, which costs $299. For a more complete countertop setup, the Square Register costs $899 and includes separate merchant and customer displays. Read our review of Square and its products and services for more information.
• PayPal Zettle: The Zettle card reader accepts chip, magnetic stripe and near-field communication cards and digital wallet payments. It’s lightweight and small, with numeric buttons for debit card PIN entry, unlike the Clover Go and Square Reader. For fixed cashier locations, you can use the Zettle card reader with a charging dock. Zettle’s regular POS system is mobile-ready as it’s designed to be installed on an iPad you can mount on a stand (sold separately). For more information, read our article on how to accept credit cards with PayPal.
• Helcim: The Helcim card reader is small and features physical numeric buttons for PIN entry. It accepts inserted, swiped and tapped cards as well as mobile wallets. The Helcim reader can interface with your POS system on a Windows or Mac workstation, tablet or mobile phone or a combination of these devices. It can connect to the device via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or a USB cable. When you want to use it at a fixed checkout location, place it on a countertop stand (sold separately). For more information, read our review of Helcim.

2. Don’t gather customer contact data when lines are long. 

Many POS systems allow you to gather contact information for your marketing efforts during the checkout process but, when your store is busy and you have customers waiting, it doesn’t make sense to prolong the checkout process by gathering this data. Adding email capture to checkout can increase transaction time by a few seconds per customer. Instead, train your cashiers to skip nonessential steps during peak hours so they can ring up sales quickly and move customers through the checkout process efficiently. Consider that customers who receive prompt service are more likely to return to your store than those who languish in line.

3. Allow your customers to order and pay online for in-store pickup. 

This option allows your customers to sidestep the traditional checkout process entirely, broadening your customer base by catering to individuals who prefer online shopping but don’t want to wait for shipping. Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) services have grown significantly, with one-third of consumers using this option as of 2024. You’ll need your POS system’s inventory management tools to integrate with your online store in real time for this process to work as customers will want to be sure that the items they want to purchase are in stock and ready for pickup before they visit your store. [Related article: Brick-and-Mortar vs. E-Commerce Stores: How to Leverage the Best of Both]

4. Add self-service checkout kiosks to your store. 

Although primarily used at big-box retailers and grocery stores, self-service technology is growing in popularity among smaller retailers because it allows a single sales associate to monitor several checkout stations. According to data from RBR Data Services, self-checkout terminals are expected to reach two million units globally by 2029. Customers have a favorable view of self-checkout kiosks and perceive them to be fast and convenient, particularly if they purchase only a few items.

Benefits of POS systems for the checkout process and beyond

There was a time when cash registers were the only option when completing sales in a store or restaurant. With modern technology, the options have changed to include systems that are easier to use and more beneficial for your business. The best POS systems have several benefits that can boost sales and retain customers:

• Sales reports: A POS system provides an excellent overview of your business and automatically maintains a record of its cash flow, making for easy cash flow statements. Another benefit of POS systems is their ability to save information about inventory and sales status. This real-time data lets you forecast revenue projections for upcoming periods and make informed purchasing decisions.
• Time savings: Since the POS system keeps track of specific products that have been sold and what you have in stock, you no longer have to spend hours doing a physical inventory. With POS inventory management, the POS system does the work for you. This is also helpful when customers need information about specific products because all information about each product is stored in the system. An employee can check the program without the customer waiting for someone to check on the product physically.
• Fewer mistakes: Prices frequently change, but you no longer have to manually update all pricing because the system automatically updates prices as they change. This helps reduce customer frustration when prices on the shelf don’t match prices at the register.
• Loyalty program: POS systems can save all your customer information. This allows you to track purchasing patterns and preferences for each customer, which is highly beneficial when you adapt product offers and promotions. For instance, if your store offers a digital loyalty program and you offer targeted promotions based on purchase history, the system can automatically match relevant offers to individual customers.

Additional ways to optimize the checkout process

While shortening the checkout wait time can improve customer satisfaction and prevent lost sales, there are other ways to improve your customer’s experience (and your sales revenue) while they’re waiting to pay. Here are some checkout optimization tips:

• Protect customer health and safety: Maintaining a clean checkout environment benefits everyone. Consider having hand sanitizer available at checkout counters and ensure regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces like PIN pads and countertops for any employees or customers who want them.
• Become a topic of thought and conversation: Displaying eye-catching artwork or a thought-provoking statement or quote at your checkout can distract customers from their boredom while waiting in line and can also prompt them to snap a photo and post it on social media. When you include your business’s name and social handles in the display, these posts serve as free advertising.
• Sell more things: The area around your checkout line is prime real estate for displaying impulse-buy products. For example, display small seasonal items, products that young people want (think candy for kids or makeup for teens) or cross-sell items (such as socks at a shoe store).
• Suggest additional items: Train your checkout staff to suggest complementary products based on what the customer is already buying. For example, for some items, you can promote extended warranties or buyer protection programs. Employees can also upsell customers to a more expensive version of the item they’re planning to buy if it’s a better fit or something they should consider.
• Make it attractive: The checkout area should be well-lit, relatively uncluttered and branded with your store name. Consider adding elements like plants or artwork to create a welcoming atmosphere that aligns with your brand identity and makes the waiting experience more pleasant.

Keeping your customers’ checkout wait times to a minimum is key to creating a positive experience that generates repeat business and customer loyalty. These tips can help you move customers through the checkout process faster and, in some cases, it may eliminate wait times.

Additionally, by offering in-store pickup and self-service kiosks, you provide your customers with options, allowing them to choose the most convenient and comfortable checkout method. As retail technology continues to evolve, staying current with checkout innovations will help your business meet and exceed customer expectations while maintaining operational efficiency.