POS Systems For Your Point Of Sale
Modern POS systems should do a lot. They support your employees in answering customer questions, take on part of the tasks of inventory management and should also process payment transactions quickly and reliably. Ideally, a high-quality cash register supports many different credit and debit cards and can be used equally well in all industries. The cash register systems available on the market differ greatly. There are basically two different variants: on the one hand, simple cash registers, which are only equipped with a small display, and on the other hand, computer-aided cash registers, which usually use a complete computer with additional peripherals.
The configuration of simple systems without an additional display is in most cases quite complicated because special hardware has to be connected. An update of the POS software can only be carried out by a specialist company. iPad POS systems that use a tablet as a central control unit are much easier to configure and update. A short update of the app used is sufficient to significantly expand the range of functions or to retrofit new security functions.
Which system is suitable for what?
The requirements for a particular system always depend on the type of company. POS systems in the catering industry have to meet different requirements than POS systems in retail. A good system supports as many industries as possible and can then also be used in mixed companies. A good example of this are petrol stations with an attached restaurant. On the one hand, the cash register system must be able to bill a large number of items in a short time, but it must also be able to handle the table billing of the individual tables in the restaurant. Normal cash registers quickly reach their performance limits here, so that computer-aided systems have advantages there.
The costs for a POS system depend heavily on the individual needs of your company. If you have to occupy several POS, the costs are of course higher than with a single point of sale, at which only relatively few goods and services are processed. You can get simple systems for less than CHF 500, but the possible functions are actually severely limited and further programming is only possible with special hardware and a maintenance contract. Computerized POS systems are available from around CHF 1,000 and offer better configuration and easier updates. For extensive systems with several workstations, barcode scanners and a merchandise management system, the costs quickly reach CHF 5,000 and more.
Note that most cash registers incur monthly fees for the software license and that many providers also require a maintenance contract to keep the cash register software up to date. The monthly costs vary greatly and depend not only on the scope of the booked service, but also partly on the negotiating skills of the person responsible. Those who negotiate hard can potentially achieve a significant cost reduction.
Should I buy or rent a till?
If you want to avoid the high cost of buying a new one, you can simply rent certain systems from some providers. You then pay a fixed monthly fee for renting the pure POS hardware. The costs for licenses and maintenance are also added. If you buy a cash register, the one-time charge is higher, but the monthly fees are lower. With a rented system you are a little more flexible because you are not obliged to keep the equipment when the rental agreement ends. In addition, you will usually receive replacement devices free of charge if one of the devices no longer works during the term. With a cash purchase, you bear this risk yourself.
Securely process cashless payments with a cash register system
The market for cashless payments in Switzerland is dominated by the providers SIX Payment Services and Aduno. There are also a small number of other providers. As a rule, all cash register systems are equipped with suitable interfaces to the end devices for card payments, but there are devices that can only communicate with certain providers. It is best to pay attention to this before you buy, as every cashless payment is associated with costs that you as a retailer bear. The cheaper the offer, the higher your margin.
The SumUp POS iPad POS system
SumUp offers you an innovative solution for payment processing from a single source. The tablet-based POS system offers an interface for wireless payments via the SumUp Air card reader, a receipt printer, a cash drawer and an optional barcode scanner. The complete system is delivered with a white iPad and a high-quality iPad stand and is fully configured and ready for use in your company. The iPad cash register costs only CHF 1,300 once and also comes with a high-quality WiFi router that networks your devices with each other even without internet access. In this way, you will not be disrupted by even short Internet line failures and your payment processing will continue to run smoothly.
In addition to the one-off costs of CHF 1,300, there are annual fees for the licenses. Depending on the scope you want, you pay between CHF 599 and CHF 1,599 per year for the first license. Additional licenses cost just another CHF 599 for each range of functions. All licenses include extensive customer service and telephone support for installing the devices. From the Pro license, our cash register system also supports you with the annual inventory. The app determines your current inventory at any time and automatically deducts sales from the inventory.
Cloud access and data export – the SumUp cash register offers more
The SumUp POS system gives you access to all important data at any time, whether on site or on the go. If you wish, you can save all relevant data in the SumUp cloud in a secure location. The software also supports the export of data in DATEV format. With this interface, your tax advisor receives optimally prepared data for accounting.
