A pos terminal machine is a hardware device used with POS software to process sales and transactions. It consists of a computer or tablet with POS software and other peripheral devices like a cash drawer, barcode scanner and receipt printer. It’s the modern equivalent of a traditional cash register and it allows businesses to accept a wide range of payment methods including cash, debit cards, credit cards, store credits and more. POS systems can also connect to external POS card readers for added security and functionality.
Some POS systems feature a digital customer display screen that allows customers to enter their own names and other information on-screen, rather than handwriting it out. This is especially useful for food and grocery stores that sell products based on weight. A POS system can also print itemised receipts that include the purchased product details and amount paid.
POS systems can offer valuable sales metrics, which are important for understanding performance across different locations, departments and individual employees. This can help inform staff scheduling, set sales goals and provide incentives. It can also be used to discover what’s selling and what isn’t, the days and times of the week when certain products are more popular and how promotions affect sales.
POS systems can also be used to manage inventory. They can send alerts when stock levels are low, automatically order products at predetermined levels and transfer stocks between locations if necessary. This can be a great help for businesses that need to keep their costs down, but still have to maintain a high level of service for their customers. pos terminal machine