Know Your POS Systems, Hardware and Software Befor Buying

The basic POS systems you may see on a typical retail establishment consists of a cash register with or without a built in cash drawer, monitor, receipt printers, and an input device. It can also be a touch screen monitors, programmable keyboards, or scanners and handheld devices for inputting data into the POS system.

Touch screen technology: With its flexible user interfaces and programming, many retail business owners prefer to use touch screens. With this type of POS hardware, an employee can easily set orders and cancel an order within a second. It can also reduce mistypes and fasten ordering. Touch screens also uses fewer electricity and much easier to position on the counter table, but they are more prone to breakdowns.

Handheld devices: Restaurant harware devices like PDAs, which are commonly wireless devices that transmits data back to its base station and into the POS system. You can also use the newer version, which is the write-on handhelds that allows you to write information such as the orders and sends them directly to the kitchen! These types of handheld devices are perfect for your staff who interacts with your customers, when up-selling desserts and drinks roaming around table per table.

POS keyboards: You’ll find that most grocery and convenient stores prefer to use this type of POS hardware because it allows them to program individual keys for specific item codes and prices. The standard POS keyboard is a  101-key, like what you will find with any computer. Others are small and flat, which we commonly see in fast food chains. POS keyboards often has a built-in magnetic stripe readers for processing credit cards.

Scanners: This restaurant hardware reads bar codes and converts it before inputting it’s information to the POS computer. This device fastens transactions and provide accurate data on products or services being purchased by a customer. Scanners can be connected through Y-connectors called wedges that make them function as an extension of the keyboard.

Volume of customers: When it comes to serving different volumes of customers, using this restaruant hardware can be very useful. If your counter line holds several customers, your staff can easily use a CCD scanner or entry-level laser scanner. If the line is loaded with customers, then autosensing laser scanners would be the perfect choice. It’s a type of scanner that automatically turns on when an item is placed in front of it, easily scan the barcode, and then turn off again. But if the counter line is overflowing with customers, then you’re staff could really use some help of an omnidirectional scanner, using its 15 or 20 lasers simultaneously, it can scan a bar code from any angle!

Additional POS hardware to consider

POS Cash Drawers: Where you store cash, checks, gift certificates, and other imporatant things. When looking to buy for a POS cash register, look for sturdy construction of at least 18-gauge steel. And since the usable life of a cash drawer is measured, make sure you can replace rollers, bearings, and other parts, because most cash drawers opens when a signal is released from the receipt printer.

Point of Sale printers: Every retail store owner has them, every POS system needs one of course! A POS printer is needed for printing a receipt and creating credit card slips. There are two types of POS printers, the dot matrix printer and the thermal printer. The dot matrix printer uses ribbons and regular paper to print. Thermal printers are slightly expensive compared to dot matrix printers because they are faster and quieter when printing, and they have less moving parts which makes them more realiable.

POS Customer display: A customer display or pole display lets your customers know the price of the item they’re purchasing and some support advertising. You also need to make sure that your customer display is of the right height and shape to fit in to your counter table, as well as it’s compatibility with your POS software.

Check readers: Advisable for restaurants, fast food chains, hotels, casinos, and convenient stores. The check reader prevents fraud by verifying essential account information. By this, you are assure that every check in your cash drawer is authentic.

Magnetic stripe readers: A simple piece of restaurant hardware that is used to read credit cards. For added convenience, look for POS keyboards and touch screens that has a built-in magnetic strip reader, so you don’t have to buy a separate one.

Fingerprint ID readers: If you want to limit which POS terminal can a staff use, then this type of restaurant hardware can be handy. You can also use this for employee logins thus preventing any of your employees from logging in inplace of somebody.

Always rememeber when purchasing a restaurant POS system, hardawre or software, you have to make sure that you review their details first. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on your POS equipment, keep in mind the environment where you’re going to use it. Regular cleaning keeps your keyboards and touch screens in top shape, vacuuming dust and lubing your receipt printer can extend its life and maintaining an over all clean workstation can help protect your POS computers from annoying dust and spills. You can always request for a FREE POS system quote online where local vendors will offer you competitive price lists of any restaurant hardware and software you need based on the the information you provide them. So you would never have to waste money buying the wrong POS systems.

For more information on restaurant POS systems or to have a local POS professional serving the restaurant industry in your location see more information at POS-For-Restaurants.com.