The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.

CategoryPOS Software

Compare POS Quotes is running an AD on Google leveraging our Tower Systems name

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If you have a moment, go to google.com.au and type in Tower Systems. We just did this and the top result was an ad for Compare POS Quotes. The ad has our name in it. See…

We are not connected with the website.

There is no comparison with Tower Systems.

In our opinion, this website is not a comparison website in that we suspect that they have not actually compared the different POS software they charge to list on their advertising platform website. If we are wrong, please let us know.

In our opinion, Compare POS Systems is false and misleading when they include our business name in their ad and false and misleading when they suggest they compare.

POS software only gets listed with them when the company pays to be listed.

Look at the image we shared, you can see we are the first natural result in the Google results. The top one is the Compare POS Systems ad. It sucks.

If you click on the ad it will cost them some money. The more wasted clicks the less likely they are to keep paying for an ad that represents itself as being associated with us. Thank you.

We’d love people to click on the ad from all over Australia.

If you really want to compare POS systems, do it yourself, look carefully at each company you co sider. Take your time. Be thorough.

A POS software company relationship is long term. This is not something to rush or rely on someone else to do it for you, especially if they have a commercial interest in only showing you the companies that pay them to list with them. Comp-are POS Systems is not an accurate and fulsome comparison. It’s a commercial ad platform plain and simple from what we can see.

look, we are flattered that they think so much off us to pay for an ad with our business name in it. But we feel for anyone duped by this ad they are running. Click on the ad, cost them money, and then contact us to see if our POS software could serve your needs. we can be reached on 1300 662 957 or by email at sales@towersystems.com.au.

POS software for knitting shops helps serve the joy of knitting

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Using our POS software for knitting shops, knitting retailers can expect to build more enjoyable and valuable connections with knitters thanks to the community nourishing tools in the software.

From encouraging knitting club members to handling the sale of special orders to managing the stock control for and sale of kits of wool, patters and more as a single item through to selling by fractions, measure and length, this POS software for knitting shops serves them well.

This POS software for knitting shops does so much more. Indeed, here are answers to some of the questions we have been asked about our POS software for knitting shops:

Can I sell by measure? Yes.

Can I sell by fractions? Yes.

I often sell at events outside my shop. You can use a version of our software made for remote selling.

Can I offer a special price to members of a club? Yes.

Can I market to members of sewing and crafts clubs? Yes. You can tag customers as belonging to a club and target market to club members.

Can I track sales to club members to rebate the club as a fundraising opportunity? Yes.

Can I promote local clubs and groups on receipts? Yes.

Can you pass on patterns and other documentation? Yes, you can load files, images, documents or PDFs for products (information sheets, advice) and have them automatically included in emailed receipts.

Can I do this by text or email? Either, we support both.

Can I look-up historical buying records for a specific customer? Yes.

Can I create a quote for a customer and manage this? Yes.

Can I track / manage quotes? Yes.

Can the software track special or one-off orders for customers? Yes, from the moment the order is placed.

Can I group items together to sell in a pack or bundle? Yes, it’s easy to create packs using the software.

Does the software track product serial numbers? Yes. You have a couple of different ways you can do this.

I sell some items by colour, size and style, can the software handle this? Yes.

Can I integrate the software with my suppliers? Yes. We have many customers importing stock files and invoices. If you want to provide a supplier a data feed of sales of their product, our software can do this too.

Does the software connect with my website? We partner with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce and offer direct links to these.

Can I email receipts? Yes.

Can I track where my customers come from? Yes.

Do I have to pay for software on additional computers in my business? No.

Does the software handle LayBys? Yes.

Can I connect with my EFTPOS terminal? Yes. We have a direct link to Tyro and through Linkly we connect to all major banks.

Can I use my existing hardware? Yes, as long as your hardware meets our minimum standards.

Can I use my existing data with the software? Yes. We’d like to check your data to be sure. We will advise what can be safely brought across.

Does it integrate with Xero? Yes.

POS software co. Tower Systems launches free online marketplace for local indie retailers

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Tower Systems has launched www.findit.com.au, a free marketplace for local indie retailers, like jewellers, bike shops, toy shops, pet shops, garden centres and newsagents.  Listing products on FindIt is free for Tower Systems customers – and that;s 3,000+ local small business retailers.

The goal for FindIt is to help customers looking online for items local retailers sell, to drive traffic to their local shop.

“We have built FindIt because of the growing importance of being online to in-store retail, and because some retailers are challenged with creating and running their own website. This is a no cost / low cost solution to help you be found online”, commented Mark Fletcher, CEO of Tower.

Retailers can choose to sell through FindIt, or just list what they have available in-store. If they do sell through FindIt, there is a fee of 10%. This covers Tower for credit card fees and Afterpay fees once that is live. It also covers us for credit card fraud claims. Retailers choose whether to sell through FindIt or not. Again, to list products and have your shop found is free

The FindIt website is hosted on a large secure and fast server in a remote data (offsite in Australia) centre. The Tower team is also doing the backend SEO work to raise the Google profile.

Customers will land on the website from Google. As the ranking of the site increases, products on FindIt will list in Google results. Customers will be able to add items from multiple retailers to a FindIt basket in a transaction.

The FindIt website confirms the order to the customer and provides the retailer with a recipient created tax invoice. Retailers will be able to go to their FindIt vendor panel to download a picking slip.

Retailers choose the price of what they sell – it can be their web price or their retail price. In the Tower Systems POS software, retailers choose whether a product is listed online.

The image for a product will be the first image loaded for a product. If a retailer has a better image than the first one loaded by another retailer, it would take a manual process to change it, a process not currently in place. The same applies to descriptions.

The tech connects products by barcode. If a retailer generates their own barcode for an item already on FindIt, it will treat that product as a new item.

The price will be the retailer’s price – yes, multiple retailers on FindIt could result in different prices for the same item.

The product description is the key. Our advice on this is to try and think about what someone is likely to type into Google.

Retailers will have the option to be either freight free or charge. If a retailer has product dimensions and have selected to charge freight, the Australia Post plug-in we have will calculate a freight charge. Retailers will also have an option, on their vendor page in FindIt to set a flat freight charge if you wish.

Retailers can connect with FindIt by emailing orders@findit.com.au.

Tower Systems integrates POS software with Centrepay from Services Australia

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We are proud to share that our Tower Systems POS software integrates with the Centrepay facility operates by services Australia.

Centrepay is free and voluntary service to pay bills and expenses as regular deductions from Centrelink payments.

We were approached by one of our customers to facilitate the easy handling to payments made to them via Centrepay. We made some software changes to facilitate this, hence what we can an integration with Centrepay.

People can shop, make their purchases, select Centrepay as the payment method, and once the business received funds from services Australia and the payments file, our software imports this and handles the Centrepay payments.

This is a wonderful time saver for the retailers that take Centrepay as a method of payment.

There is no charge for individuals to use Centrepay, and businesses cannot charge a fee to use Centrepay. The Centrepay facilities added to our software have been included at no cost to our POS software customers. We are grateful to have delivered this enhancement at no cost. It benefits those opting-in and the businesses that serve them.

The Services Australia website provides excellent details on Centrepay:

What Centrepay is

Centrepay is a free bill paying service. Use Centrepay to arrange regular deductions from your Centrelink payment.

You can start, change or stop using Centrepay whenever you like.You can use it for your regular bills and other ongoing expenses, such as rent, electricity and phone.

You’ll need to give us permission to pay your bills using part of your payment.

You tell us:

  • who you want to pay
  • how much you want to pay them
  • which Centrelink payment you want the money to come from.

We take money from your payment before you get it and send it to the businesses you want to pay.

You can only use Centrepay to pay a business that we’ve approved.

You can find a list of businesses that use Centrepay in your area. Enter your location into the find a business or organisation search tool. It’ll show you a list of businesses near you.

We take out your Centrepay deductions from your Centrelink payment last. Other amounts we’ll deduct first are:

  • participation penalty amounts and non-payment periods

  • weekly payment amount, if you get your payments weekly

  • urgent and advance repayment amounts

  • debt repayments

  • child support payments

  • tax deductions

  • amounts directed to your Income Management account

  • government housing rent deductions as part of the Rent Deduction Scheme.

Tower Systems is proud to have developed Centrepay payments support in its POS software and completed all necessary compliance checking and beta testing prior to release to all our customers.

Here’s how we use the POS software we make in our own retail shops in pursuit of value, enjoyment and success

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Tower Systems is a rare POS software company that uses what it makes, in its own shops, to learn, and make better software, and, of course, create more valuable, enjoyable and successful local retail businesses.

late in 2021, we bought an old-school newsagency business in malvern, Victoria. It had been in the same family for 28 years. We are slowly enjoying the business, on a frugal budget, and based on where data take us. here’s a look at how September 2022 has done in this business, where we have leveraged the ideas from the newsXpress newsagency marketing group, which we also own.

While this video was made to demonstrate what newsXpress helps its partner retailers achieve, it also speaks to the value from the Tower Systems POS software.

There is a narrative put about by some POS software companies that they started because they could not find software that suited their needs. We went the other way. In 1996 we bought our first sop to learn, and walk in the shoes of our customers. In the 26 years since, every day, we have experienced value and enjoyment from owning and running retail shops.

Tower Systems is not your average POS software company. We live and breathe retail, and can engage with our customers from a position of experience, empathy.

Our owning and running retail businesses informs decisions we make about our software, how we train our customers and how we support them. It is a whole of business benefit for us and for our customers.

The last thing any retailer wants is a tech person telling them something about retail that’s out of context or disconnected from the world of retail. We make software here at Tower Systems that seeks to integrate with retail in a more meaningful and useful way, and we can do this thanks to our everyday retail experience.

Every person working in our business has retail experience. This matters because when they talk with any of our customers, they can know what it’s like in a shop. The empathy from personal experience makes for a better POS software support experience we think.

We are grateful for the people in the shops we own for their experience and advice helps us make better POS software and provide it with more valuable POS software support.

A retailer contacted Epos Now to enquire about their POS software, here’s what happened

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Recently, a retailer we know contacted Epos Now to enquire about their POS software. They contacted them because they come up in searches on Google for POS software. Epos Now advertises extensively. Over the seven days from the enquiry, here’s what happened.

They were bombarded with emails, text messages and calls over five days:

  • 2 phone calls.
  • 4 text messages.
  • 5 emails.

The main thrust of the contact was price offers. And, as time went on, the offers seemed to get better. We’re told the contact did not feel personal and that, rather, it felt automated.

What is interesting is that this push contact from Epos Now was before there had been any discussion as to whether the Epos Now software was suitable for the needs of the retail business.

Here at Tower Systems, the first contact we have with anyone enquiring about our POS software is personal and direct, from a human working with our company, someone based here in Australia. And, that first contact has one goal – to find out what they are looking for in software, to understand their needs because that is where it starts, the needs of the customer.

Sometimes, our POS software is not a good fit. It’s better that we identify that early, explain to the retailer why we think that and wish them all the best.

There is no value for a retailer going with POS software that is not a good fit.

So, yes, this is where we start – in understanding the needs of the business, to see how well our software serves the needs that are important to them.

From what we could see from what our retailer friend went through,. Epos Now did not appear to focus on the needs of the business. we wonder if this is so people sign up.

Here at Tower systems, there is no lock-in contract for our POS software. People renting our POS software can cancel the rental easily and payment arrangements are cancelled immediately without any penalty period. The next due rental payment, monthly, is stopped – as are all future rental payments. We think it is important that retailer are not locked in and strongly urge any retailer considering POS software to be sure they know the terms of any agreement.

11 reasons why POS software from Tower Systems is worth considering by Aussie local retailers

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  1. Aussie made. We make our POS software here, in Australia, for local specialty Aussie retailers.
  2. Aussie supported. We support our POS software through our help desk team members, who work here in Australia. We have one in New Zealand, too. We have customers in NZ. Everyone on our help desk works for us. We don’t use an offshore help desk.
  3. Aussie supplier connected. Our POS software connects to many Aussie suppliers through easily loading their stock files, loading their electronic invoices and providing them with sales data for auto replenishment – with these connections all controlled by our retail business owner customers.
  4. Aussie accounting connected. Yes, we provide data to Xero and MYOB.
  5. Aussie words used. Terminology matters, especially in local retail. We’re not American software using American terms or UK software using UK terms.
  6. Real people serving you. Call us, a human answers. Email us, a human answers. no bots. No AI. No offshore call centre. Authentic, like local specialty retailers want.
  7. We’re retail experienced. We own and run shops and have done for many years. Almost everyone working in our Aussie POS software company has retail experience.
  8. Our software is for specialty retail, not everyone. That’s right, our software is not right for everyone. By not chasing everyone, we handle the specialist retail requirements that we do handle well, with maturity and depth of functionality.
  9. 100% local small business focussed. We don’t provide access to our software to mid-size or big retailers. Our focus is 100% on local small business retail. Those are the businesses that matter to us. You will never get lost in the crowd with Tower Systems
  10. This POS software continues to evolve. We regularly release valuable updates that enhance the capabilities of the software. his year, in 2022 so far, we have released 3 significant updates.
  11. It covers unique needs. Serial number tracking, dispatch management, selling by fractions, scale integration, serial number tracking, age checking, supplier integration, integrated loyalty … these specialty retail needs are more are core to our POS software.

There are more than 11 reasons to consider POS software from Tower Systems, many more, including facilities it may offer that are unique to your business. You would only know of this match or connection if you look at the software. that’s obligation free. Call 1300 662 057 or email sales@towersystems.com.au and set it up. we’d love to learn about your needs and show what we offer. Then, you can decide if we’re a match.

We will never pressure you.

Have a wonderful day …

How does Tower Systems POS software compare to Square POS?

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Okay, we are Tower Systems. It’s important you know that when reading this article. But, that said, we have tried to be objective. We are not doing a deep dive comparing software function with software function. No, this comparison note today is high level – even at this level the differences are considerable.

The big pitch by Square POS is that it is free, and while technically this is true, it is a questionable claim given how they get paid – through a clip on EFTPOS. At the moment, from what we can tell, the clip is 1.l6% of transaction value.

An average gift shop putting $250,000 a year through card transactions will pay Square $9,176 over 2 years. Compare this to a Tower Systems customer paying us $159 a month to rent the software and also pay EFTPOS fees of, around, 0.75%, their cost of ownership is $7,566.

We think Tower Systems is cheaper than Square POS. If our calculations are wrong please let us know and we will correct.

The Tower Systems POS software comes with loyalty software includes. Square POS is currently quoting $49 a month for opo9yalty facilities with their software.

That makes Square POS more expensive than the free offer people tend to see.

Tower Systems offers 7 day a week support, 24 hours a day. Our understanding from the Square POS website is that their coverage is not as extensive.

Square POS is from overseas while the Tower Systems POS software is Australian made and supported.

The Tower Systems POS software supports for no extra cost Shopify integration, Xero integration, selling by fractions, scale integration and comprehensive management reporting.

These are all differences.

Then, there are the people. Any retailer considering the Tower systems POS software can speak with a human and discuss their needs. They are welcome to an obligation-free demonstration to see if the software is a good fit for them before investing any time.

Let’s, for a moment, consider software functionality in a more detailed way.

The Tower Systems POS software has been made for specialty retailers, small business retailers, indie retailers. It is loaded with specialty functionality.

Tower is not chasing high volume sales.

Square POS , on the other hand, is chasing volume, mass, they want numbers and because of this we thing their focus is more general, serving more common needs rather than specialty retail needs.

So to answer the question, How does Tower Systems POS software compare to Square POS?, we think we compare well. What we can’t match is the Square POS advertising budget. We rely on word of mouth, for which we are sincerely grateful. We have o thousands of awesome customers, which makes us happy.

Epos Now compared to Tower Systems POS software

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Epos Now is a British software company selling its Epos Now POS software product in Australia. We come across them a bit with retailers comparing their POS software with our Tower Systems POS software.

There is a big difference in POS software from Tower Systems compared to Epos Now.

Epos Now makes out that they are low cost, when a comparison shows that may not be the case, certainly compared to Tower Systems.

Let’s compare the Epos Now cost of $139.00 a month with the Tower Systems cost of $159.00 a month.

From what we can tell on the Epos Now website today, a gift shop, for example, would see you have to pay extra for additional terminals, Get is not included in their price, you have a lock-in 2 year contract, support is provided out of the UK, support is Monday to Friday and in office hours. It appears you use their EFTPOS processing at a cost of 1.2% of transaction value. We saw this on their website.

Compare even these basic details with the Tower Systems POS solution for the same gift shop the cost is $159 a month, Get inclusive, no lock in contract, no extra cost for additional terminals, genuine 24/7 support, including weekend support. With Tower you can choose your own EFTPOS partner and Tower has plenty of customers on a deal it negotiated at 0.75% of transaction value.

On the EFTPOS cost comparison alone, unless we are missing something, Epos Now looks expensive. If we’re wrong on that, please contact us.

The Tower software also includes, at no extra cost, terrific loyalty options, advanced reporting, sell by fractions, sell by weight, integration with Xero, Integration with Shopify, and more.

If you are Aussie retailer and you want your customers to shop local you will appreciate the value of local in your business.

Tower Systems in an Aussie company offering software developed here in Australia and supported here in Australia. Partnering with us is a strong message for the shop local engaged.

Plus, Tower Systems offers local Aussie retailers free and easy access to a local marketplace through which your shop can be found by people searching for items you sell.

So, which is better for your business, Tower Systems or Epos Now? Only you can make that decision. start by looking at both software products. be sure of what matters to you and your business. be sure of the value you want from your POS software choice.

Compare like for like. Ask lots of questions. get the answers in writing. be sure to get the true total cost of running the software in writing too.

Get a thorough personal demonstration. This extra work you put in before you make your decision will ensure that the decision you do make is more valuable for you and for your retail business.

Here at Tower Systems we offer personal one-on-one demonstrations. We record them and give you a copy of the recording so you can share with your colleagues.

And, if you are still not sure, be sure to understand for certain whether you can stop using there software without penalty or payout at any time. With Tower Systems there is no lock in contract. You can sign up today, use it for a few weeks and then stop. rental is paid every month.

The importance of POS software data backup in local small business retail

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Our advice to retailers using our Tower Systems POS software is to backup every day, ideally at the end of the day.

We recommend to our customers that they use a cloud backup service that undertakes the backup, in the background, perpetually. We offer this type of service. We are equally happy with any other commercial cloud backup service.

Cloud backup is ideal because you don’t have to think about it, it’s offsite and onsite, it offers options as to the restore, it’s fast.

How our customers backup is 100% up to them.

The problem is, some don’t backup and as these things go, their realise the cost of not backing up when they need a recent backup the most.

So, we regularly remind our customers about the need to backup and we do this by sharing stories about businesses that did not backup and they cost to them of failing to to this vital and regular thing for their business.

POS software data backup should be daily as up to date backup data is critical to the ability to recover from anything.

Any business not backing up could suffer from a range of impacts by the lack of access to a recent data backup, including:

  • Wrong decisions based on gaps in business data.
  • Lower price achieved when selling the business due to gaps in data or no historical data.
  • More theft because of lack of evidence available.

The negative impacts of not backing up POS software data go beyond these, too, as because data is an asset and any loss of assets within a business comes at costs often not discovered at the time.

By moving to a cloud based backup solution, retailers are able to provide certainty as to data access and accuracy, and this brings peace of mind for a small cost to the business.

How and when any local retail business backs up POS software depends on how they view data. If they view it as an asset, the business benefits and those who rely on the business benefit. If they do not view data s an asset, then the business suffers.

Our advice here at Tower Systems is that any local retail; business should backup POS software data daily.

Shopify POS software solutions from Tower Systems help retailers thrive in-store as well as online

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The Shopify POS solution from Tower Systems is designed for a range of specialty retail channels, independent retailers, local retailers, retailers that offer unique liocal service around specialty products.

Our Shopify POS solution is made here by us at Tower Systems and it is supported by us too.

We partner with Shopify to provide local small business retailers with a seamless Shopify POS solution.

From sales to inventory management to business decisions to business success, the Shopify POS solution is an ideal partnership solution for any local retailer keen to deliver a seamless in-store and online retail business management solution. designed for retailers first, it’s easy to learn and use, with the POS being in control of inventory and data at all times.

We love Shopify and what it offers online. Add to this our decades of years experience is serving local specialty retailing bolt it into Shopify and you have a two-way, seamless, Shopify POS solution from us here at Tower Systems.

Here is how our integration with Shopify works for retailers using our POS software:

Stock

Retailer is your master stock database. You flag what stock items you want to appear on your shopify store. Descriptions and extended descriptions are added as your titles and descriptions in Shopify. Newly flagged products are automatically added and if you edit items in Retailer you have field level control over how these are handled in Shopify.

Department And Categories

Option One: Treat departments as collections and Categories as Product Tags

This will use your Retailer Department as the collection and the category will be created as a product tag. This is our recommended approach as it allows for menu sorting and for categories to appear over multiple collections. Tags are searchable keywords associated with your product and can help customers find your product through your online store search. Tags can also use them to create automated collections. Please see Shopify knowledge base for more information.

Option Two: Treat Categories as Collections, ignore departments

The collection names are Retailer Categories. This is best used in smaller web stores selling a defined range of product.

Option Three: Self-Managed Collections

This is the least popular but may be necessary if there is an existing store and you do not want to change your current structure. If this option is selected then products will be added without a collection you will then need to allocate them once they have been added to the site via the link.

Prices And Quantity On Hand

You have control over your webstore pricing from within the Retailer Stock Screen. Bulk updates of the webstore prices can be performed in Stock Manager. Once new prices are set, your web store is updated automatically.

Quantity on hand is also managed automatically, when your sell or arrive an item into stock these adjustments are sent directly to Shopify. If the quantity on hand of an items drops to 0, the item is marked as out of stock in Shopify.

Images

The images you set against stock items in Retailer are automatically uploaded to your website. If images change, then old one is removed and the new one is added. You can upload as many images as you like per stock item.

Customers

Customers that purchase off your webstore are added as customers in your Retailer database, allowing you to track what they buy and market to them if you desire. Existing customers with an email address will also be added to your web store to facilitate easy sales if you choose.

Sales

Sales are downloaded on a periodic basis and imported into Retailer. They are imported into our Customer Invoice Maintenance facility allowing you to place orders and print invoices if needed. Once sales are imported it reduces your quantity on hand so you maintain accurate stock control. Sales can be allocated to a specific location or merged to you main sales data, giving you excellent control over how you report on your webstore sales.

The Tower Systems Shopify POS solution is comprehensive and constantly evolving as retail changes and the tech. platforms themselves change.

Multistore POS software helps retailers with more than one business to more efficiently manage

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Multistore POS software helps retailers manage across multiple retail stores easily, accurately and efficiently.

Created by Tower Systems for retailers with multiple stores in the toy, garden, jeweller, bike, homewares and similar specialty retail spaces, this multi-storey POS software is made to save time, reduce mistakes and support fluid movement of inventory between stores.

This is an add-on to the Tower Systems POS software. Single store retailers can evolve to multi-storey POS software if they wish over time, when it suits. They can also transition back, if or when it suits. It is available in every specialty marketplace in which Tower Systems operates.

Flexibility is the key to this multi-storey POS software.

No matter how hard you work as a business owner, you can’t be everywhere at once – but with Tower Systems’ multi-store technology, you can act as if you are.

If you’re a small business owner with multiple retail sites then you need flexible software to manage each location with confidence. We first expanded our software suite with multi-store functionality in 2007 and continue to install and support it for dozens of clients, whether they have two shops or twenty. Developed out of our own retail experience running four gift shops, you can rest assured that we’ve considered your needs and have the answers you’re looking for.

For example, if a customer asks for a certain product that is out of stock at their current retail location, our software will immediately check for stock in other stores and inform your customer service staff of its availability. If you have a warehouse location, your staff can use this functionality to provide estimates on how long it will take to restock your retail store, or to transfer stock across from another store. This kind of seamless connectivity is instantaneous, invisible to the customer and representative of the opportunities of a multi-store point of sale system.

Multi-store locations can also be managed remotely, from any device and at any time – all you need is an Internet connection. You may want to do stock item maintenance for all your stores from home in the evening, or arrive invoices for some of your stores while you head to a café for lunch. You can compare store sales data over breakfast, adjust rosters for each store’s employees from the backseat of a taxi and much more.

Our multi-store package has fixed, transparent pricing. While some other retail software platforms charge a monthly amount per terminal, we offer pricing per physical location – whether each of your shops has one computer terminal or three, our competitive pricing remains the same for that location. It’s also eminently scalable – if you have one store now, you can easily add another later.

Tower Systems’ multi-store functionality has been built from the ground up to link your stores and give you the best possible control. We want to help you grow your business.

More: sales@towersystems.com.au

Everything You Need to Know About POS for Small Retail Businesses

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Retail POS Software

In 2021, 30% of POS payments globally included digital and mobile wallet payments. If your business doesn’t have the hardware and software to easily accept a variety of payment types from customers, you could be missing out.

In addition to accepting a wide range of payment types, point-of-sale (POS) systems offer many other advantages to businesses as well. Retail POS software will make your business more efficient and can give you plenty of additional clarity into business operations and transactions.

If you’re thinking about investing in retail POS software, read on. Here’s everything you need to know about POS systems for small retail businesses.

What Is POS Software?

A retail POS system is a solution that is used to handle in-person retail transactions. A POS system allows retailers to easily ring up sales and process payments.

Modern POS systems do a lot more as well. This includes various things such as appointment scheduling, remote management, stock control, multi store management, reporting and analytics, and more.

When choosing a POS system for your business, it’s important to consider all of your needs as a business and to look for a system that serves its purpose well. This will allow you to make the best investment in a POS system and will help ensure that your business gets the features it needs both in the present and in the future.

How Are POS Systems Used?

There are many uses of a POS system. One of the main functions of a POS system is to ring up sales and to ensure an efficient and easy checkout process for both customers and employees.

On top of this, however, POS systems can do many more things that relate to running a business. The flexibility and features in a modern-day POS system are very beneficial for businesses and can go a long way towards helping your business become efficient and successful.

Managing Inventory

A POS system can do a lot to help ensure that all products are managed effectively. A system can be used to assist with label and barcode printing and offers inventory management features.

These features can allow businesses to track inventory, manage purchase orders, and plan for stock changes.

Track Business Health

Additionally, a POS retail system also allows you to track business financial information. POS systems include useful reporting and analytics features that will help you understand the health of your business.

Staff Management

On top of this, a POS system can also be helpful for managing and supervising employees. You’ll be able to set pay rates, schedule employees, and identify instances of retail theft.

Manage Customer Relationships

There are also great customer management features as well. With a POS system, you’ll be able to create and manage a loyalty program, create discount vouchers, and more.

How to Choose a POS System

There are a variety of things that you should think about when choosing a POS system for retail. Here’s what you should look for.

Consider Ease-of-Use

First and foremost, you should make sure that the retail POS software is easy-to-use and that it allows for the types of payments that you plan to facilitate in your business.

Small retail businesses will usually want to have a cash drawer and a credit card reader. You may also want to allow for contactless payment transactions as well.

Check for Compatibility

You’ll also want to ensure that the software system is compatible with any hardware you have and will be easy to integrate into your existing business.

If you run a small retail business that only uses an Android tablet or iPad for transactions, then you’ll want to ensure that the POS system will be compatible. In addition to this, make sure that the software meets Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance standards.

Customer Support

You should also consider the level of customer support that you’ll get from a retail POS system provider. Ensure that the provider will be available to help with system issues when needed.

They should work to make things easy for your business and should provide support via a variety of methods such as phone, email, or live chat.

POS System Costs

Finally, you’ll want to consider the costs of a POS system as well. Fees and prices can vary based on your needs.

Be sure to look for a system that offers all of the functionality that you’re looking for, but that also works for your budget.

Top Benefits of POS Systems

There are many benefits and advantages of using a POS system in your small retail business.

There are many benefits of using a POS system. All of these features can transform your business, helping to improve efficiency in both the short-term and the long-term.

Improve Efficiency

The best thing about using a POS system is that it will help save your business time and effort. It will allow you to provide service to customers more efficiently.

You’ll be able to accept multiple payment methods easily and will be able to track transactions effortlessly.

Tracking Features

On top of this, you’ll get great tracking features that allow you to make sense of customer purchasing trends and habits. You’ll also be able to better manage employees, prevent theft, and create customer loyalty programs.

All of these features can help you to create a more secure business that works efficiently.

Understand Your Business

Additionally, you’ll also be able to understand exactly where your business stands financially and will get a fuller picture of your business. A POS system can help to give you a lot of data on inventory, employees, customers, and sales.

This information can influence your business in big ways while allowing you to make better decisions moving forward.

Making the Choice to Use Retail POS Software

If you want to build a stronger business, consider investing in retail POS software. Using a POS system will change the way you operate for the better and can allow you to get more done in less time.

Interested in finding a reliable POS system? Get your free POS software demo now.

The POS Software Blog

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