What to look for when deciding on POS equipment and systems
The better resellers have the ability to understand your needs correctly and come up with a complete system that’s best suited to your needs. They need to provide the integration, installation, customization and ongoing support for your equipment.
You can also find POS vendors on the ‘net. They usually have a few basic configurations which they suggest. Where possible, go with a reputed local vendor, especially if you are a medium-to-large establishment. If you are a small outlet, you may find a price advantage in buying from a ‘net based vendor.
There’s a wide range of pricing for POS systems -- from as low as $2000 per terminal to $10,000 or more. It depends on the specific requirements of your operation, the level of customization required, whether there are multiple locations, and a whole host of other factors.
At the low end, you can probably get a complete POS system for say $2000 or so. But that might be without installation, customization and support from the vendor. Not very advisable.
On the whole, price should not be the major factor while choosing a point of sale system.
As your needs grow and you expand your operations, your POS systems need to be upgraded / modified. Apart from ongoing maintenance issues, this is a key reason you need to work with a good vendor, one who is responsive to your needs and is willing to meet them fully.
You may need software upgrades as well as additional / new hardware. To avoid compatibility issues, it is best to stick to one system rather than try to create a mix of two or more.
Discuss the finer details of your contract upfront with your reseller. Are software upgrades free? How are these upgrades priced -- is it included in your original price or do you have to pay extra?
Also try to get an understanding of the extent to which the manufacturer is willing to support the hardware and software -- is the line or configuration likely to be dropped soon? That can cause problems for you later on.
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