Point-of-sale (POS) systems enable retailers to manage inventory and employees, and process sales. Once a simple cash register, they have become multi-functional hubs for retailers, supporting functions such as omnichannel selling and CRM.
The success of a retail store depends on its management of sales and inventory, and POS usage is on the rise. Some19% of retailersusing POS software report adopting it in the past two years. With POS hardware, 11% are recent adopters.
To choose the best POS system for your business, you must know what devices and hardware you'll need. This guide will walk you through the different point-of-sale approaches and how they can benefit your retail business.
Table of Contents
What is a POS device?
A POS device is a computerized system that records and tracks sales transactions in a retail or hospitality environment.It typically includes a monitor, a keyboard, and a cash drawer, and can be interfaced with peripheral devices such as barcode scanners, receipt printers, and customer displays.
POS system vs POS device
There is a certain amount of confusion about the difference between a POS system and a POS device.
- POS devicesare the hardware used to run a POS system. They include smartphones, tablets,mobile POS (mPOS), card readers, touch screens, cash registers, computers, self-service kiosks, and POS terminals.
- APOS systemis the software used to run the POS device. Essentially a retail management system, in addition to handling sales it tracks inventory and provides access to detailed customer information, both of which help you offer frictionless shopping experiences.
In short, your POS devices work together with your POS system, whether you’re a pop-up shop or an established retail store, to help you sell more.
Learn more:POS Systems for Small Businesses: Best Features, Systems, and How to Choose
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Types of POS hardware
- Tablets and smartphones
- Card readers
- Barcode scanners
- Customer-facing displays
- Cash drawers
- Receipt printers
- Shipping scale
Let's walk through the various types ofPOS hardwareyou might need for your store.
Tablets and smartphones
Atabletis a mini-computer with a touchscreen, like an iPad. They usually have a flat surface and an on-screen keyboard. Tablets are a sleek, flexible alternative to the clunky, stationary POS hardware retailers have used for decades.
With a tablet, you can:
- Look up products in stock.
- Pull up customer profiles and personalize communications.
- Process transactions anywhere in-store.
- Keep track of inventory.
Smartphones, like an iPhone or Android, are also useful in retail. With POS software on your mobile device, you can ring up customers and look up products from anywhere.
With the Shopify POS app, you can scan barcodes on your phone while doing inventory counts and checking out products. Smartphones are also a good option for selling at events and pop-up shops, giving you the flexibility to take payments anywhere.
Learn:The Retailer’s Guide to POS Hardware: What you Need to Take Payments and Run Your Store
Card readers
A credit card reader or terminal accepts credit and debit cards by tapping, inserting, or swiping them. External readers are usually standalone pieces of hardware; however, you can plug a card reader into your Shopify POS device to swipe cards.
The Shopify Dock for Tap & Chip Reader lets you:
- Accept chip and contactless payment methods.
- Support card payments through Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, andmobile paymentslike Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Protect card data per Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements
- Connect wirelessly to your tablet or mobile phone using Bluetooth
- Comfortably hold the device and take it with you wherever you’re selling
Barcode scanners
Barcode scanners read and translate the information contained in barcodes. They are essential POS devices, allowing businesses to quickly and accurately scan products and retrieve information.
Barcode scanners come in two main types:
- Handheld scannerscan scan barcodes on products or labels, which are small and portable and thus easy to get close enough to the scanner to read them.
- Larger and more expensive,fixed-mount scannersare more accurate and can scan barcodes from a distance.
You can use Shopify-supported Bluetooth barcode scanners to add products to the cart at checkout quickly.
Customer-facing displays
Customer-facing displays are the screens your customers see when making a purchase from you. They can be used to display the items your customers are buying, the total amount of their purchase, and any promotions or discounts that may be applied.
Shopify POS comes with a built-in customer-facing display, or you can choose to use your own device as a customer-facing display.
There are generally two types of customer-facing displays:
- POS with swivel stand.Both shopper and retailer can use the same device to view items in cart and process payments. These are also easier to travel with when selling at a pop-up shop, or if you own a seasonal business.
- Dedicated device.With a dedicated device, cashiers use their own device to ring up items, and shoppers use a different device to pay.
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a customer-facing display:
- Screen size:确保你的面向客户的显示大enough to easily display the items your customers are buying and the total purchase amount.
- Resolution:Ensure that the screen's resolution is high enough so that customers can read displayed items and totals.
- Customizable dashboard:Choose a customer-facing display that lets you regularly update and adjust your screen.
- Wireless options:A wireless POS system is the most versatile. It’s easier to handle, and you can take it with you anywhere.
Read more:Everything You Need To Know About Customer Facing Displays
We needed a large display to show all our products, but small enough to fit in our checkout area. We also needed a display that is easy to use and can be navigated quickly by our customers. After doing some research, we found the perfect display for our needs, which has made a big difference in our sales.
Cash drawers
Some61% of payments in retail storesare made with cash. Any business accepting cash payments needs a cash drawer.
A cash drawer is a box specially designed to hold cash and keep it organized. Cash drawers are usually connected to receipt printers and open automatically when the printer is triggered to print a receipt.
Cash drawers have bins that separate bills and coins by denomination, so you can easily deposit cash and make change. In point-of-sale systems like Shopify POS, you can track your daily cash transactions and balance your cash drawer quickly.
Receipt printers
A receipt printer enables you to print receipts for your customers. Receipts include useful information like items purchased, product prices, tax amounts, and when and where the transaction took place.
Learn more:Everything Store Owners Should Know About Retail Receipts
Shipping scale
A shipping scale weighs packages before they're shipped. A business that ships products from its store can use it to calculate shipping costs accurately. Shipping scales come in various sizes, so you should choose one that fits your needs.
Benefits of a POS device
- Betterinventory management
- Streamlined checkout
- Improved customer service
POS devices provider numerous benefits for your business, let's take a look at a few of them individually.
Better inventory management
Carrying too much inventory can hurt a business's profitability. POS systems with inventory tracking can lower inventory costs by10%by helping businessesavoid both stockoutsand overstocks.
PRO TIP:When you use different platforms to run your online and retail stores, inventory discrepancies are more likely to happen. This can lead to more frequentinventory countsto reconcile differences and ensure stock levels are accurate.
Streamlined checkout
Creating a fast checkout process leads to higher sales and customer retention.
Arecent reportfinds that consumers identify “quick and easy” as an absolute requirement; 48% said a poor checkout experience would discourage them from returning to a store.
A POS device helps makes checkout easier. You can use customer-facing displays to show shoppers their total as you scan. Then they can insert a card in the card reader or, in the case of a POS system with near-field communication (NFC), effortlessly tap their card to pay, which speeds up checkout with minimal hiccups. Goodbye long lines and frustrated customers.
PRO TIP:Shopify POShas a fully-customizable checkout experience. Create shortcuts to keep your most-used apps, promotions, and products at your fingertips so you can fly through checkout.
Improved customer service
POS devices help employees provide better in-person experiences for shoppers, which leads to higher revenue.
Businesses that deliver better customer experiences obtain revenue between4% and 8%above their market.
当员工能够访问实时信息;n on products and stock levels, they can keep customers informed and have a better chance of landing the sale. Providing inventory insights reduces behind-the-scenes busy work, freeing up staff time to focus more on shoppers.
Choosing a POS device
- Type of business
- Customer priorities
- Associated costs
- Training staff
Let's examine some of the different factors to consider when choosing a POS device.
Type of business
It’s important to consider the specific needs of your business. As a retail store, you’ll want a POS system that consists of, at a minimum:
- Terminal
- Barcode scanner
- Payment processing
- Receipt printer
If you sell at events or pop-up shops, you’ll need a POS device that can travel with you. Tablet and smartphone devices are useful in this case.
You can easily ring up products and send receipts to customers' emails from one device. As noted, the device will also record sales in your inventory management system, so you can prevent stockouts and generate regular sales reports. Modern POS systems also come with integrations that connect to a customer’s ecommerce sales data, which improves customer relationships.
GET STARTED:Ready to start shopping for point-of-sale hardware? Head to theShopify POS hardware storeto shop for hardware designed to help you check out customers at the counter, curbside, and everywhere in between.
Customer priorities
Another consideration when choosing POS devices is your customers' preferences. The pandemic has caused customers to evaluate their values and what they want from shopping experiences.
According to a recentAccenture survey, this “reimagined consumer” represents 50% of shoppers. As we said, they’ve changed their values throughout the pandemic. The survey shows that nearly half of the respondents desire new tools and improved shopping experiences.
When choosing your POS devices, consider what your customers value.
- Do they shop eco-friendly? You may not need a receipt printer, as these customers prefer emailed receipts.t.
- Do they prefer to use contactless payments? You’ll want to pick up a Tap & Chip card reader.
- Do they value loyalty programs? Your POS should let them easily sign up for and use reward points.
Having the right POS device can help you show customers how your business values align with theirs. It can also increase customer loyalty and enhance the shopping experience.
Associated costs
Device costs will vary based on your needs, the types of payments you want to accept, and the number of stores and employees you have.
Depending on your situation, you may want to buy, lease, or rent POS hardware. In the case of a pop-up store, for example renting your POS hardware makes more sense than purchasing it.
Current average prices for POS hardware:
- Tablet stand:$149 - $185
- Card readers:$39 - $49
- Barcode scanners:$229 - $329
- Cash drawers:$139 - $159
- Receipt printers:$299 - $369
- Shipping scale:$59 - $89
Check out every POS provider's options and consider what you'll need to run your store.
Learn more:How Much Does a POS System Cost?
Training staff
The right POS devices work to provide a satisfying experience for customers in-store. However, a positive experience also depends on how well youtrain staff. The more time you invest in training employees on your POS devices, the better interactions they can provide customers.
Some training tactics include:
- Train staff on the new POS system directly.Help employees learn by doing. Provide instant feedback on what to improve on, and provide additional support with video tutorials and resources.
- Process real transactions.Give employees the opportunity to practice skills in a real-world setting. It will help them remember the proper procedures and improve their confidence when dealing with customers.
- Get employee feedback.Ask staff to share their experiences on different POS devices. It will make them feel heard, and foster better communication between them and managers. You can also use feedback to improve POS training.
Getting retail employees used to new POS devices takes time. But with a little preparation and attention to detail, you can train staff effectively and earn more sales for your store.
Learn more:5 Tips for Training Your Employees on a New POS
Find the right retail POS device for your store
POS devices are essential to any retail or hospitality business, as they allow businesses to quickly and efficiently inventory, manage customer data, and process sales transactions. With the POS hardware described above, you can create a system that improves customer experience and increases sales for your retail business.
Try Shopify POS for omnichannel selling
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POS device FAQ
What are 5 types of POS systems?
- Cloud-Based POS System
- Mobile POS System
- Self-Service POS Systems
- Integrated POS Systems
- Kiosk POS System
