CategoryPOS Software

The best way to compare POS software is to compare function by function.

We love doing this for retailers considering our POS software. We setup a Zoom meeting where we show our POS software live next to software from any other POS software company open to function by function comparison.

Not all POS software companies will agree to this type of comparison. For you and your business though, a live comparison under your control is what is best.

As a leading Australian provider of POS solutions, Tower Systems understands the unique needs of local retailers. We make POS software for a range of specialty retail needs. If you want to compare POS software for pet shops, jewellers, bike shops, garden centres, newsagents, gift shops, music shops, fishing and outdoors shops, fashion shops, toy shops, bookshops and more, Tower Systems can show POS software functions that go deep to needs unique to these retail channels.

Tower Systems recognises that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to POS software. That’s why we offer a unique service: POS software comparison, on your timing and to the depth of function that matters to you.

We believe informed decisions lead to better outcomes. By comparing different POS systems, local retailers can gain a clear understanding of the features, functionalities, and pricing structures available. This empowers you to select the software that best aligns with your specific business needs and budget.

Our commitment extends beyond the POS software itself. We provide comprehensive training and ongoing support to ensure retailers get the most out of our POS system.

We are grateful to have helped thousands of local retail businesses across Australia and New Zealand to achieve success.

If you’re a local retailer looking to streamline operations, improve customer service, and boost your bottom line, take time to compare POS software from us.  Our commitment to local businesses, combined with our expertise in POS solutions, can empower you to make informed decisions and achieve long-term success.

Compare POS software from us and we prom use to be open and transparent. We our software does not do something you need, we will say so. This truth serves you and us well. We want customers who genuinely benefit from what our software offers. We know you’ll love us for this.

When you are ready to compare POS software, have your list of must-haves ready.

Two weeks ago we released the most substantial software update in several years, and that is saying something because there have been some significant updates in recent years.

This update is more substantial as it takes the software deeper into a couple of areas of specialty retail business management that are new for us.

As we have grown, we have found opportunities to serve more deeply. So, we asked our customers early last year about these areas and plenty responded with suggestions.

Thus began a project of significant collaboration as we developed new software, new functionality for our POS software. We showed progress along the way, seeking feedback. Then, we finally moved to alpha release, then pre-beta followed by weeks of beta and, then, commercial release around two weeks ago.

We are grateful to the customers who worked closely with us through this, providing feedback, encouraging us, being test sites. It means so much to have customers working with you in partnership like this.

In announcing the commercial release of the software, we shared comprehensive details on how yo use the new facilities as well as a brief overview. Here’s a sample of some of the comms on the POS software update:

• New Facility: We are excited to introduce a new capability within our Quote & Invoice Management system that allows users to reserve items from their inventory. This ensures that your stock levels are accurately reflected, preventing overselling.
• Proforma Invoice Status: A new interim status, “Proforma Invoice,” has been added to our Quotes & Invoice management. This status acts as an accepted quote that has not yet been processed as an invoice but has already reduced the available stock quantity by moving it to a new “Reserved Quantity.” This significant update allows you to issue proforma invoices to customers without making the reserved stock visible on your website or in-store.
• We have enhanced the Quote & Invoice Management system to support the acceptance of deposits and progression payments for Proforma Invoices. This feature facilitates flexible payment options for your customers and streamlined financial management for your business.
• New Feature: The ability to order parts directly from the Repairs Module has been introduced. This feature links part orders to the corresponding repair case, ensuring that parts are accurately tracked from order to delivery, and reducing the risk of misplacement.
• New Substatus – Awaiting Parts: For better management and visibility, a new substatus, “Awaiting Parts,” has been added to the Repairs Module. This helps workshop technicians easily identify which repairs are pending part arrivals.

Our update notes are considerable, enabling our customers to access details appropriate to their type of business.

Our Australian made and supported sporting goods retail POS software helps local and indie sporting goods retailers to run more efficient and successful businesses. We are grateful to sporting goods retailers for their guidance on ensuring this software is of service.

This POS software offers a bag full of facilities sporting goods retailers can use to focus on the specialist nature of their retail businesses. Facilities such as:

1. Track inventory by colour, size and style – variants. That is, track by colour, size and style. This works for clothing as well as sporting equipment.
2. Tag products by sporting code. This helps you to understand what matters to your local shoppers.
3. Leverage you with local knowledge shared automatically on receipts – demonstrating your point of difference.
4. Embrace next gen LayBy through buy now pay later like ZipPay and Humm – get purchases today that shoppers may otherwise think are too expensive..
5. Know what you sell by brand / supplier.
6. Supporting sporting clubs and their members with deals, offers and support – to drive them members to shop with you.
7. Easily load electronic invoices from suppliers. Save time.l Cut mistakes.
8. Manage your workshop if you do repairs or maintenance work – including text messages to customers.
9. Drive customer stickiness with marketing based on past purchases.
10. Offer club and group pricing to win more business.
11. Sell online easily, direct from your POS software.
12. Enjoy pricing consistency for catalogues, multi-buy and bundles.
13. Save money on bookkeeping by integrating with accounting software.
14. Make more money from the one time only shoppers.

Respecting the capital needs of retail businesses, our sporting goods POS software can be rented for $185.00 a month. For this you get…

1. Australian developed and supported sporting goods POS software.
2. Software updates as we release them.
3. Unlimited licences for your retail location. If you need an extra computer, there is no extra software cost.
4. Shopify / Magento / Woo link. Easily sell online from your POS software.
5. Xero link. Easing bookkeeping costs and streamlining accounting.
6. Our OzBiz link – connect to MYOB and Quicken through OzBiz.
7. Tyro link – safe, fast and easy EFTPOS link for streamlined sales.
8. PC Eftpos link – easy EFTPOS processing for the major banks.
9. Easy buy now pay later thanks to Zip Pay and Humm – that Boomers, Gen Y, Gen X and others are using more and more.
10. Support – help desk access, unlimited training, updates and more.
11. User documentation. Access to our searchable knowledge base.

Rent this software for a few dollars a day.

This is awesome POS software for sporting goods retailers. We’d love to help you enjoy your business more.

Tower Systems offers  Industry-Specific Features: functionalities tailored to a range retail sectors, including produce stores, firearms dealers, and specialty retailers. Seamless Integrations: Tower Systems integrates with popular accounting software (Xero) and e-commerce platforms (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce) for streamlined data flow and efficient business management.  Offline Functionality: Our Retailer Roam™ tool allows you to make sales even without an internet connection, perfect for situations like market stalls or mobile sales. User-Friendly Interface: The software is designed to be easy to learn and use, minimising training time for your staff. Local Support: Tower Systems prides itself on offering personal and local human-delivered support. Their team is readily available to answer your questions and assist you with any issues.

Thank you for considering Tower Systems.

For local Aussie trophy shops, keeping on top of stock, engraving requests, and all the different orders than come in can feel like a marathon, not a sprint. That’s where good trophy shop POS (point-of-sale) software comes in, streamlining your business and letting you focus on what you do best: creating champions.

Tower Systems makes POS software that suits the needs of trophy shops.

Here’s how our Aussie made POS software can serve trophy shops:

• Team pricing. Easily manage pricing for a team to drive business and financially support the team.
• Offer pre-sets. Package trophies by team type for easy ordering: footy team package, basketball team package etc.
• Stock Management: Juggling bases, figurines, and mountains of plaques can be a nightmare. POS software tracks your stock levels, so you know exactly what you have and can order supplies before you run dry. No more scrambling to find that last golden cricket ball!
• Making up an order. Often, an order is made up on several components and time. Our POS software can manage each that makes up a product you sell.
• Customisation: Engraving and personalisation are bread and butter for trophy shops. POS software lets you manage these requests efficiently. Input engraving details directly into the system, track progress, and ensure every inscription is spot-on.
• Order Management: From presentations to corporate awards nights, trophy shops deal with all sorts of orders. POS software keeps track of everything, from the initial quote to the final pick-up. No more misplaced orders or frustrated customers. Plus, you can identify for follow-up up on annual or seasonal customers.
• Customer notification. The Tower Systems POS software can be used to advise customers by text message or email when and order is ready.
• Reporting Scores Big: This software provides valuable sales reports. You can track sales by category, to understand more about business performance. This data can help you optimise your stock and make data-driven decisions for future purchases.
• Selling online. Connect with Shopify, Big Commerce, Woo Commerce or magento for a POS software connected e-commerce solution for your trophy shop.

Serving many retailers in this space of making items for customers, it was a natural step for Tower Systems to put its hand up in service of trophy shops. Our software has a facility called manufactured goods where several components can be used to make an item. Also, we found that our repairs management tools work well in serving of managing the work involved in customising a trophy.

Trophy shop POS software might seem like an extra expense, but it’s an investment in the future of your business. By streamlining operations, improving customer service, and giving you valuable data, POS software can help you take your trophy shop from podium finish to gold medal performance.

Tower Systems is a local POS software company serving local retailers. Our support is local too, offering human based conversations with retailers.

The best way to find out if our POS software for trophy shops is suitable for your business needs would be for you to contact us, outline your needs and then have a one-on-one demonstration to see if our software does what you need. We will always tell you if our software does not do something you tell us you need.

It all stars here. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

We are grateful to supply our POS software for barbers to another business in this specialty retail space.

We love that there is no fee from you based on what we sell, the owner told us. That’s why we are switching POS software because what we have at the moment we have to pay a fee to them for every sale.

Tower Systems POS simplifies sales tracking for barbers and hair salons. With our user-friendly software, you can:

• Ring up sales quickly and easily. Our intuitive interface allows you to add services and products with a few clicks, keeping queues moving and clients happy. You have complete control over what products are on the main page – helping you to saver time.
• Track sales by service and stylist. Gain valuable insights into which services are most popular and which stylists are generating the most revenue. This data can help you make informed decisions about pricing, staffing, and promotions. The flexibility in the Tower setup for barbers helps people save time.
• Generate detailed sales reports. With the Tower POS software you can expect a clear picture of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sales performance. Use these reports to identify trends, set goals, and track your progress.

By automating time-consuming tasks like sales tracking and inventory management, Tower Systems POS frees you up to focus on what matters most – providing exceptional service to your clients. You’ll have more time to build relationships, perfect your craft, and grow your business.

Inventory in barber shops and hair salons is too often neglected. The Tower Systems POS software can help.

• Real-time stock tracking: Gain instant visibility into product inventory levels. Track usage by stylist or service to identify trends and optimize ordering.
• Low-stock alerts: Never run out of popular products again. Set up automated alerts that notify you when inventory dips below a certain level. This ensures you can maintain a well-stocked salon and avoid disappointing clients.
• Purchase order management: Simplify the ordering process with tools that make it easy. Send orders directly to suppliers. This saves time and reduces the risk of errors.

The Tower Systems POS software also has the benefit of NOT having a charge as a percentage of each transaction value. This is another Eason local barbers call to explore our POS software.

There is no point in comparing Square POS software to the Tower Systems POS software as they are two very different products created for very different purposes.

Tower Systems offers feature-rich POS software for local independent specialty retail businesses that want a software partner to help way beyond tracking sales and inventory, transacting EFTPOS payments and connecting to an online store.

Square does these things. It was created as a platform for easily capturing sales data from anywhere. It does that well.

Tower Systems is an Australian software company making POS software for local specialty retail businesses in Australia, New Zealand and nearby. As a local company we pay taxes locally, hire locally and engage with the local community.

Square is a massive overseas corporation. We don’t know their tax arrangements. We also done;t know where their software is made and supported from.

At Tower Systems every customer matters, every customer has direct access to us.

At Square, they charge as a percentage of each sales transaction. At Tower Systems you pay a low monthly rental fee.

Square serves more than 2 million businesses. Tower Systems serves 3,500+. Every customer is vitally important to us.

Let’s compare the software. We can really only speak to Tower. Here’s some of what we offer in our specialty retail software:

• Sell by length or weight.
• Track products by variants: colour, size and style.
• Manage repairs: internal and external.
• Sell secondhand goods.
• Do product valuations.
• Support club pricing for local group members, like school families.
• Age check for appropriate products.
• Handle special orders for customers.
• Manage LayBy or link easily with buy now pay later.
• Sell from in the shop, from a truck, from a local market, anywhere.
• Connect with Shopify, Magento, Big Commerce, WooCommerce.
• Integrate with ANZ, Commbank, Westpac, NAB, Tyro and plenty of other local payment options.
• Link electronically with suppliers.
• Integrate your roster: Tanda, deputy and Planday.
• Manage product delivery locally.
• Integrate with Allotrac for enhanced delivery management.
• Integrate with book database for bookshops.
• Manage product returns to suppliers.
• Handle the sale and billing of subscriptions.
• Link to TheLott for selling lottery tickets.
• ChatGPT integration for smart product descriptions.
• International barcode lookup for easily finding product details.
• Target customers based on past purchases.

The Tower Systems POS software does so much more than what is on this list. It is comprehensive POS software that is regularly enhanced in a process that is transparent and engaging with customers. Local small business retailers get to have a say in software enhancements.

So, how does the Tower Systems POS software compare with Square? Take a look for yourself. Have a demonstration of both products. Compare them side by side. Dao this while completing the type of transactions that matter to you for your business. Bring to the demonstration a list of what matters to you for you and your business.

The critical thing is that you choose software that serves your needs, software that is a solution for your business. If Square is that software, go for it. If Tower Systems offers that software, go for it. The key is for you to make an informed decision and that starts with you comparing Square software with products like POS software from Tower Systems.

Tower Systems develops software locally for local retailers in Australia and New Zealand. Our customer service is local too.

Our focus is solely on local small business retailers.

We have no requirement as to the payments platform you use. We don’t charge a percentage of each transaction.

We’re not chasing big businesses. We’re not chasing massive franchise networks.

Every customer matters.

No business is too small.

We believe in human-to-human contact. You can easy call us, or email. Humans respond.

Every one of our POS software customers gets to vote of software enhancement suggestions. Our consideration process is transparent and accessible to those who care about this.

Are you a Lightspeed user frustrated with their recent push towards their own payment processing platform and the associated fees? You’re not alone. In our direct experience, many Lightspeed software customers are looking for alternatives that offer more freedom and flexibility.

Tower Systems could be the aternative to Lightspeed you’ve been looking for.

Here’s why Tower Systems stands as an alternative to Lightspeed:

• Freedom of Choice with Payment Processing: Unlike Lightspeed, Tower Systems doesn’t restrict you on your payment processing solution. You can choose the EFTPOS platform that best suits your needs and budget, without incurring any penalty fees.
• Focus on Retail Expertise: Tower Systems is a specialist solution for niche retailers, including jewellers, garden centers, toy shops, bike shops, game shops, fishing and outdoors shops, gift shops, produce businesses, firearms dealers, music shops, coin dealers, and pet shops. The Tower Systems POS software is designed with the specific needs of these businesses in mind, potentially offering a more tailored user experience compared to Lightspeed’s broader approach.
• Competitive Pricing: While a direct cost comparison requires investigating both vendors based on your specific needs, Tower Systems positions itself as a budget-friendly option compared to Lightspeed, especially if you factor in the potential savings from choosing your own payment processor.

Ultimately, the best POS system for your business depends on your specific needs and priorities. Tower Systems offers a strong alternative to Lightspeed, particularly for those seeking more freedom in payment processing and a potentially more specialised feature set for certain retail sectors.

Do your research, compare the functionality of different software products. Learn about the total cost of ownership. Understand any costs associated with transactions in your business.

If you are Lightspeed customer, what Tower Systems offers may be of use to your business. Our promise is that we will not pressure you to choose us, ever.

Payments is a hot topic for retailers, especially local small business retailers. There is a big difference between payments platforms in terms of cost and operational benefits.

Plenty of noise has been made about unified payments, payments integrated with the POS software. Some of the talk has referred to this as groundbreaking.

The reality is that integrated payments was groundbreaking when launched sixteen years ago. It cut keystrokes, cut mistakes, reduced fraud and saved time at the sales counter. Since its launch in Australia in 2008 it has continued to improve.

Tower, software companies like Tower Systems offer unified (integrated) payments wth all the major banks and plenty of others.

We provide retailers with choice.

Being able to choose the payments platform that suits your specific business can result in a payments cost that is a third or more lower than the typical cost.

We have retailers today paying .7% for payments. This is nice and low, and it is via our Tower Systems POS software payments platform.

We don’t lock our customers in. We believe they should be able to choose the payments platform that best suits their needs. We believe that as a POS software company we should make our money from our POS software and not as a percentage of each transaction processed by our customers.

In our opinion, software companies that make money off of each transaction processed by a retailer is wrong, unfair. The retailer has worked hard to win the business. Charging a percentage for the POS software company is like a tax, a revenue grab for a tech business that did not win the shopper in the retail business.

Tower Systems offers:

• Integrated EFTPOS payments.
• Support for all major banks and financial institutions.
• Integrated payments for buy now pay later.
• Time saved.
• less mistakes at the counter.
• Easy record keeping.
• Streamlined workflow.

We have been doing this since integrated payments began. We offered choice then and continue to offer choice today. Our sole focus is to provide access to software retailers love.

Tower Systems is grateful to serve more than 3,500 local small business retailers in Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Managing subscriptions, or recurring billing, our Tower Systems POS software can handle it for you. Subscriptions can be handled daily, weekly, monthly or yearly – you choose by individual stock item customer.

A customer can have multiple subscriptions.

You can set different prices for a subscription of a product on a per customer basis. The pricing flexibility of this new POS software integrated subscription solution is awesome.

We think this subscriptions management software in the Tower Systems POS software will be an ideal solution for firearms dealers, computer dealers selling anti virus, Office 360 and similar subscriptions or any business doing any form of regular, locked-in, billing of customers.

Subscription management software helps businesses track manage the sale of subscription-based products. While software as a service (SaaS) is the most popular subscription type that businesses handle, plenty of businesses provide digital and physical products as a subscription model. The new subscription sale facilities from Tower Systems helps retailers in this area.

One popular form of subscriptions is the sale of sample and boxes, sent monthly or quarterly to customers. The Tower software can handle this, making it easy for businesses to offer these and thereby to expand the reach of their business.

The subscriptions facilities in the Tower Systems POS software are available for no additional charge.

While the company has a decades-long history of managing regular orders for customers using its newsagency POS software, the new subscriptions management tools go further for unique products, they have grown out of growth in the Tower Systems user community into new specialty retail areas.

Managing subscriptions and any form of recurring billing can be a challenge in retail businesses as they seek to streamline operations and manage associated labour costs. These new subscriptions management facilities in the POS software from Tower Systems have been tested with retailers in this space and gives resounding support.

Managing subscriptions using POS software without incurring additional costs for additional software facilities sis a big win for local small business retailers. Tower Systems is grateful to be of service to these retailers.

The new subscriptions management facilities were released as part of a regular software update and done so after considerable in-house testing along with comprehensive beta testing.

This is a good question, one that needs to be asked and answered.

The cost of a good POS system should be easy to understand, straightforward. The think is, too often it is not straightforward to see what a good POS system costs. Some POS companies have hidden costs, extra costs and transactional costs based on sales you put through the system.

Today, in February 2024, a POS system would typically cost no more $250 a month. This should include access to the software, customer support, access to online training videos and access to a searchable knowledge base, which is like a manual.

So in answer to the question of what does a POS system cost, the answer is no more than $250.00 a month. There should be no charge or fee related to the transactions done by the business using the POS system. The software company should make money from the software rental itself, leaving the retail business to make its money from its retail sales.

When considering the cost of a POS system you have to look at any and all costs a software company may levy on you, directly or indirectly. Here are some things to consider:

Does a POS software company require you to use a specific EFTPOS payments platform? If so, what are they making from it? And, what are the financial consequences for you if you do not use the platform?

Does your POS software company need the use of external apps and resources to do what you want and if so are there costs associated with these?

What is the pricing history for POS software you are considering? Has it gone us and if so when and by how much?

Is the price for the POS system quoted inclusive of GST? Not everyone quotes including GST.

Can you choose your own hardware? Good POS software companies encourage this.

Does your POS software company require you to sign a long-term contract? They should not. You should be able to rent the software for as long, or shot, as you like. You should be able to end the rental at any time. One company requires you to sign an agreement for at least two years but it is not usually evident that they are doing this.

How much does a POS system cost? Our advice is to ask questions, do your homework and only go with a company that has the right software for you at a price you are prepared to pay.