POS Hardware System Guide

It’s common to see small businesses using a tablet or low-budget laptop as their “register” these days. iPads tend to be popular, and slightly more expensive, choices, but it’s difficult to compete with their convenience. Some companies will also offer iPads in their hardware bundles.

Most of these systems only need an operating system and an internet connection to run your POS software. These options also leave a much smaller footprint on your counter than a traditional register and are far more versatile.

• Related: Cash Register VS POS System

Speaking of tablets, most POS systems offer a piece of hardware known as a tablet stand. This includes a case to protect the tablet and may also have a base that swivels to allow your customer to use the screen to leave a tip or sign their electronic receipt. Some, like Square Stand, can also include a mount if you wish to place your tablet on a wall for easier customer access and self-ordering.

If a swivel stand is not available, POS systems compensate for this by including some form of customer-facing display that shows the order, total price, tip screen, and signature page. This is usually another tablet or a smaller proprietary screen on the front of the register terminal.

• Related: 7 Best Tablet POS Systems

One of the most important parts of a POS system is the credit card terminal. This is the piece of hardware that is used to take card and/or contactless payments.

Credit card terminals come in many different forms, including:

• Basic mag stripe card readers
• All-purpose card readers (can accept chip, dip, swipe, and tap payments)
• A small device plugged into your smartphone or tablet
• Portable Bluetooth card readers
• Full-service card readers that also print receipts.

These systems will either be proprietary or able to move easily to another system if you choose to change your POS provider.

Any card reader you choose should be EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) compliant and able to accept NFC payments.

Though some customers prefer emailed receipts, it’s not a bad idea to offer a printed receipt when you can.

For quick, high-volume receipt printing, a thermal receipt printer is usually a good choice, though hot environments, such as a food truck, might use an impact printer. Printers can be wired directly to your register or connected via Bluetooth. Certain mobile processors like Square Terminal or Clover Flex, come with a built-in receipt printer that can print on the go.

In just about any retail setup, you will need a barcode scanner to scan items.

The scanner is usually a handheld device that includes a stand and a USB cord. However, the scanner may also be wireless or built into the register itself. You can usually either purchase these directly through a POS company’s website of purchase a bundle that includes a scanner.

A cash drawer allows you to accept cash payments and give change.

It’s common for cash drawers to be physically connected to a POS register. They are often used as the base for a tablet stand or other smaller register system because they are typically large and heavy.

Any business should have internet service that connects with your POS hardware.

If your POS system is locally installed, you need to have an onsite server. This typically looks like a PC or Mac desktop in the back office that is connected to your POS hardware via physical wiring or Bluetooth.

If your POS system is cloud-based, you need to have a strong wireless connection. This may mean using hotspots for dead zones in your building or connecting your system physically to an ethernet connection.

• Related: The Difference Between Cloud-Based & Locally Installed POS Systems

A POS-integrated scale may be necessary if you ring up items based on weight rather than quantity. This is mostly useful for produce sellers at farmers markets, frozen yogurt shops, and laundromats that offer wash-and-fold services.

In addition to your main POS, you might have handheld tablets or iPads used for tableside ordering and/or tableside payments.

Mobile POS devices are typically used in restaurant or bar environments for tableside ordering, but they can also be used in retail environments where employees take sales from the floor.

Restaurants need POS hardware that lets them communicate with the kitchen. With a restaurant setup, a kitchen printer prints food orders sent from the point of sale to the restaurant’s kitchen. These orders may come from your main POS, handheld ordering tablets, and/or online orders.

Alternatively, your restaurant might use a digital kitchen display system, or KDS, which displays orders on an iPad (e.g., Square KDS) or another type of screen. 

Digital signage like electronic menu boards allows quick-serve restaurants, breweries, and other businesses with frequent menu changes to communicate better with customers at the counter.

• Related: Improve Your Restaurant Ordering System

A self-service kiosk allows customers to check out on their own. As with other types of POS screens, your kiosk can be an iPad, Android tablet, or proprietary hardware. Kiosk POS systems are used in both retail and restaurant applications.