Restaurant POS With Barcode Scanner

Point of Sale Systems : This Innovative Point-Of-Sale System Improves Transactions And Improves Consumer Experience

History and Advancement of Clover Pos

Envision stepping back to the early 2010s, when point of sale systems were large, cumbersome, and frustratingly limited. Organizations managed sales register, standalone card readers, and separate stock tools-- never a smooth experience. Enter Clover Pos, a game-changer that redefined how merchants manage sales, inventory, and consumer engagement. How did this improvement unfold over time?

At its core, the evolution of Clover Pos is a story of development conference need. The early models, while revolutionary, weren't without their peculiarities. Users typically regreted:

  • Restricted integration in between hardware and software
  • Cumbersome interface that decreased deals
  • Fragmented reporting tools that made data analysis a headache

These challenges stimulated a wave of advancement focused on creating a combined, instinctive platform. Brilliant POS welcomed this objective wholeheartedly. Their technique turns these stumbling blocks into stepping stones:

  1. Seamless combination: Software and hardware developed to communicate effortlessly, creating a fluid user experience.
  2. Intuitive design: Interfaces that feel natural, reducing training time and improving speed at checkout.
  3. Robust analytics: Reporting tools that change raw data into actionable insights, empowering smarter choices.

Consider the example of a master conducting an orchestra. Each instrument-- hardware, software application, analytics-- need to balance completely. Brilliant POS functions as that maestro, orchestrating the entire ecosystem so companies no longer wrestle with disjointed systems but rather delight in a symphony of effectiveness.

Era Obstacles Brilliant POS Solutions
Early 2010s Disconnected devices, slow workflows Unified platform with integrated hardware/software
Mid 2010s Complex user interfaces, poor user experience Structured, intuitive design
Late 2010s to Today Fragmented data, limited insights Advanced analytics and smooth reporting

Isn't it fascinating how far technology has come? The journey of Clover Pos from its simple starts to a powerhouse option reminds us that development isn't just about including features-- it's about solving real issues with creativity and precision. Brilliant POS captures this spirit, delivering not simply tools, but transformative experiences for services excited to thrive in a hectic marketplace.

Analyzing Clover POS Hardware Parts

Ever discovered how a relatively easy flicker on a touchscreen can bring a hectic café to a grinding halt? The hardware components of a POS system aren't simply parts; they are the pulse of an organization's deal flow. The Clover POS setup intertwines smooth design with robust performance, ensuring every tap, swipe, and print occurs without a hitch. From the tactile sensation of the touchscreen to the crisp printing of invoices, these aspects need to carry out in harmony.

Core Elements and Their Functions

  • Touchscreen Display: The frontline interface. Precision and responsiveness here dictate speed at the checkout counter.
  • Receipt Printer: More than simply ink on paper, it seals the deal. Peaceful yet quick printing lessens wait times.
  • Money Drawer: Quiet and protected, it's the guardian of the day's revenues, programmed to open only at the ideal minutes.
  • Barcode Scanner: Swift recognition of items prevents those awkward price checks and keeps lines moving.
  • Card Reader: Security and speed covered into one, efficient in dealing with numerous payment types seamlessly.

Why Hardware Dependability Matters

Picture this: the printer jams mid-rush or the card reader fails simply as the lunch crowd surges. It's not just bothersome; it's a direct hit to earnings and consumer trust. Brilliant POS values these minutes where innovation can seem like a bottleneck, not a bridge. Their Clover POS systems are crafted with components known for durability and fast replacement choices, lowering downtime considerably.

Professional Tips for Optimizing Your Clover POS Hardware

  1. Regularly tidy the touchscreen with lint-free fabrics to ensure maximum level of sensitivity and avoid ghost touches.
  2. Keep the invoice printer equipped with premium thermal paper to prevent faded prints that irritate consumers and personnel alike.
  3. Test card readers occasionally with different card types to catch firmware or hardware glitches before they escalate.
  4. Make use of the integrated diagnostics tools available in the Clover system to identify possible hardware concerns early.
  5. Strategically position barcode scanners for ergonomic ease-- little modifications can shave seconds off every deal.

Hardware Integration: A Symphony of Precision

Each component in the Clover POS hardware ensemble plays a part similar to an instrument in an orchestra. When synced completely, the outcome is a melody of effectiveness and reliability. Brilliant POS leverages this viewpoint by diligently vetting each hardware piece to deliver a smooth experience, turning what could be a logistical labyrinth into a streamlined dance.

Unpacking Software Features and Combination

When a point of sale system guarantees smooth combination, it's not simply lingo-- it's the backbone of functional fluency. Imagine a restaurant where the order slips never sync with the kitchen area display, or a retail outlet where inventory updates lag behind each sale. This fragmentation can derail even the smoothest service, turning performance into frustration. Services regularly come to grips with how to mesh their payment processing with stock, staff member management, and consumer commitment modules without creating digital mayhem.

Brilliant POS understands these elaborate demands (Brilliant POS). They do not simply provide software application; they craft a digital community where each function communicates easily. Their platform supports dynamic integration that adjusts to a business's progressing requirements, whether it's syncing sales information for real-time analytics or relating to accounting software application to simplify tax time

Expert Insights on Optimizing Clover POS Combination

Here are some specialist pointers to raise the integration video game:

  1. Prioritize API compatibility: Not all systems speak the same language. Guaranteeing your Clover POS can easily plug into third-party apps is vital.
  2. Use cloud syncing: Real-time data synchronization across devices prevents disparities and streamlines reporting.
  3. Leverage modular add-ons: Tailoring your software application with targeted features prevents bloated interfaces and enhances user experience.
  4. Test workflows end-to-end: Running mock transactions assists determine bottlenecks before they impact clients.

Why Integration is More Than Just Convenience

Believe beyond convenience. Combination shapes how a service reads its own heart beat. When POS software aggregates sales, inventory, and client patterns into a single dashboard, decision-making transforms from uncertainty into precision. Brilliant POS's method guarantees this information merging occurs without missteps, empowering operators to forecast requirements and personalize marketing without drowning in spreadsheets.

Feature Benefit Pro Tip
Stock Automation Lowers stockouts and overstock Set threshold signals for popular items to trigger reorder immediately
Employee Management Tracks hours and sales efficiency Usage shift data to enhance scheduling around peak hours
Client Loyalty Programs Boosts repeat organization and engagement Integrate with email marketing to customize promotions effectively

When innovation flows easily, the business rhythm accelerates. And that's where the magic of a well-integrated Clover POS system truly shines-- turning intricacy into clarity, every transaction at a time.

Protecting Your Transactions: The Heart Beat of Clover POS Security

Picture a busy café where every deal is a heartbeat-- steady, reliable, yet susceptible to hidden hazards. The real test lies not just in processing payments but in securing sensitive data from prying eyes. Clover POS shines here, comprehending the intricate dance between benefit and security. They know that merchants dread the invisible fractures where information may slip through, running the risk of credibility and trust.

File encryption is more than jargon-- it's the fortress around your sales. Clover POS utilizes end-to-end file encryption, implying card data is protected the instant it's swiped. This isn't practically compliance; it's a proactive guard. However what about when updates roll out? Clover POS's system is crafted to flawlessly incorporate PCI DSS standards, ensuring every upgrade tightens up the lock rather than leaving a window ajar.

Expert Tips for Maximizing Clover POS Security

  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all user logins, doubling the barrier against unapproved access.
  • Regularly audit user permissions-- make sure that staff members only access features significant to their function.
  • Schedule software updates during off-peak hours to minimize interruptions but never delay crucial spots.
  • Utilize Clover's built-in scams detection tools to flag suspicious activity in genuine time.

Compliance Beyond the Checklist

Lots of think ticking compliance boxes is enough. Compliance is a living, breathing procedure, especially in a world where cyber hazards develop daily. Clover POS welcomes this dynamic by providing transparent reporting tools, permitting company owner to track and record compliance easily. This empowerment transforms compliance from an overwhelming chore into a competitive benefit.

Security Function Benefit Professional Insight
End-to-End Encryption Protects card information throughout transactions Reduces danger of information breaches by encrypting data at the point of entry
Two-Factor Authentication Boosts user login security Avoids unapproved gain access to even if passwords are jeopardized
PCI DSS Compliance Meets industry security requirements Ensures legal and operational preparedness for audits

Security isn't static, and neither are the services Clover POS provides. In an era where data breaches make headlines, their commitment to progressing security practices ensures your company can rest easy. Isn't peace of mind the supreme currency in commerce?

Exploring Clover POS Solutions in North Carolina

North Carolina is a lively state known for its varied landscapes, from the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains to the stunning Atlantic coastlines. With a population of over 10 million, it boasts an abundant cultural heritage and a strong economy driven by technology, finance, and farming. Popular activities consist of visiting historical websites, enjoying outside experiences, and experiencing a growing food and arts scene. The state's business-friendly environment makes it an appealing location for innovative retail and service industries.

They provide important Clover POS options tailored to satisfy the requirements of businesses in this vibrant region. Brilliant POS. For those interested in enhancing their point-of-sale systems, Brilliant POS can provide a complimentary assessment and expert suggestions to help browse the best choices offered

  • Pos Systems: These particular systems optimize transactions and handle sales data. These are essential for modern retail and hospitality businesses, enhancing efficiency and customer service.
  • Point Of Sale: A POS is the location where a customer makes a transaction for products or services, generally in a shop. It is a key element for mercantile activities, enabling sale processing and stock management.
  • Retail: Retailers depend on point-of-sale technology to manage transactions and inventory. These systems simplify operations and improve customer experiences.
  • Transaction: A Transaction is a fundamental process entailing the exchange of products or services for remuneration. It's the core function driving retail point-of-sale settings by documenting sales and handling inventory.
  • Payment Processing: Payment Processing enables businesses to receive various transaction types from customers. It's essential for retail point-of-sale setups, helping smooth payments and efficient sales management.
  • Inventory Management: Inventory Management keeps track of stock quantities to streamline buying choices and avoid shortages. It's crucial for sales systems to guarantee items are available when buyers buy them.
  • Sales Data: Sales data fuels retail activities by offering understanding into customer behavior and product effectiveness. This information is vital for improving inventory, customizing marketing, and improving point-of-sale efficiency.
  • Customer Relationship Management: Customer Relationship Management improves sales by organizing client data and interactions. This integration allows businesses to customize services and marketing according to purchase history from their point-of-sale terminals.
  • Reporting And Analytics: Reporting And Analytics provide vital insights into revenue patterns, customer behavior, and inventory control. This data empowers businesses that use point-of-sale solutions to make data-driven decisions, optimize operations, and boost profitability.
  • Hardware: Hardware is the foundation of retail transaction processing, allowing streamlined and safe sales. Dependable devices like barcode scanners and receipt printers are essential for seamless customer experiences at the point of sale.
  • Software: Software is the base of modern retail activities, handling sales and stock. It streamlines the payment procedure and offers valuable data insights for companies.
  • Barcode Scanner: Barcode Scanners swiftly scan product numbers, making sure of fast and precise sales at the checkout. They are key for productive checkout processes and inventory control in stores.
  • Receipt Printer: Receipt Printers generate paper records of transactions for clients. They are important parts in retail and service settings for recording sales.
  • Cash Drawer: The Cash Drawer is a safe container for money in retail environments. It integrates with sales terminals to unlock instantly upon transaction end, aiding cash management.
  • Credit Card Reader: Credit Card Reader are key devices that allow companies to take credit payments from clients. They smoothly integrate with retail setups to facilitate transactions and simplify the checkout procedure.
  • Touchscreen Monitor: Touchscreen Monitor enable intuitive interaction with retail and service transactions. Such displays streamline checkout processes and improve efficiency at points of sale.
  • Payment Gateway: A Payment Gateway securely transmits transaction data between a point-of-sale terminal and the payment processor. This enables businesses accept various payment methods at their checkout.
  • Cloud Based Pos: Cloud Based Pos solutions give businesses adaptability and accessibility by keeping data and software on remote servers. This new method enhances business effectiveness for retail and service sectors by simplifying transactions and management tasks.
  • Mobile Pos: Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) permits businesses to take payments and perform sales transactions anywhere with a transportable device. It offers adaptability and convenience, broadening the reach of retail operations.
  • E Commerce Integration: E Commerce Integration merges online stores with in-store sales platforms, permitting for streamlined operations and inventory control. This integration enables businesses to offer customers a smooth shopping experience across all channels.
  • Restaurant Pos: Restaurant Pos manages transactions, payments, and food preparation area communication. It is a key component of point-of-sale transaction management infrastructure.
  • Retail Pos: Retail Pos is the area where a shopper wraps up a transaction. It encompasses the hardware and software that let businesses to manage deals and manage shopper relations at the time of buying.
  • Hospitality: Warmth boosts customer journeys, fostering loyalty by way of personalized assistance. Streamlined transaction management tools are essential for smooth operations in the industry.
  • Point Of Sale System: The Point Of Sale System administers deals and sales data. It represents an vital component for retail businesses to handle payments and monitor inventory.
  • Data Security: Safeguarding confidential payment and customer information is vital for businesses using electronic retail transaction terminals. Robust Data Security measures guarantee customer trust and prevent financial losses from breaches.
  • Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard certifies safe management of cardholder data. This shields pay terminals and associated configurations from violations.
  • Pos System: This is a crucial part of retail and hospitality, enabling sales transactions and handling inventory. These Pos System optimize operations, improve customer service, and offer valuable data insights.
  • Credit Card: Credit Cards enable patrons to process payments digitally at the point of sale. They expedite transactions and offer businesses a secure way to accept payments.
  • Debit Card: Debit Cards enable customers to make payments straight from their bank accounts at retail checkout. They streamline transactions and provide a convenient alternative to cash for in-store purchases.
  • Cash Register: A Cash Register is a essential component for processing transactions in retail environments. It documents sales, calculates totals, and handles cash, playing a vital role in a business's point-of-sale operations.
  • Receipt: Receipts document sales, giving customers with a record of purchase. These records are essential for sales terminals, inventory control, and accounting reasons.
  • Reporting: Sales tracking provides valuable insights into business performance. These metrics help optimize inventory and improve customer service at the point of sale.
  • Cloud Computing: Cloud Computing provides adaptable infrastructure to support retail transaction handling. This enables businesses for them to handle sales data, inventory, and customer information effectively through web-based platforms.
  • E Commerce: E-commerce boosts retail sales by linking online sales with in-store operations. This integration streamlines inventory control and customer data across all sales channels, boosting the point of sale experience.
  • Merchant Account: A Merchant Account allows firms to accept electronic payments from shoppers. This is key for modern shop environments, letting smooth payments through card readers and other point-of-sale equipment.
  • Security: Protecting financial exchanges and shopper data is crucial for retail payment terminals. Strong Security measures establish trust and prevent fraud in point-of-sale environments.
  • Data Encryption: Data Encryption secures delicate financial transactions at store checkout stations, safeguarding consumer information and stopping fraud. This process is vital for maintaining trust and complying with data security rules in point-of-sale settings.
  • Customer Service: Outstanding Customer Service improves the retail experience , promoting loyalty and positive brand image. Integrated point-of-sale technology empowers businesses to provide personalized and effective support, ultimately driving customer satisfaction.
  • Loyalty Program: Client loyalty schemes integrated with point-of-sale technology increase client retention and drive repeat business through customized rewards. They monitor purchases and engagement, allowing businesses to provide custom incentives that foster brand loyalty.
  • Sales: Sales data drives key understanding for companies, informing inventory management and customer behavior analysis. Point-of-sale technology simplifies these exchanges, boosting productivity and precision in tracking Sales performance.
  • Supply Chain: Supply Chain management warrants the seamless flow of goods from production to the point of sale. Efficient supply chains are vital for retail transaction processing to satisfy customer demand and keep inventory.
  • Data Analytics: Data Analytics changes transaction records from retail checkout points into practical insights. This enables companies to optimize inventory, personalize customer interactions, and hone sales plans.
  • Loss Prevention: Loss Prevention strategies combined with point-of-sale technology help retailers reduce theft and errors. These combined systems provide tools for tracking transactions and spotting suspicious activity, protecting revenue.
  • Pricing: Pricing strategies are key for maximizing profitability in retail environments. Electronic point-of-sale setups streamline price management, discounts, and promotions, guaranteeing accurate transactions and inventory control.
  • Marketing: Marketing powers customer engagement and brand awareness, which is crucial for boosting sales through point-of-sale technology. It assists businesses attract and retain customers, eventually increasing the capacity of their transaction platforms.
  • Mobile Point Of Sale: Mobile Point Of Sale lets businesses to handle sales and take payments from any location using portable devices. It's an more and more important component of today's retail and service industry checkout solutions.
  • Retail Technology: Retail Technology boosts consumer experiences and streamlines processes. These innovations revolutionize checkout processes and inventory control for companies.
  • Self Checkout: Self Checkout kiosks enable customers to read and purchase items independently, streamlining the retail process. This technology integrates with retail transaction processing systems, boosting efficiency and decreasing wait times.
  • Enterprise Resource Planning: Enterprise Resource Planning integrates key business operations, optimizing processes and data management. It enhances retail checkout solutions by delivering real-time inventory, customer, and sales data for data-driven decision-making.
  • Accounting: Accounting monitors fiscal data, providing insights into business performance. This is critical for retail businesses using point-of-sale technology to manage transactions and inventory.
  • Transaction Processing: Transaction Processing ensures that sales and payments are accurately recorded and managed. It's essential for retail checkout infrastructure to process buys, returns, and other financial interactions.
  • Accounting Software: Accounting Software connects with retail transaction platforms to optimize financial data. This connection automates bookkeeping tasks related to sales and inventory.
  • Payment Terminal: Payment terminals aid electronic payment transaction at the checkout. They are key for companies to accept different payment methods and finish transactions.
  • Magnetic Stripe Reader: Magnetic Stripe Reader read information from credit and debit cards for transaction processing. They are regularly used at registers to enable payments.
  • Emv Chip: EMV chips improve payment protection by encoding transaction data. They are crucial for contemporary retail checkout terminals, reducing fraud.
  • Near Field Communication: Near Field Communication (NFC) enables contactless transactions by letting customers to simply tap their credit cards or devices at appropriate checkout terminals. This method streamlines transactions and improves the customer experience at the point of sale.
  • Restaurant: Eateries utilize computerized checkout tech to streamline order taking, payment processing, and inventory control. These systems help improve efficiency and accuracy in Restaurant operations.
  • Transaction Log: Transaction log files record every operation in a retailer's sales system, ensuring data integrity. They allow for auditing, recovery from failures, and tracking sales trends.
  • Transaction Fee: Transaction Fees are costs imposed on businesses for processing payments, impacting profitability. Such costs are important to consider when assessing payment processing solutions for retail point-of-sale setups.
  • Transaction Authorization: Transaction Authorization confirms enough funds or credit for buys at point-of-sale terminals. It secures payment safety and stops dishonest transactions throughout retail transactions.
  • Transaction Settlement: Transaction settlement finalizes remittances from clients to a company. It's vital for retailers using digital sales systems to reconcile everyday deals and receive funds.
  • Credit Card Processing: Credit Card Processing permits businesses to accept card payments from customers. It is vital for modern retail checkout solutions, optimizing transactions and improving customer convenience.
  • Debit Card Processing: Debit Card Processing lets companies to accept money directly from customers' bank accounts. This feature is vital for current store checkout systems permitting for seamless exchanges.
  • Emv Chip Card: Emv Chip Card enhance payment protection by using a microchip to encode transaction data. They are crucial for modern retail checkout systems, decreasing fraud and enhancing data protection.
  • Contactless Payment: Contactless Payment enable customers to rapidly and safely make payments by waving their credit card or mobile. This technology simplifies transactions at the checkout, improving customer experience.
  • Mobile Payment: Mobile Payment lets customers to make transactions with smartphones or other devices. This technology simplifies checkout at points of sale, improving speed and convenience.
  • Online Payment: Online Payment processing lets businesses to receive digital payments. This integration is vital for modern retail checkout systems, expediting sales and enhancing customer experience.
  • Fraud Detection: Fraud Detection analyzes transaction data to detect and prevent fraudulent activities at sales locations. This protects firms and shoppers from financial losses and keeps trust in payment processing.
  • Pci Dss Compliance: Pci Dss Compliance assures safe handling of cardholder data for companies using point-of-sale systems. Following these standards protects customer data and deters data breaches during transactions.
  • Chargeback: Chargebacks happen when customers challenge a transaction, obligating merchants to reimburse the payment if the dispute is valid. These disputes impact businesses that use point-of-sale technology by potentially reducing revenue and incurring fees.
  • Payment Processor: Payment processors are crucial for businesses as they securely handle payments between customers and sellers. They authorize and move funds during purchases at the point of transaction.
  • Interchange Fee: Interchange Fees are costs imposed by banks for handling electronic payments. These costs impact the price merchants pay when customers use cards at point-of-sale terminals.
  • Payment Security: Payment security is crucial for safeguarding customer information and stopping fraud throughout transactions. Secure payment handling is crucial for businesses using point-of-sale technology to maintain trust and avoid financial losses.
  • Tokenization: Tokenization replaces sensitive data with insensitive substitutes, safeguarding customer information. This process is crucial for protecting payment card information within point of sale point of sale systems.
  • Encryption: Encoding protects sensitive payment data during transactions at store checkout systems. It ensures the security of financial information, protecting customers and businesses from fraud.
  • Card Reader: Card Readers are vital tools that enable businesses to accept electronic payments from customers. They play a key role in retail environments and point-of-sale setups, expediting transactions.
  • Merchant Services: Merchant Services enable businesses to accept multiple payment options. They are essential for contemporary retail setups, guaranteeing effortless transactions at the point of sale.
  • Ach Transfer: ACH Transfer allow businesses to directly debit customer accounts for purchases. This payment method provides a secure and efficient alternative to credit cards within retail payment solutions.
  • Payment Solutions: Payment Solutions are essential for companies to effectively handle payments. They represent integral elements in retail point-of-sale systems, allowing seamless and safe payment acceptance.
  • Point Of Sale Systems: These solutions simplify transactions and manage sales data. They are vital components of retail and hospitality operations, boosting efficiency and customer experience at the Point Of Sale Systems point of purchase.
  • Stock Control: Stock Control ensures companies maintain optimal inventory levels, avoiding stockouts and excess inventory. It integrates with retail point-of-sale technology to automatically update inventory with each sale, giving real-time visibility and data for informed decisions.
  • Supply Chain Management: Supply Chain Management ensures the effective flow of goods from suppliers to stores. It improves inventory and distribution for point-of-sale operations, improving customer experiences.
  • Demand Forecasting: Demand Forecasting predicts future customer demands, enabling retail businesses to optimize inventory and staffing. This assures smooth transaction processing at the point of sale and improves customer satisfaction.
  • Economic Order Quantity: EOQ enhances stock procurement to minimize costs. When combined with retail transaction oversight tools, it guarantees products are in stock while reducing storage expenses.
  • Just In Time Inventory: Just In Time Inventory reduces warehousing costs by receiving goods just when needed. This efficient approach optimizes stock quantities followed by retail sales systems.
  • Warehouse Management: Warehouse management assures effective storage and movement of products. It's vital for retail point of sale systems to accurately track inventory and complete client orders.
  • Inventory Optimization: Inventory Optimization guarantees companies have the right products in inventory, reducing spoilage and maximizing sales. This is vital for retailing environments, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.
  • Retail Management: Retail Management oversees all facets of store activities, assuring efficient procedures and customer fulfillment. This includes managing the electronic POS, optimizing inventory, and training staff to offer seamless transactions.
  • Inventory Turnover: Inventory Turnover evaluates how efficiently a business uses its stock, impacting profitability. Retail point-of-sale technology assists in optimizing inventory management by tracking sales and stock levels in real-time.
  • Perpetual Inventory: Perpetual Inventory continually tracks inventory levels, supplying real-time data on available items. This allows businesses utilizing electronic point-of-sale solutions to make knowledgeable decisions about inventory management and prevent stockouts or overstocking.
  • Periodic Inventory: Periodic Inventory entails manually counting stock at certain intervals to update inventory logs. This approach helps retail operations reconcile physical stock with documented data, assisting in loss prevention and informing restocking decisions for sales environments.
  • Inventory Valuation: Inventory Valuation figures the price of goods on hand, affecting earnings and tax liabilities. Accurate assessment is vital for retail point-of-sale setups to monitor stock levels and optimize purchasing decisions.
  • Inventory Auditing: Inventory Auditing entails checking physical stock against recorded data to identify differences and ensure precision. This process is key for businesses using retail point-of-sale setups, as it aids keep correct inventory amounts and stop losses.
  • Barcodes: Barcodes speed up checkout procedures by enabling fast and precise product recognition. This tech is vital for today's retail businesses to control stock and sales effectively at the time of sale.
  • Weighted Average Cost: Weighted Average Cost calculates inventory worth based on the average cost of goods, essential for precise financial reporting. Retail point-of-sale systems benefit from this method by maintaining precise stock valuation and profitability monitoring.
  • Inventory Shrinkage: Inventory Shrinkage, including loss from theft, harm, and errors, straightforwardly affects earnings for businesses. Point-of-sale setups play a vital role in tracking inventory and identifying inconsistencies that contribute to shrinkage.
  • Reorder Point: Reorder Point assists companies prevent stockouts by prompting restocking when stock levels drop to a set threshold. This guarantees smooth transactions operations at the transaction point and customer satisfaction.
  • Safety Stock: Safety Stock is additional inventory kept to protect against variations in demand and supply. This ensures retail operations can satisfy customer orders even when unexpected fluctuations occur at the point of sale.
  • Lead Time: Lead Time is the time between order placing and when the products are available for purchase. Reduced lead times can boost inventory management and customer approval at the point of sale.
  • Abc Analysis: Abc Analysis categorizes inventory to prioritize resources based on worth, pinpointing high-impact items for focused management. This is essential for retail checkout solutions to optimize stock levels and guarantee availability of key products.
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  • Greensboro: Greensboro is a lively city in North Carolina known for its extensive history and heritage attractions. It serves as a important hub for education, business, and transportation in the Piedmont Triad region.
  • Durham: Durham is a dynamic city in North Carolina known for its deep history, diverse culture, and strong academic presence, including Duke University. It is a hub for technology, healthcare, and research, playing a key role in the region's economy.
  • Winston-Salem: Winston-Salem is a town in North Carolina known for its deep history in the tobacco industry and lively arts scene. It serves as a cultural and financial hub in the Piedmont Triad region.
  • Fayetteville: Fayetteville is a town in North Carolina known for its rich military history and closeness to Fort Bragg, one of the largest military installations in the world. It features a lively downtown area with cultural attractions, parks, and historic sites.
  • Cary: Cary is a thriving town in North Carolina known for its excellent living standards and vibrant community spirit. It features a mix of suburban and city amenities, with excellent schools, parks, and a growing technology sector.
  • Wilmington: Wilmington is a antique port city located in southeastern North Carolina, known for its charming riverfront and lively cultural scene. It provides a blend of beautiful beaches, antique architecture, and a expanding film industry.
  • High Point: High Point is a town in North Carolina renowned for its notable furniture manufacturing sector and yearly High Point Market, the biggest home furnishings exhibition in the world. It is a part of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan region and offers a blend of cultural sites and historic sites.
  • Concord: Concord is a city in North Carolina known for its extensive history and vibrant community. It is home to the Charlotte Motor Speedway and offers a blend of cultural attractions and outdoor activities.
  • Asheville: Asheville is a dynamic city in North Carolina known for its historic architecture and thriving arts scene. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it offers stunning natural beauty and a rich cultural experience.
  • Greenville: Greenville is a vibrant city in North Carolina known for its rich history and cultural richness. It serves as a central hub for learning, medical services, and commerce, featuring East Carolina University and a growing downtown area.
  • Jacksonville: Jacksonville is a municipality located in Onslow County, North Carolina, known for its nearby location to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. It features a mix of military influence and Southern charm, contributing to its special community atmosphere.
  • Huntersville: Huntersville is a residential town in North Carolina known for its community-oriented community and nearness to Lake Norman. It offers a combination of up-to-date amenities, parks, and a historic downtown area.
  • Apex: Apex is a vibrant town located in Wake County, North Carolina, known for its quaint downtown and strong community spirit. It offers a mix of suburban living with access to parks, schools, and local events.
  • Burlington: Burlington is a city in North Carolina known for its extensive history and vibrant community. It serves as a key center for business, culture, and education in the Piedmont Triad area.
  • Gastonia: Gastonia is a town in North Carolina renowned for its rich history in the textile industry. It offers a mix of city and suburban areas with parks, cultural sites, and a expanding economy.
  • Chapel Hill: Chapel Hill is a vibrant town in North Carolina known for its prestigious University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It boasts a thriving cultural scene, heritage landmarks, and a close sense of community.
  • Rocky Mount: Rocky Mount is a city in North Carolina famous for its rich history and vibrant arts scene. It serves as a center for trade and arts in the coastal plains region.
  • Kannapolis: Kannapolis is a town in North Carolina renowned for its deep history in textile manufacturing. It has grown into a thriving community with a focus on education, healthcare, and biotechnology.
  • Wake Forest: Wake Forest is a charming town in North Carolina known for its historic downtown and vibrant community. It offers a mix of small-town charm and contemporary amenities, making it a favored place to live and visit.
  • Hickory: Hickory is a city in North Carolina renowned for its extensive history in furniture manufacturing and vibrant cultural scene. It features a blend of historic architecture and up-to-date amenities, making it a charming place to live and visit.
  • Goldsboro: Goldsboro is a municipality in Wayne County, North Carolina, known for its extensive history and lively community. It serves as a regional hub with cultural sites, educational institutions, and military significance due to its proximity to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
  • Salisbury: Salisbury is a historic city in North Carolina known for its carefully preserved downtown area and abundant cultural legacy. It acts as the county seat of Rowan County and provides a mix of charming small-town atmosphere and modern amenities.
  • Indian Trail: Indian Trail is a quickly growing town in North Carolina known for its kid-friendly atmosphere and close-knit community spirit. It offers a combination of suburban living with convenient access to Charlotte's city amenities.
  • Monroe: Monroe is a town in Union County, North Carolina, known for its historic downtown and lively community events. It serves as a regional hub for commerce and arts in the surrounding area.
  • New Bern: New Bern is a ancient city in North Carolina known for its captivating waterfront and profound colonial heritage. It serves as the county seat of Craven County and offers a mix of cultural attractions and natural beauty.
  • Mooresville: Mooresville is a lively town in North Carolina known for its strong motorsports heritage and closeness to Lake Norman. It offers a mix of cozy atmosphere and up-to-date conveniences, appealing to residents and visitors alike.
  • Garner: Garner is a municipality located in Wake County, North Carolina, known for its welcoming atmosphere and developing community. It offers a mix of suburban living with close proximity to the nearby city of Raleigh.
  • Sanford: Sanford is a city located in Lee County, North Carolina, known for its historic downtown and vibrant community. It serves as a local hub for trade, academics, and healthcare in the middle part of the state.
  1. Biltmore Estate: The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina is a heritage mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II, featuring two hundred fifty rooms and stunning architecture. It is surrounded by lovely gardens and offers visitors a view into the Gilded Age lifestyle.
  2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is well-known for its rich plant and animal life, old mountains, and foggy landscapes. It offers a variety of hiking trails, historic buildings, and scenic vistas along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.
  3. Outer Banks: The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina known for its stunning beaches, rich history, and special wildlife. It offers well-liked activities such as fishing, water sports, and exploring historic sites like the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
  4. Wright Brothers National Memorial: Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina celebrates the first pioneering powered flights by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903. The site includes a visitor center, replica of the original Flyer, and exhibits detailing the history of aviation.
  5. Battleship North Carolina: The Battleship North Carolina is a historic World War II battleship permanently stationed in Wilmington, North Carolina. It serves as a museum, providing visitors a opportunity to visit its decks and discover naval history.
  6. Chimney Rock State Park: Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina boasts a impressive 315-foot granite monolith offering breathtaking views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. The park also offers hiking trails, waterfalls, and diverse wildlife, attracting outdoor enthusiasts.
  7. Grandfather Mountain: Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is a rugged peak known for its scenic hiking trails, rich wildlife, and the Mile High Swinging Bridge. It offers stunning panoramic views and is a favored destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers.
  8. Cape Hatteras National Seashore: Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina boasts untouched beaches, diverse wildlife, and historic lighthouses. It is a popular destination for fishing, surfing, and discovering natural coastal beauty.
  9. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is a prestigious institution featuring wide-ranging exhibits on the natural world, including engaging displays and live animals. It offers educational programs and interactive experiences that emphasize the biodiversity and science of the region.
  10. North Carolina Zoo: The North Carolina Zoo is one of the most extensive natural habitat zoos in the world, featuring over 1,600 animals representing more than 250 species. It boasts large exhibits that mimic African and North American environments, offering a distinctive and engaging wildlife experience.
  11. International Civil Rights Center & Museum: The International Civil Rights Center & Museum in North Carolina honors the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins, a significant event in the Civil Rights Movement. It provides exhibits and educational programs that emphasize the struggle for racial equality and social justice.
  12. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site: Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves the area of the earliest English settlement in America, known as the Lost Colony. It provides visitors a look into initial colonial history through open-air exhibits and living history programs.
  13. Jockey's Ridge State Park: Jockey's Ridge State Park boasts the highest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States, showcasing breathtaking views of the nearby landscape. Visitors can participate in activities such as hiking, hang gliding, and kite flying in this distinctive coastal environment.
  14. Tryon Palace: Tryon Palace is a historic site in New Bern, North Carolina, featuring the preserved 18th-century governor's mansion and lovely gardens. It offers a view into colonial life with museum exhibits, guided walks, and special events.
  15. Uwharrie National Forest: Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina offers varied outdoor activities including hiking, camping, and off-road vehicle trails. It includes scenic landscapes with ancient mountains, dense forests, and sparkling lakes, ideal for nature enthusiasts.
  16. Mount Mitchell State Park: Mount Mitchell State Park in North Carolina features the tallest peak to the east of the Mississippi River, offering spectacular panoramic views and diverse hiking trails. The park is well-known for its special flora and fauna, turning it into a favored destination for nature lovers and outdoor explorers.
  17. Merchants Millpond State Park: Merchants Millpond State Park in North Carolina features a serene millpond surrounded by cypress swamps and varied wildlife, offering opportunities for kayaking, fishing, and hiking. The park maintains historic structures and provides a peaceful natural retreat for outdoor enthusiasts.
  18. Old Salem Museums & Gardens: Old Salem Museums & Gardens in North Carolina offers a peek into the rich history and culture of the Moravian settlers through maintained buildings, gardens, and interactive exhibits. Visitors can experience 18th and 19th-century architecture, traditional crafts, and beautifully maintained gardens.
  19. Linville Gorge Wilderness: Linville Gorge Wilderness in North Carolina is a rugged and picturesque area known for its steep canyon and rich wildlife. It offers challenging hiking trails, spectacular overlooks, and options for rock climbing and fishing.
  20. Blue Ridge Parkway: The Blue Ridge Parkway is a beautiful highway that twists through the Appalachian Mountains, offering spectacular views of the natural landscape. It is well-known for its scenic overlooks, hiking trails, and colorful fall foliage, making it a top destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
  21. Graveyard Fields: Graveyard Fields is a beautiful area in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains known for its spectacular waterfalls and vibrant wildflower meadows. It offers well-known hiking trails with amazing views and varied natural beauty.
  22. Sliding Rock: Sliding Rock is a natural waterfall in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, where visitors can slide down a sleek, 60-foot-long rock into a chilly mountain pool. It offers a one-of-a-kind and thrilling outdoor experience well-liked with families and adventure seekers.
  23. Looking Glass Falls: Looking Glass Falls is a stunning 60-foot waterfall located in the Pisgah National Forest of North Carolina. Easy to reach and surrounded by lush greenery, it is a popular spot for visitors looking for natural beauty and picture-perfect moments.
  24. Lake Lure: Lake Lure is a beautiful reservoir nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, renowned for its spectacular views and recreational activities. It offers opportunities for boating, fishing, and hiking, attracting visitors seeking natural beauty and outdoor adventure.
  25. Tweetsie Railroad: Tweetsie Railroad is a Wild West-themed amusement park in North Carolina featuring a historic steam locomotive ride through picturesque mountain terrain. It offers family-friendly attractions, live entertainment, and year-round events celebrating the region's railroad heritage.
  26. Emerald Isle: The Emerald Isle is a picturesque coastal town in North Carolina known for its pristine beaches and kid-friendly atmosphere. It offers great opportunities for fishing, boating, and relaxing by the Atlantic Ocean.
  27. High Point Furniture Market: High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina is the biggest home furnishings industry trade show in the world, bringing in buyers and exhibitors worldwide. It features a vast array of furniture styles and designs, acting as a major hub for industry networking and innovation.
  28. NASCAR Hall of Fame: The NASCAR Hall of Fame in North Carolina commemorates the history and tradition of NASCAR, displaying famous drivers, notable cars, and unforgettable moments. It offers interactive exhibits and memorabilia, making it a top spot for racing fans.
  29. Discovery Place Science: Discovery Place Science in North Carolina is a hands-on science museum featuring participatory exhibits, an aquarium, and live demonstrations. It offers learning experiences for all ages focused on tech, biology, and physics.
  30. Morehead Planetarium and Science Center: Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in North Carolina offers interactive displays and immersive astronomy shows that inspire wonder about the universe. It serves as a center for science education and public engagement, highlighting state-of-the-art technology and research programs.

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Rick Kohlbeck

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Aaron, is absolutely amazing and does a wonderful job with answering all of our questions! We have the POS System and the Clover Flex that he has helped us get. It has done amazing things for our business and has helped us to thrive even … More

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Jason Bell is SUPERMAN!! He explained everything I needed to know to make an informed decision to purchase The Clover. His expertise, availabilty, and friendliness helped me feel at ease in setting up my small self-wellness business point … More

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Stogies Downtown

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We are most pleased with the relationship we’ve had in working with Brilliant POS and their rep Kiana. They worked closely and diligently to help migrate data from a 10 yr old POS system to our current platform. Many bumps along the road … More

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Welcome to the future of

Point of sale done right

Embrace unlimited potential for your business.

Streamline your business. Make smarter decisions.

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Simple-to-use, eliminate wasted time

Our POS system was created with simplicity in mind for the user experience, while providing the array of features sets you need to efficiently grow your business to it’s greatest potential.

Utilize powerful tools to maximize revenue

Insight is everything, you need to know what you don’t already know to make educated decisions. Our in-depth reporting, extensive inventory control, and customer tracking will provide you with that much needed knowledge.

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We're Here For You

Our business is your business. Brilliant POS is 100% customer experience driven. We are into building relationships and growing with your business as it reaches new levels of success.

Brilliant POS is customer experience driven

Exceptional Support

Our outstanding support begins with ensuring you are set up correctly from the start. If you ever happen to need it, we have 24/7/365 US-based support ready to assist. We have you covered; days, nights, weekends, and holidays.

All the features you need, and then some

Payment Processing 4x

Payment Processing

Customers want to use the payment type they prefer; offer them Apple Pay, EMV, PIN Debit, and all the credit card brand options.

Online Transactions 4x

Offline Transactions

If your internet goes down, no need to worry with Brilliant POS. Our POS systems will continue to run flawlessly without internet.

Point of Sale 4x

Point of Sale

Make transactions a breeze; we have simplified the transaction process to keep your customers happy and wanting to come back.

Hardware 4x

Hardware

We provide only the best name-­brand POS hardware in the industry. And of course, all of our hardware is warrantied.

Gift Cards 4x

Gift Cards

Gift cards are a no­-brainer, if you look at the stats they more than pay for themselves. We offer custom and standard designs.

E commerce@4x

E-commerce

Take your business online to capture a broader audience. We’ll integrate the online store with your brick and mortar. Making it simple to add products and fulfill orders.

Beads Inc.

Working with Brilliant POS has been the best choice we could have made for Beads, Inc. Their attention to detail, service and customer satisfaction was fantastic and made the process easy. Almost 2 years later, and we cannot recommend Brilliant POS enough to other small businesses.

Christine White

Owner

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Point of sale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about checkout technology. For managed care, see point of service plan.
Points of sale at a Target retail store
Marketing
Management
Key concepts
Account-based marketing · Activation · Annoyance factor · Attribution · Distribution · Brand licensing · Brand management · Cannibalization · Co-creation · Communications · Consumer behaviour · Consumer culture · Digital marketing · Dominance · Effectiveness · Ethics · Horizontal integration · Influencer marketing · Mix · Pricing · Product marketing · Promotion · Retail · Segmentation · Service · Social marketing · Strategy · Vertical integration
Promotional content
Advertising · Ambush marketing · Branding · Corporate anniversary · Direct marketing · Franchising · Gender in advertising · Label · Loyalty marketing · Mobile marketing · On-hold messaging · Personal selling · Premiums · Prizes · Product placement · Propaganda · Publicity · Sales promotion · Sex in advertising · Underwriting spot
Promotional media
Behavioral targeting · Brand ambassador · Counter display unit · Display advertising · Display stand · Drip marketing · Endcap · Gondola · In-game advertising · Mobile advertising · Native advertising · New media · Online advertising · Out-of-home advertising · Point of sale · Product demonstration · Promotional merchandise (merchandising) · Promotional representative · Visual merchandising · Web banner · Word-of-mouth
Research
Market research · Marketing research · Mystery shopping · Consumer research

The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice for the customer (which may be a cash register printout), and indicates the options for the customer to make payment. It is also the point at which a customer makes a payment to the merchant in exchange for goods or after provision of a service. After receiving payment, the merchant may issue a receipt, as proof of transaction, which is usually printed but can also be dispensed with or sent electronically.[1][2][3]

To calculate the amount owed by a customer, the merchant may use various devices such as weighing scales, barcode scanners, and cash registers (or the more advanced "POS cash registers", which are sometimes also called "POS systems"[4][5]). To make a payment, payment terminals, touch screens, and other hardware and software options are available.

The point of sale is often referred to as the point of service because it is not just a point of sale but also a point of return or customer order. POS terminal software may also include features for additional functionality, such as inventory management, CRM, financials, or warehousing.

Businesses are increasingly adopting POS systems, and one of the most obvious and compelling reasons is that a POS system eliminates the need for price tags. Selling prices are linked to the product code of an item when adding stock, so the cashier merely scans this code to process a sale. If there is a price change, this can also be easily done through the inventory window. Other advantages include the ability to implement various types of discounts, a loyalty scheme for customers, and more efficient stock control. These features are typical of almost all modern ePOS systems.

Terminology

[edit]
The counter of a café at the new Centrum department store in Tampere, Finland in 1961

Retailers and marketers will often refer to the area around the checkout instead as the point of purchase (POP) when they are discussing it from the customer's perspective. This is particularly the case when planning and designing the area as well as when considering a marketing strategy and offers.

Some point of sale vendors refer to their POS system as "retail management system" which is a more appropriate term, since this software is not just for processing sales but comes with many other capabilities, such as inventory management, membership systems, supplier records, bookkeeping, issuing of purchase orders, quotations and stock transfers, hide barcode label creation, sale reporting and in some cases remote outlet networking or linkage, to name some major ones.

Nevertheless, it is the term POS system rather than retail management system that is in vogue among both end-users and vendors.

The basic, fundamental definition of a POS System is a system which allows the processing and recording of transactions between a company and its consumers, at the time in which goods and/or services are purchased.

History

[edit]

Software before the 1990s

[edit]
McDonald's POS device by Brobeck

Early electronic cash registers (ECR) were controlled with proprietary software and were limited in function and communication capability. In August 1973, IBM released the IBM 3650 and 3660 store systems that were, in essence, a mainframe computer used as a store controller that could control up to 128 IBM 3653/3663 point of sale registers. This system was the first commercial use of client-server technology, peer-to-peer communications, local area network (LAN) simultaneous backup, and remote initialization. By mid-1974, it was installed in Pathmark stores in New Jersey and Dillard's department stores.

One of the first microprocessor-controlled cash register systems was built by William Brobeck and Associates in 1974, for McDonald's Restaurants.[6] It used the Intel 8008, an early microprocessor (forerunner to the Intel 8088 processor used in the original IBM Personal Computer). Each station in the restaurant had its own device which displayed the entire order for a customer — for example, [2] Vanilla Shake, [1] Large Fries, [3] Big Mac — using numeric keys and a button for every menu item. By pressing the [Grill] button, a second or third order could be worked on while the first transaction was in progress. When the customer was ready to pay, the [Total] button would calculate the bill, including sales tax for almost any jurisdiction in the United States. This made it accurate for McDonald's and very convenient for the servers and provided the restaurant owner with a check on the amount that should be in the cash drawers. Up to eight devices were connected to one of two interconnected computers so that printed reports, prices, and taxes could be handled from any desired device by putting it into Manager Mode. In addition to the error-correcting memory, accuracy was enhanced by having three copies of all important data with many numbers stored only as multiples of 3. Should one computer fail, the other could handle the entire store.

In 1986, Gene Mosher introduced the first graphical point of sale software

In 1986, Gene Mosher introduced the first graphical point of sale software[7] featuring a touchscreen interface under the ViewTouch[8] trademark on the 16-bit Atari 520ST color computer.[9] It featured a color touchscreen widget-driven interface that allowed configuration of widgets representing menu items without low level programming.[10] The ViewTouch point of sale software was first demonstrated in public at Fall Comdex, 1986,[11] in Las Vegas, Nevada, to large crowds visiting the Atari Computer booth. This was the first commercially available POS system with a widget-driven color graphic touch screen interface and was installed in several restaurants in the US and Canada.

In 1986, IBM introduced its 468x series of POS equipment based on Digital Research's Concurrent DOS 286 and FlexOS 1.xx, a modular real-time multi-tasking multi-user operating system.

Modern software (post-1990s)

[edit]

A wide range of POS applications have been developed on platforms such as Windows and Unix. The availability of local processing power, local data storage, networking, and graphical user interface made it possible to develop flexible and highly functional POS systems. Cost of such systems has also declined, as all the components can now be purchased off-the-shelf.

In 1993, IBM adopted FlexOS 2.32 as the basis of their IBM 4690 OS in their 469x series of POS terminals. This was developed up to 2014 when it was sold to Toshiba, who continued to support it up to at least 2017.

With increased options for commodity hardware and a more competitive market, the 1990s saw increased attention paid to the user interaction between store employees and POS systems. Touchscreens and larger displays became widely available in the 1990s, offering an alternative to limited displays like two-line VFDs used in the IBM 4683. The performance of the employees using the POS devices, a controllable cost for the business, depends upon the ease of learning, ease of use, and level of employee experience with it. Although experienced employees work more quickly with mechanically keyed entry,[12] some systems favoured adopting GUI technology for ease of learning or for ergonomic factors.[13]

The key requirements that must be met by modern POS systems include high and consistent operating speed, reliability, ease of use, remote supportability, low cost, and rich functionality. Retailers can reasonably expect to acquire such systems (including hardware) for about $4000 US (as of 2009) per checkout lane.

Reliability depends not wholly on the developer but at times on the compatibility between a database and an OS version. For example, the widely used Microsoft Access database system had a compatibility issue when Windows XP machines were updated to a newer version of Windows. Microsoft offered no immediate solution. Some businesses were severely disrupted in the process, and many downgraded back to Windows XP for a quick resolution. Other companies utilized community support, for a registry tweak solution has been found for this.[14][unreliable source]

POS systems are one of the most complex software systems available because of the features that are required by different end users. Many POS systems are software suites that include sale, inventory, stock counting, vendor ordering, customer loyalty and reporting modules. Sometimes purchase ordering, stock transferring, quotation issuing, barcode creating, bookkeeping or even accounting capabilities are included. Each of these modules is interlinked if they are to serve their practical purpose and maximize their usability.

For instance, the sale window is immediately updated on a new member entry through the membership window because of this interlinking. Similarly, when a sale transaction is made, any purchase by a member is on record for the membership window to report providing information like payment type, goods purchased, date of purchase and points accumulated. Comprehensive analysis performed by a POS machine may need to process several qualities about a single product, like selling price, balance, average cost, quantity sold, description and department. Highly complex programming is involved (and possibly considerable computer resources) to generate such extensive analyses.

POS systems are designed not only to serve the retail, wholesale and hospitality industries as historically is the case. Currently POS systems are also used in goods and property leasing businesses, equipment repair shops, healthcare management, ticketing offices such as cinemas and sports facilities and many other operations where capabilities such as the following are required: processing monetary transactions, allocation and scheduling of facilities, keeping record and scheduling services rendered to customers, tracking of goods and processes (repair or manufacture), invoicing and tracking of debts and outstanding payments.

Different customers have different expectations within each trade. The reporting functionality alone is subject to so many demands, especially from those in the retail/wholesale industry. To cite special requirements, some business's goods may include perishables and hence the inventory system must be capable of prompting the admin and cashier on expiring or expired products. Some retail businesses require the system to store credit for their customers, credit which can be used subsequently to pay for goods. A few companies expect the POS system to behave like a full-fledged inventory management system, including the ability to provide FIFO (First In First Out) and LIFO (Last In First Out), reports of their goods for accounting and tax purposes.

In the hospitality industry, POS system capabilities can also diverge significantly. For instance, a restaurant is typically concerned about how the sale window functions: whether it has functionality such as creating item buttons, various discounts, adding a service charge, holding of receipts, queuing, table service as well as takeaways, merging and splitting of a receipt. These capabilities may be insufficient for a spa or slimming center which would require, in addition, a scheduling window with historical records of customers' attendance and their special requirements.

A POS system can be made to serve different purposes to different end users depending on their business processes. Often an off-the-shelf POS system is inadequate for customers. Some customization is required, and this is why a POS system can become very complex. The complexity of a mature POS system extends to remote networking or interlinking between remote outlets and the HQ such that updating both ways is possible. Some POS systems offer the linking of web-based orders to their sale window. Even when local networking is only required (as in the case of a high-traffic supermarket), there is the ever-present challenge for the developer to keep most if not all of their POS stations running. This puts high demand not just on software coding but also designing the whole system covering how individual stations and the network work together, and special consideration for the performance capability and usage of databases. Due to such complexity, bugs and errors encountered in POS systems are frequent.[15]

With regard to databases, POS systems are very demanding on their performance because of numerous submissions and retrievals of data - required for correct sequencing the receipt number, checking various discounts, membership, calculating subtotal, so forth - just to process a single sale transaction. The immediacy required of the system on the sale window such as may be observed at a checkout counter in a supermarket cannot be compromised. This places much stress on individual enterprise databases if there are just several tens of thousands of sale records in the database. Enterprise database Microsoft SQL Server, for example, has been known to freeze up (including the OS) entirely for many minutes under such conditions showing a "Timeout Expired" error message. Even a lighter database like Microsoft Access will slow to a crawl over time if the problem of database bloating is not foreseen and managed by the system automatically. Therefore, the need to do extensive testing, debugging and improvisation of solutions to preempt failure of a database before commercial implementation complicates the development.

POS system accuracy is demanding, given that monetary transactions are involved continuously not only via the sale window but also at the back end through the receiving and inputting of goods into the inventory. Calculations required are not always straightforward. There may be many discounts and deals that are unique to specific products, and the POS machine must quickly process the differences and the effect on pricing. There is much complexity in the programming of such operations, especially when no error in calculation can be allowed.

Other requirements include that the system must have functionality for membership discount and points accumulation/usage, quantity and promotional discounts, mix and match offers, cash rounding up, invoice/delivery-order issuance with outstanding amount. It should enable a user to adjust the inventory of each product based on physical count, track expiry of perishable goods, change pricing, provide audit trail when modification of inventory records is performed, be capable of multiple outlet functionality, control of stocks from HQ, doubling as an invoicing system, just to name some.

It is clear that POS system is a term that implies a wide range of capabilities depending on the end-user requirements. POS system review websites cannot be expected to cover most let alone all the features. Unless one is a developer, it is unrealistic to expect the reviewer to know all the aspects of a POS system. For instance, a POS system might work smoothly on a test database during the review but not when the database grows significantly in size over months of usage. And this is only one among many hidden critical functionality issues of a POS system.

Hardware interface standardization (post-1980s)

[edit]

Vendors and retailers are working to standardize development of computerized POS systems and simplify interconnecting POS devices. Two such initiatives were OPOS and JavaPOS, both of which conform to the UnifiedPOS standard led by The National Retail Foundation.

OPOS (OLE for POS) was the first commonly adopted standard and was created by Microsoft, NCR Corporation, Epson and Fujitsu-ICL. OPOS is a COM-based interface compatible with all COM-enabled programming languages for Microsoft Windows. OPOS was first released in 1996. JavaPOS was developed by Sun Microsystems, IBM, and NCR Corporation in 1997 and first released in 1999. JavaPOS is for Java what OPOS is for Windows, and thus largely platform independent.

There are nearly as many proprietary protocols as there are companies making POS peripherals. Most POS peripherals, such as displays and printers, support several of these command protocols to work with many different brands of POS terminals and computers.

User interface design

[edit]

The design of the sale window is the most important one for the user. This user interface is highly critical when compared to those in other software packages such as word editors or spreadsheet programs where the speed of navigation is not so crucial for business performance.

For businesses at prime locations where real estate is at a premium, it can be common to see a queue of customers. The faster a sale is completed the shorter the queue time which improves customer satisfaction, the less space it takes, which benefits shoppers and staff. High-traffic operations such as grocery outlets and cafes need to process sales quickly at the sales counter so the UI flow is often designed with as few popups or other interruptions to ensure the operator isn't distracted and the transaction can be processed as quickly as possible.

Although improving the ergonomics is possible, a clean, fast-paced look may come at the expense of sacrificing functions that are often wanted by end-users such as discounts, access to commission earned screens, membership and loyalty schemes can involve looking at a different function of the POS to ensure the point of sale screen contains only what a cashier needs at their disposal to serve customers.

Cloud-based (post-2000s)

[edit]

The advent of cloud computing has given birth to the possibility of electronic point of sale (EPOS) systems[16] to be deployed as software as a service, which can be accessed directly from the Internet using a web browser. Using the previous advances in the communication protocols for POS's control of hardware, cloud-based POS systems are independent from platform and operating system limitations. EPOS systems based in the cloud (most small-business POS today) are generally subscription-based, which includes ongoing customer support.[17]

Compared to regular cash registers (which tend to be significantly cheaper but only process sales and prints receipts), POS systems include automatic updating of the inventory library stock levels when selling products, real-time reports accessible from a remote computer, staff timesheets and a customer library with loyalty features.[18][clarification needed][clarification needed]

Cloud-based POS systems are also created to be compatible with a wide range of POS hardware and sometimes tablets such as Apple's iPad. Thus cloud-based POS also helped expand POS systems to mobile devices, such as tablet computers or smartphones.[19]

These devices can also act as barcode readers using a built-in camera and as payment terminals using built-in NFC technology or an external payment card reader. A number of POS companies built their software specifically to be cloud-based. Other businesses who launched pre-2000s have since adapted their software to evolving technology.

Cloud-based POS systems are different from traditional POS largely because user data, including sales and inventory, are not stored locally, but in a remote server. The POS system is also not run locally, so there is no installation required.

Depending on the POS vendor and the terms of contract, compared to traditional on-premises POS installation, the software is more likely to be continually updated by the developer with more useful features and better performance in terms of computer resources at the remote server and in terms of fewer bugs and errors.

Other advantages of a cloud-based POS are instant centralization of data (important especially to chain stores), ability to access data from anywhere there is internet connection, and lower start-up costs.[20]

Cloud based POS requires an internet connection. For this reason it important to use a device with 3G connectivity in case the device's primary internet goes down. In addition to being significantly less expensive than traditional legacy point of sale systems, a notable strength of cloud-based point of sale systems is the ability to switch to a different product, by a different developer, without having to purchase new hardware. The many developers creating new software applications help to ensure that the system is supported for longer than a typical legacy POS system.

A number of noted emerging cloud-based POS systems came on the scene less than a decade or even half a decade back. These systems are usually designed for restaurants, small and medium-sized retail operations with fairly simple sale processes as can be culled from POS system review sites. It appears from such software reviews that enterprise-level cloud-based POS systems are currently lacking in the market. "Enterprise-level" here means that the inventory should be capable of handling a large number of records, such as required by grocery stores and supermarkets. It can also mean that the system software and cloud server must be capable of generating reports such as analytics of sale against inventory for both a single and multiple outlets that are interlinked for administration by the headquarters of the business operation.

POS vendors of such cloud based systems should also have a strong contingency plan for the breakdown of their remote server such as represented by fail-over server support. Sometimes a major data center can fail completely, such as in a fire.[21] On-premises installations are therefore sometimes seen alongside cloud-based implementation to preempt such incidents, especially for businesses with high traffic. The on-premises installations may not have the most up-to-date inventory and membership information.

For such contingency, a more innovative though highly complex approach for the developer is to have a trimmed down version of the POS system installed on the cashier computer at the outlet. On a daily basis the latest inventory and membership information from the remote server is automatically updated into the local database. Thus should the remote server fail, the cashier can switch over to the local sale window without disrupting sales. When the remote server is restored and the cashier switches over to the cloud system, the locally processed sale records are then automatically submitted to the remote system, thus maintaining the integrity of the remote database.

Although cloud-based POS systems save the end-user startup cost and technical challenges in maintaining an otherwise on-premises installation, there is a risk that if the cloud-based vendor closes down it may result in more immediate termination of services for the end-user compared to the case of a traditional full on-premises POS system where it can still run without the vendor.

Another consideration is that a cloud-based POS system actually exposes business data to service providers - the hosting service company and the POS vendor which have access to both the application and database. The importance of securing critical business information such as supplier names, top selling items, customer relationship processes cannot be underestimated given that sometimes the few key success factors or trade secrets of a business are actually accessible through the POS system. This security and privacy concern is an ongoing issue in cloud computing.

Retail industry

[edit]
Main article: Retail
Points of sale at a grocery store in Ilorin, Nigeria
Points of sales at S-market grocery store in Klaukkala, Finland

The retail industry is one of the predominant users of POS terminals. The POS interface at a retail establishment varies greatly depending on the industry and owner of the retailer, but usually includes a cash register (typically a specialized x86-based computer running Windows Embedded or Linux), a method for employee input, cash drawer, receipt printer, barcode scanners (which may incorporate a scale), and an interface for processing Card payments and Processing Customer Information (a Payment Terminal). It can also include a conveyor belt, checkout divider, wireless handheld scanners, integrated card processing systems, and customer-facing displays to display totals and show advertisements. While some systems use typical PC interfaces (such as a keyboard & mouse), it is far more common to utilize touchscreens as they allow for faster response and better customization for the retailer. In the past, most IBM systems used a primarily keyboard-based interface, and NCR previously used side-keys on their displays before touchscreens were widely available, similar to their ATM products.

The POS system software can typically handle a myriad of customer based functions such as sales, returns, exchanges, layaways, gift cards, gift registries, customer loyalty programs, promotions, discounts and much more. POS software can also allow for functions such as pre-planned promotional sales, manufacturer coupon validation, foreign currency handling and multiple payment types.

The POS unit handles the sales to the consumer, but it is only one part of the entire POS system used in a retail business. The controlling servers, or "Back-office" computers, typically handle other functions of the POS system such as inventory control, pricing, purchasing, receiving and transferring of products to and from other locations. Other typical functions of a POS system are: store sales information for enabling customer returns, reporting purposes, sales trends and cost/price/profit analysis. Customer information may be stored for receivables management, marketing purposes and specific buying analysis. Many retail POS systems include an accounting interface that "feeds" sales and product losses, cash drawer expected totals, and cashier productivity information to independent accounting applications.

Point of Sale interface at a supermarket in California.

A multi-terminal POS system used by big retailers like supermarkets and department stores has a far more demanding database and software architecture than that of a single station seen in small retail outlets. A supermarket with high traffic cannot afford a systemic failure, hence each point of sale station is designed to be robust in its operation. Most proprietary POS systems designed for large retailers use 2 servers, with one acting as a backup in case of failure. In the event that both servers fail, the individual POS systems will enter a failsafe mode, where sales data is stored locally and exported back to the servers upon a return of the connection. This may prove challenging to implement in some instances however, as many commercial POS systems do not have any hard disks for security purposes, and often have limited amounts of RAM.

Performing updates between multiple stations and the back end administrative computer should be redundant, so that updates to inventory and promotions will be accurately reflected at checkout without having to restart the computer, and reflecting accurate sales records to the back-end computer at the end of the business day.

This gets even more complicated when there is a membership system requiring real-time two-way updating of membership points between sale stations and the back end administrative computer.

Retail operations such as hardware stores, lumber yards, electronics stores and so-called multifaceted superstores need specialized additional features compared to other stores. POS software in these cases handles special orders, purchase orders, repair orders, service and rental programs as well as typical point of sale functions. Rugged hardware is required for point of sale systems used in outdoor environments. Wireless devices, battery powered devices, all-in-one units, and Internet-ready machines are typical in this industry.

Recently new applications have been introduced, enabling POS transactions to be conducted using mobile phones and tablets. According to a recent study, mobile POS (mPOS) terminals are expected to replace the contemporary payment techniques because of various features including mobility, upfront low cost investment and better user experience.[22]

In the mid-2000s, the blind community in the United States engaged in structured negotiations to ensure that retail point of sale devices had tactile keypads. Without keys that can be felt, a blind person cannot independently enter his or her PIN. In the mid-2000s retailers began using "flat screen" or "signature capture" devices that eliminated tactile keypads. Blind people were forced to share their confidential PIN with store clerks to use their debit and other PIN-based cards. The blind community reached agreement with Walmart, Target, CVS and eight other retailers that required real physical keys so blind people could use the devices.

Checkout configuration

[edit]

Early stores typically kept merchandise behind a counter. Staff would fetch items for customers to prevent the opportunity for theft and sales would be made at the same counter. Self-service grocery stores such as Piggly Wiggly, beginning in 1916, allowed customers to fetch their own items and pass the point of sale enroute to the exit.

Modern stores have a variety of checkout configurations, but almost all stores will have their main checkout area situated close to the entrance/exits. Smaller stores may utilize simple counters, while big-box stores will typically use a conveyor belt system spaced out in separate "lanes" to process orders. Express lanes might limit the type of payment, or number or type of goods, to expedite service. Some department stores may also have checkouts inside of the departments to allow shoppers of that section to pay without going through the main lines. If each checkout station has a separate queue, customers have to guess which line will move the fastest, to minimize their wait times. They are often frustrated to be wrong or be stuck behind another customer who encounters a problem or who takes excessive time to check out. Some stores use a single, much longer but faster-moving line, that is served by multiple registers, which produces the same average wait time, but reduces the frustration and variance in wait time from person to person.[23] Regardless of the configuration, checkout lines usually pass by impulse buy items to grab the attention of otherwise idle customers.

As self-checkout technology has progressed, more retailers of all types have included self-checkout as an option, and in some cases, completely replace traditional cashier-operated checkout lines. Self-checkout kiosks are typically kept together in a 'corral' area adjacent to the regular registers so that shop employees can more easily monitor transactions, though they are also occasionally set up in a more typical "lane" fashion with conveyor belts for loading groceries. More modern implementations of self-checkout include scanning items and paying within a retailer's mobile app, or using RF technology and cameras to detect items at the door and charge the customer's account automatically.

Hospitality industry

[edit]
Main article: Hospitality industry
Reception desk POS
Restaurant POS
Tablet-based POS

Hospitality point of sale systems are computerized systems incorporating registers, computers and peripheral equipment, usually on a computer network to be used in restaurants, hair salons or hotels. Like other point of sale systems, these systems track sales, labor, payroll and can generate records used in accounting and bookkeeping. They may be accessed remotely by restaurant corporate offices, troubleshooters and other authorized parties.

Point of sale systems have revolutionized the restaurant industry, particularly in the fast food sector. In the most recent technologies, registers are computers, sometimes with touch screens. The registers connect to a server, often referred to as a "store controller" or a "central control unit". Printers and monitors are also found on the network. Additionally, remote servers can connect to store networks and monitor sales and other store data.

Typical restaurant POS software is able to create and print guest checks, print orders to kitchens and bars for preparation, process credit cards and other payment cards, and run reports. In addition, some systems implement wireless pagers and electronic signature-capture devices.

In the fast food industry, displays may be at the front counter, or configured for drive-through or walk-through cashiering and order taking. Front counter registers allow taking and serving orders at the same terminal, while drive-through registers allow orders to be taken at one or more drive-through windows, to be cashiered and served at another. In addition to registers, drive-through and kitchen displays are used to view orders. Once orders appear they may be deleted or recalled by the touch interface or by bump bars. Drive-through systems are often enhanced by the use of drive-through wireless (or headset) intercoms. The efficiency of such systems allows decreased service times and increased efficiency of orders.

Another innovation in technology for the restaurant industry is wireless POS. Many restaurants with high volume use wireless handheld POS to collect orders which are sent to a server. The server sends required information to the kitchen in real time. Wireless systems consist of drive-through microphones and speakers (often one speaker will serve both purposes), which are wired to a "base station" or "center module." This, in turn, will broadcast to headsets. Headsets may be an all-in-one headset, or one connected to a belt pack.

With the development of the mobile technology, Cloud-based POS systems are also put forward to increase the efficiency of some restaurants, integrated with some latest software services such as scan QR code to order by customers themselves. It leads to a new style of offline restaurants dine-in.

In hotels, POS software allows for transfer of meal charges from dining room to guest room with a button or two. It may also need to be integrated with property management software.

Newer, more sophisticated systems are departing from the central database "file server" type system and going to what is called a "cluster database". This eliminates any crashing or system downtime that can be associated with the back office file server. This technology allows 100% of the information to not only be stored, but also pulled from the local terminal, thus eliminating the need to rely on a separate server for the system to operate.

Tablet POS systems popular for retail solutions are now available for the restaurant industry. Initially these systems were not sophisticated and many of the early systems did not support a remote printer in the kitchen. Tablet systems today are being used in all types of restaurants including table service operations. Most tablet systems upload all information to the Internet so managers and owners can view reports from anywhere with a password and Internet connection. Smartphone Internet access has made alerts and reports from the POS very accessible. Tablets have helped create the Mobile POS system, and Mobile POS applications also include payments, loyalty, online ordering, table side ordering by staff and table top ordering by customers. Regarding the payments, mobile POS can accept all kinds of payment methods from contactless cards, EMV chip-enabled cards, and mobile NFC enabled cards. Mobile POS (AKA mPOS) is growing quickly with new developers entering the market almost on a daily basis.

With the proliferation of low-priced touchscreen tablet computers, more restaurants have implemented self-ordering through a tablet POS placed permanently on every table. Customers can browse through the menu on the tablet and place their orders which are then sent to the kitchen. Most restaurants that have iPad self-order menus include photos of the dishes so guests can easily choose what they want to order. This apparently improves service and saves manpower on the part of the restaurant. However this depends on how intelligently the system has been programmed to be.

As a case in point, some self-ordering systems not requiring staff assistance may not properly recognize a subsequent order from the same customer at a table. As a result, the customer is left waiting and wondering why his second order of food and drink is not being served.

Another example of how intelligent the system can be, is whether an order that has been placed but not yet been processed by the kitchen can be modified by the customer through the tablet POS. For such an unprocessed order the customer should be given the option to easily retrieve the order and modify it on the tablet POS. When the order is being processed this function should be automatically disabled.

Self-ordering systems are not always free completely from intervention by the staff and for some good reasons. For example, some restaurants require that items selected by the customers be attended to and can only be placed by the waiter who has the password required to do so. This prevents fake orders - such as may be entered by playful kids - and subsequent dispute on the items ordered. If alcoholic beverages are ordered, it is necessary for the waiter to verify the customer's age before sending the order.

The technical specifications for implementing such self-ordering system are more demanding than a single cashier-controlled POS station. On the software and hardware side each tablet on a customer table has to be networked to the cashier POS station and the kitchen computer so that both are continually updated on orders placed. The common database that serves this network must also be capable of serving many concurrent users - cashier, customers, kitchen and perhaps a drink bar.

Some databases such as popularly-used Microsoft Access may have the specifications that it is capable of usage by multiple concurrent users.[citation needed] However, under the stress of a POS system, they can fail miserably resulting in constant errors and corruption of data.[citation needed]

POS systems are often designed for a variety of clients, and can be programmed by the end users to suit their needs. Some large clients write their own specifications for vendors to implement. In some cases, POS systems are sold and supported by third-party distributors, while in other cases they are sold and supported directly by the vendor.

The selection of a restaurant POS system is critical to the restaurant's daily operation and is a major investment that the restaurant's management and staff must endure for many years. The restaurant POS system interfaces with all phases of the restaurant operation, and with everyone that is involved with the restaurant including guests, suppliers, employees, managers and owners. The selection of a restaurant POS system is a complex process that should be undertaken by the restaurant owner and not delegated to an employee. The purchase process can be summarized in three steps: Design, Compare and Negotiate. The Design step requires research to determine which restaurant POS features are needed for the restaurant operation. With this information the restaurant owner or manager can Compare various restaurant POS solutions to determine which POS systems meet their requirements. The final step is to Negotiate the price, payment terms, included training, initial warranty and ongoing support costs.[citation needed]

Accounting forensics

[edit]
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POS systems record sales for business and tax purposes. Illegal software dubbed "zappers" can be used on POS devices to falsify these records with a view to evading the payment of taxes.

In some countries, legislation is being introduced to make cash register systems more secure. For example, the French treasury is estimated to be failing to collect approximately €14 billion of VAT revenue each year. The Finance Bill of 2016 was intended to address some of this loss by making it compulsory for taxpayers to operate on "secure systems". Therefore, from 1 January 2018, all retail businesses in France are required to record customer payments using certified secure accounting software or cash register systems.

A certified cash register system must provide for the (i) incommutable,[clarification needed] (ii) security and (iii) storage and archiving of data. All businesses required to comply must obtain a certificate from the cash register system provider which certifies that the system meets these requirements. This is because VAT taxpayers may need to provide a certificate to the tax authorities showing that their cash management system fulfills the new requirements.

If the business cannot provide this certificate to the tax authorities, they may be fined. And, if the tax authorities can demonstrate fraudulent use of the system, both the business and the software provider can face tax penalties, fines, and criminal sanctions. Certification can be obtained either from: a body accredited by the French Accreditation Committee (Comité français d’accréditation or COFRAC) or the software provider of the cash register system.

Security

[edit]

Despite the more advanced technology of a POS system as compared to a simple cash register, the POS system is still vulnerable to employee theft through the sales window. A dishonest cashier at a retail outlet can collude with a friend who pretends to be an ordinary customer. During checkout, the cashier can bypass scanning certain items or enter a lower quantity for some items thus profiting from the "free" goods.

The ability of a POS system to void a closed sale receipt for refund purpose without needing a password from an authorized superior also represents a security loophole. Even a function to issue a receipt with a negative amount which can be useful under certain circumstances, can be exploited by a cashier to easily lift money from the cash drawer.

To prevent such employee theft, it is crucial for a POS system to provide an admin window for the supervisor or administrator to generate and inspect a daily list of sale receipts, especially pertaining to the frequency of cancelled receipts before completion, refunded receipts and negative receipts. This is one effective way to alert the company to any suspicious activity - such as a high number of cancelled sales by a certain cashier - that may be occurring, and to take monitoring action.

To further deter employee theft, the sales counter should also be equipped with a closed-circuit television camera pointed at the POS system to monitor and record all activities.

At the back end, price and other changes like discounts to inventory items through the administration module should be secured with passwords provided to trusted administrators. Any changes made should also be logged and capable of being subsequently retrieved for inspection.

The sale records and inventory are important to the business because they provide useful information to the company in terms of customer preferences, customer membership particulars, what are the top selling products, who are the vendors and what margins the company is getting from them, the company monthly total revenue and cost, among others.

It is important that reports on these matters generated at the administrative back end be restricted to trusted personnel. The database from which these reports are generated should be secured via passwords or via encryption of data stored in the database to prevent copying or tampering.

Despite all such precautions, the POS system can never be entirely watertight in security from internal misuse if a clever, dishonest employee knows how to exploit many of its otherwise useful capabilities.

News reports on POS system hacking show that hackers are more interested in stealing credit card information than anything else. The ease and advantage offered by the ability of a POS system to integrate credit card processing thus have a downside. In 2011, hackers were able to steal credit card data from 80,000 customers because Subway's security and POS configuration standards for PCI compliance - which governs credit card and debit card payment systems security - were "directly and blatantly disregarded" by Subway franchisees.[24]

In June 2016, several hundred of Wendy's fast food restaurants had their POS systems hacked by illegally installed malware.[25] The report goes on to say that "the number of franchise restaurants impacted by these cyber security attacks is now expected to be considerably higher than the 300 restaurants already implicated" and that the "hackers made hundreds of thousands of fraudulent purchases on credit and debit cards issued by various financial institutions after breaching Wendy's computer systems late last year".

These exploits by hackers could only be made possible because payment cards were processed through the POS system allowing the malware to either intercept card data during processing or steal and transmit unencrypted card data that is stored in the system database.

In April 2017, security researchers identified critical vulnerabilities in point of sale systems developed by SAP and Oracle[26] and commented, “POS systems are plagued by vulnerabilities, and incidents occurred because their security drawbacks came under the spotlight.”[27] If successfully exploited, these vulnerabilities provide a perpetrator with access to every legitimate function of the system, such as changing prices, and remotely starting and stopping terminals. To illustrate the attack vector, the researchers used the example of hacking POS to change the price of a MacBook to $1. The security issues were reported to the vendor, and a patch was released soon after the notification. Oracle confirmed[28] security bug affects over 300,000 Oracle POS Systems

In some countries, credit and debit cards are only processed via payment terminals. Thus one may see quite a number of such terminals for different cards cluttering up a sale counter. This inconvenience is offset by the fact that credit and debit card data is far less vulnerable to hackers, unlike when payment cards are processed through the POS system where security is contingent upon the actions taken by end-users and developers.

With the launch of mobile payment, particularly Android Pay and Apple Pay in 2015, it is expected that because of its greater convenience coupled with good security features, this would eventually eclipse other types of payment services – including the use of payment terminals. For mobile payment to go fully mainstream, mobile devices like smartphones that are NFC-enabled must first become universal. This would be a matter of several years from the time of this writing (2017) as more and more models of new smartphones are expected to become NFC-enabled for such a purpose. For instance, iPhone 6 is fully NFC-enabled for mobile payment while iPhone 5 and older models are not. The aforesaid disastrous security risks connected with processing payment card usage through a POS system would then be greatly diminished.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Paperless Receipt Solution (PRS) System". James Dyson Foundation. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  2. ^ "Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions". Business Services Authority. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  3. ^ "Tricks traders use to evade billions of francs in taxes". The New Times. 9 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-06-30. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  4. ^ "Cash register vs. POS system –what's the difference?". 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  5. ^ "How to Choose a POS Cash Register". Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  6. ^ US patent 3946220, William M. Brobeck; John S. Givins Jr. & Philip F. Meads Jr. et al., "Point-of-sale system and apparatus", published 1976-03-23, assigned to Transactron, Inc. [1]
  7. ^ "Graphical point of sale software introducer". 11 September 2012. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  8. ^ "ViewTouch". ViewTouch. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  9. ^ Bisson, Gigi (2008-04-25). "Getting Down To Business". Viewtouch.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
  10. ^ The ViewTouch restaurant system Archived 2009-09-09 at the Wayback Machine by Giselle Bisson
  11. ^ "File:Comdex 1986.png — Wikimedia Commons". Commons.wikimedia.org. 11 September 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
  12. ^ Wilson, Karen S.; Liu, Michael Inderrieden Steven (October 1995). "A Comparison of Five User Interface Devices Designed for Point-of-Sale in the Retail Industry". Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. 39 (4): 273–277. doi:10.1177/154193129503900411. ISSN 2169-5067. S2CID 108458064. Archived from the original on 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  13. ^ Kasavana, Michael L. (1995-04-01). "PC-based registers: The next generation of point-of-sale technology". The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. 36 (2): 5–55. doi:10.1016/0010-8804(95)93843-J. ISSN 0010-8804.
  14. ^ "Access 2007 very slow on Windows 7". social.technet.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  15. ^ "15 ways a mobile point of sale can help your restaurant succeed — Poster". joinposter.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-28. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  16. ^ "EPOS term". 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  17. ^ "Cash register vs. POS system – what's the difference?". 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  18. ^ "Cash register vs. POS system – what's the difference?". 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  19. ^ "Mobile Point-of-Sale Apps: Redefining the Retail Industry". Scandit. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  20. ^ The Online POS System Revolution Archived 2012-06-02 at the Wayback Machine via Small Business Bonfire
  21. ^ "Overheating brings down Microsoft data center". DatacenterDynamics. 14 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  22. ^ Securing Mobile Point of Sale System Archived 2016-11-21 at the Wayback Machine via Securebox
  23. ^ "Planet Money Asks: What Small Thing Would You Do To Improve The World?". NPR.org. NPR. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  24. ^ "How hackers gave Subway a $3 million lesson in point-of-sale security". Ars Technica. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  25. ^ Seals, Tara (13 June 2016). "Wendy's Point of Sale Hack Grows Bigger". Infosecurity. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  26. ^ "SAP point-of-sale systems were totally hackable with $25 kit". The Register. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  27. ^ "SAP POS Flaw Allows Hackers to Change Pricing". Infosecurity. 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  28. ^ "Security Bug Affects Over 300,000 Oracle POS Systems". Catalin Cimpanu. 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018 – via BleepingComputer.

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