How to choose a POS for a small business.

Map a normal sale and an awkward one

Write down a typical basket, a price change, a restricted discount and a return. Include products, services and options. Try those examples in a demonstration before deciding whether the till fits your staff.

• Can staff find the right category quickly?
• Are quantities, discounts and totals easy to understand?
• What happens when a payment result is uncertain?

Separate the POS from its payment hardware

A provider logo does not tell you whether the terminal is integrated. Native integration, hosted checkout and manual EFTPOS confirmation are different workflows. Ask which connection is supported, what credentials are needed and how interrupted payments are recovered. Check merchant fees with the payment provider.

Check the administration your business needs

For physical products, look at stock by store, adjustment history and opening quantities. For a team, review staff assignments and permissions. Multi-location businesses should test the same product with different store prices, then check which reports compare those stores.

Include the start and end of the day

Test device registration, staff sign-in and opening float. Review receipt branding and printer width. At close, compare completed sales with payment totals and counted cash. A fast basket is only one part of a usable system.

Compare the full monthly cost

List software, hardware, payment processing and any separate booking or accounting tools. NOX POS software is AUD $60 ex GST, $66 inc GST, per active store each month. Hardware and payment processing are separate. Use the calculator for your store count and confirm the setup you intend to use.

Turn the trial into a decision

Keep a short checklist with pass, needs adjustment and external dependency for each requirement. Use fictional examples where possible. Plan any live payment acceptance with your merchant provider and authorised business staff. Confirm catalogue migration coverage before moving your counter.