Brilliant POS Review

Why We Chose Brilliant POS for Employee Management

Brilliant is a cloud-based POS system that makes it easy for small businesses to incorporate robust employee management tools into their daily operations. Its platform is built around Clover POS hardware and software. As such, it takes advantage of Clover’s partnership with employee scheduling solution Homebase to provide robust built-in time clock, scheduling and employee tracking functionality. 

We found Brilliant’s employee management tools to be a step above many competitors we reviewed. The POS system’s built-in labor scheduler is integrated with its payroll service, allowing business owners more control and automation over employee schedules, hour tracking, time-off tracking, wages and payroll. Business owners can track employee hourly wages and schedule payroll easily while monitoring employee benefits and paid time off. They can seamlessly export this data for their accountant or bookkeeper to review. 

We like that Brilliant provides detailed insights into your business’s busiest times of the day and week. Furthermore, it provides detailed analytics on team performance for any given day. Unlike many competitors we reviewed, Brilliant provides a 24/7 support line you and your team can access if you need assistance with these tools.

We were impressed that businesses can access these robust employee management tools out of the box while many POS systems outsource such features. With employee management functions seamlessly incorporated into operations, business owners can focus on growth and high-level tasks instead of administrative work that can bog down their productivity.

Brilliant’s labor scheduler is intuitive and easy to use. Source: Brilliant 

Ease of Use

Brilliant designed its platform with simplicity in mind, creating an excellent return on investment in employee training investment for its customers. We were impressed by how easily new users can learn the platform — your team likely won’t need more than a few minutes to understand how to clock in and out and view hours worked and paid. You can customize the user-friendly interface to suit your business requirements. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you shouldn’t have a problem navigating the system — and if you run into issues, you can take advantage of Brilliant’s fantastic support team.

We appreciated the organized and clean Brilliant POS interface, especially when compared to the confusing setups some competitors present. Users can access apps easily and you can customize the system to display a specific screen when employees log in. The back-end dashboard is just as easy to use as the front end. We like that all business operations run from a single platform.

Numerous business types and industries will appreciate Brilliant’s simplicity. For example, restaurants can easily customize their dashboards to enter orders and modifiers and manage discounts before processing card, cash or check transactions. They can add gift cards or house account options and allow customers to choose how they receive receipts. 

Brilliant Features

While POS system features vary widely, Brilliant POS provides an array of features that will appeal to a wide range of businesses.

Inventory Management

We were impressed that Brilliant has formed strategic partnerships to hone its inventory offerings and provide customers with robust inventory management capabilities. For example, it partnered with stock-keeping unit (SKU) IQ to allow businesses to sync all inventory and connect it to social-selling platforms. Additionally, Brilliant works with Thrive by Shopventory to help businesses with complex SKU reports manage their inventory with high-level controls. These capabilities are unique to Brilliant. 

We like that Brilliant’s intelligent inventory management system tracks products at the item level. Businesses can set alerts when stock runs low, program reorders when stock reaches a specific limit and manage all vendor relationships in the same interface. Unlike some competitors, we especially like that Brilliant doesn’t limit how many SKUs you can have. With better inventory management, you’ll never have to worry about running low on products or the risk of overstocking.

Additionally, Brilliant’s inventory systems are highly customizable. The platform’s bulk feature lets you import all store items into the system. From there, you can see what products sell quickly and which languish on the shelves. Retailers can organize the items they enter via a barcode scanner with fields like price, cost, business profit, stock quantity, product codes and SKU entry. You can also modify items with variances like brand and color. 

Brilliant’s inventory management features make it easy to track products at the item level. Source: Brilliant POS

Mobility

The best retail POS systems prioritize mobility and Brilliant is no exception. Built-in barcode scanners help you quickly log and track inventory. Retailers can use Brilliant’s mobile-based hardware options to help customers on the sales floor, entering orders and taking payments efficiently while saving time and improving the customer experience. 

Mobile systems are also a priority for the best restaurant POS systems. Brilliant is an excellent POS choice for restaurants, with mobile hardware that makes it easy for customers to pay tableside. 

Customer Engagement

We were impressed by Brilliant’s emphasis on facilitating and maintaining customer relationships. Brilliant supports customer loyalty programs and customer-branded gift cards, can issue points through rewards cards and can process redemptions — all features that can encourage repeat business. Another customer convenience feature we appreciated is the ability to email digital receipts instead of printing them. 

Restaurant customers will appreciate Brilliant’s online ordering and delivery features. An online ordering site, provided free to Brilliant customers, sends orders directly to the restaurant’s POS system. Order buttons for third-party platforms like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub can be added to a restaurant’s Google page so they’re visible from the search engine. We appreciate that this option is built into the Brilliant platform.

Brilliant POS provides an email receipt option that boosts customer convenience and helps with email list-building. Source: Brilliant

Hardware

We were impressed by the array of hardware options Brilliant customers can take advantage of. The platform deals primarily with Clover hardware and offers everything from retail scanners and countertop systems with customer-facing displays to handheld devices for restaurants suitable for tableside ordering. Restaurants can also opt for kiosks (popular in quick-service establishments) and swivel displays they can customize for payments and tipping. 

We like that you can tailor a POS system to your business’s precise needs, whether you’re a retailer, restaurant, grocer, salon, barber or another business type. If you lease equipment, you’ll have a full warranty covering accidental damage to hardware. However, if you purchase hardware, you’re only covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. 

Brilliant can provide the Clover Station Duo, an ideal POS hardware solution for retailers and restaurants. Source: Brilliant 

Reporting and Analytics

We were impressed by Brilliant’s reporting and analytics capabilities. You can run reports directory from your POS or use Brilliant’s cloud reporting capability to analyze POS reports anywhere with internet connectivity. 

We also appreciate how detailed you can make reports. You can view hourly transactions by item, customer and category, identify which items are selling well and note products that are languishing on the shelves. Brilliant’s detailed reports can help business owners make the best decisions for growth and revenue generation. 

Brilliant POS Pricing

Brilliant offers several pricing packages for its Clover hardware products. Clover sets software prices and third-party app integrations can cost extra. Using Brilliant’s direct payment processing can save money on POS system costs.

Here’s a breakdown of Brilliant’s pricing plans:

You’ll receive the following with all plans:

• Setup and training: After you receive the POS system, you’ll be scheduled for an initial setup and training session to guide you through everything. You’ll also be able to access unlimited one-on-one training throughout the life of your account.
• Account manager: You’ll have a dedicated account manager to ensure your business fully utilizes Brilliant’s features.
• Offline functionality: Even if your internet connection fails, you’ll be able to process transactions.
• Cloud analytics: Review reports and analytics for insights anywhere around the globe. 

Hardware costs are as follows:

• Clover Station Duo: $1,999
• Clover Mini: $749
• Clover Flex: $749
• Clover Station Solo: $1,849
• Clover Go “All-In-One”: $149
• Clover Cash Drawer: $119
• Clover Barcode Scanner: $189
• Clover Label Printer: $299
• Clover Kitchen Printer: $396
• Clover Integrated Scale: $499
• Clover Mini Swivel: $149
• Clover FD40 PinPad: $299
• Clover Go All-in-One Stand: $49

Implementation/Onboarding

One of the nicest things about Brilliant’s implementation and onboarding process is the dedicated account manager who will guide you through everything. While some competitors also provide this feature, many don’t highlight it as much as Brilliant. 

Brilliant promotes its system implementation as straightforward and seamless. Once set up, training employees shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. We like that you can customize each employee’s dashboard to display only what they need to see, making the onboarding process as stress-free as possible.

Customer Support

We like that Brilliant is open to providing transparent contact information on its website. With some other POS systems, you must dig deep to contact support. In contrast, Brilliant aims to boost customer satisfaction by providing efficient customer service and open communication. It lists its phone number and email clearly and provides chat access on its home page. 

Additionally, you’ll have access to 24/7/365 customer support. We’re also impressed that customers can schedule a live demonstration before even considering Brilliant as a POS system. 

Brilliant is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and holds an A+ rating. Across customer reviews, it holds a strong 4.75/5 rating. These ratings demonstrate that the company is active and serious about resolving customer concerns. Some of the other POS system competitors we’ve reviewed either aren’t active on BBB or don’t have as high a rating as Brilliant.

Additionally, we appreciate Brilliant’s Clover-specific assistance. The company can effectively troubleshoot Clover equipment issues and match the right equipment to various businesses.

Brilliant maintains an A+ BBB rating with plenty of positive reviews. Source: BBB

Limitations

While there are many good things to say about Brilliant, the system does have a few drawbacks:

• Integrations: While the platform integrates with software like QuickBooks, Get Seller and BevSites and offers an open application programming interface (API) with free app integrations, it may not be the right solution if you’re seeking a POS system with extensive integrations. Check out our review of Epos Now or our Lightspeed review to learn about POS systems that focus more on integrations. 
• Software compatibility: Additionally, Brilliant’s software compatibility might be a problem for companies with existing POS systems. For example, you can only run the Clover software Brilliant uses on Clover hardware. That means if you have a completely different system, you’d have to migrate everything over, which could be an expensive drawback for some businesses. 

Methodology

We researched and analyzed dozens of POS systems to identify the top solutions on the market. We examined pricing, contracts, hardware, platform compatibility, feature availability, reports, payment processing, integrations, usability and customer support. We watched product videos and got hands-on experience with demos when possible. We also analyzed websites, spoke with vendor representatives and compared customer reviews. When deciding on the best POS system for employee management specifically, we looked for scheduling tools, time-off tracking, team performance features and time clock functions. 

Bottom Line

We recommend Brilliant for …

• Businesses that want to automate and simplify employee management and credit card processing.
• Companies that want detailed analytics to help them scale and expand.
• Startups that require significant support.

We don’t recommend Brilliant for …

• Companies that require many integrations and cross-platform functionality.
• Companies that already have a POS system set up and in place.

Elizabeth Crumbly contributed to this article.