Start with how you sell
The right system depends less on brand than on the shape of the business. Write down these facts before any demo, because they rule most options in or out:
- Retail or food service. Retail needs item and variant inventory, barcode support and purchase orders. Restaurants need table and seat management, modifiers, coursing, kitchen printers or a kitchen display, and tip handling.
- Number of stations and locations. A single counter can run on a tablet. Several registers, a bar and a patio, or more than one store, need central reporting and consistent menus or price books.
- Where the internet is weak. Every cloud POS should say what happens when the connection drops. Ask whether it keeps taking cards offline, how many transactions it will store, and who carries the risk if a stored card later declines.
- What it must talk to. Accounting, ecommerce, online ordering, payroll and time clocks, loyalty and gift cards. An integration that exists on a feature list may still be a paid add-on or a third-party app.
The hardware
A typical station is a tablet or all-in-one terminal, a card terminal, a receipt printer, a cash drawer and, in retail, a barcode scanner. Two questions matter more than specifications:
- Is the hardware generic or proprietary? Printers, drawers and scanners that speak standard protocols can be bought anywhere and moved to another system later. Proprietary terminals often work only with one software vendor and one processor.
- Is the card terminal locked to a processor? Many terminals are programmed, or physically built, to run on one processor only. If you change processors, the terminal becomes scrap, and the new provider will want to sell or lease you another one.
If all you need is a till with departments and a Z report, a cash register is simpler and cheaper, and pairs with a standalone terminal.
How processing is priced
Every card sale pays an interchange fee to the card-issuing bank, an assessment to the card network, and a markup to the processor. The pricing model decides how those are presented to you.
| Model | How it is billed | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rate | One percentage plus a fixed per-transaction fee for most cards | Simple to read and forecast. Usually costs more per sale once volume grows or average tickets are large. |
| Interchange-plus | The card network's interchange and assessment fees passed through at cost, plus a stated processor markup | The most transparent model. Statements are longer, but the markup is visible and can be negotiated. |
| Tiered | Transactions sorted into qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified buckets at different rates | The processor decides which bucket a card falls into, so the headline rate often applies to a minority of sales. |
| Subscription or membership | A monthly fee plus interchange at cost and a small per-transaction fee | Can be cheap at high volume. Check the monthly fee against a slow month. |
The only fair comparison is the effective rate: total fees on a statement divided by total card volume on that statement. Send each bidder a recent statement and ask them to show what the same month would have cost, all fees included.
The contract traps
- Early termination fees. Merchant agreements often run three years and renew automatically. Some charge a fixed fee to leave; others charge "liquidated damages" calculated from the fees you would have paid for the rest of the term. Find the clause and the notice window for cancelling renewal.
- Terminal leases. Card terminal leases are usually written by a separate finance company and are commonly non-cancellable. Closing the business or changing processors does not end the payments. Over a typical lease term the total paid can be several times the price of buying the same terminal outright.
- Hardware bundled with processing. "Free" hardware is paid for through the processing rate or a longer contract. Ask what happens to the hardware, and what you owe, if you leave early.
- Monthly add-ons. Statement fees, PCI compliance or non-compliance fees, monthly minimums, batch fees, gateway fees and chargeback fees. None is large; together they change the effective rate.
- Rate increases. Check whether the processor can raise its markup during the term, and how much notice it must give.
- Your data. Ask whether you can export items, customers and sales history in a usable format when you leave. Card data stored for recurring billing may be held by the processor and hard to move.
Security and compliance
Any business that accepts cards must follow the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Using terminals that encrypt the card from the moment it is read reduces how much of it applies to you. Surcharging card customers is governed by card network rules and, in some states, by state law, so check before adding a fee. The card terminals guide covers EMV, contactless and PCI in more detail.
Your POS is also a sales tax and payroll record. Tax rates, tip reporting and how long to keep sales records are questions for your accountant.
Cash handling around the POS
A POS counts what should be in the drawer; it does not count what is. Pair it with a bill counter, a coin counter for the tills, and a drop safe for cash taken out during the shift.
Before you buy
- List stations, locations, and the integrations you cannot live without.
- Get at least three quotes, each costed against one of your real processing statements.
- Ask whether the card terminal works with other processors, and whether any equipment is leased.
- Read the term, auto-renewal, early termination and rate-change clauses.
- Confirm offline card acceptance and data export.
- Buy generic printers, drawers and scanners where the software supports them.
- Price the software per station per month over three years, including add-ons.
Cash drawers
Affiliate linksPrinter-driven cash drawers open when a receipt prints. Check the cable matches your printer's drawer port.
Oepmoc
16.4" Cash Drawer with Media Slot, POS Cash Register with 5 Bill 8 Coin Slots, RJ11/RJ12 Printer-Driven, 3-Position Key Lock, Heavy-Duty Steel Cash Register for for Small Businesses
HP
HP Cash Drawer - Cash Drawer - 2 Media Slot - 3 Lock Position - Printer Driven - Black - 4.3" Height x 16.3" Width x 16.2" Depth
EOM-POS
EOM-POS Cash Drawer with Brackets, Receipt Printer, for Square Register
Prices retrieved from Amazon on 2026-09-29 and may since have changed; the price on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. No manufacturer pays for a place in this list.
Thermal receipt printers
Affiliate links80 mm direct thermal counter printers with an auto-cutter. Check your POS software's supported list before buying.
Rongta
Rongta 80mm Thermal POS Receipt Printer with Auto Cutter
Rongta
Rongta POS Printer, 80mm Direct Thermal Receipt Printers with Auto Cutter, USB Serial Ethernet Interface, Support Windows/Mac/Linux Cash Drawer, Restaurant Kitchen Printer for ESC/POS (RP332)
NetumScan
NetumScan USB POS Receipt Printer, 80mm Thermal Receipt Printer with Auto Cutter Cash Drawer, 300mm/s, Support Windows/Mac/Linux, Restaurant Kitchen Printer for ESC/POS(Only USB Interface) 8360
NETUM
NETUM NT-861 Bluetooth Thermal Receipt Printer, 80mm POS Printer with Auto Cutter, High-Speed 260mm/s, USB+LAN+BT Interface, Support ESC/POS, for Retail Restaurant (Black)
Prices retrieved from Amazon on 2026-09-29 and may since have changed; the price on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. No manufacturer pays for a place in this list.