Setting up a Point of Sale is a basic task that retailers face while opening a shop. No matter if you are a seasoned player or a newbie, this list will come in handy while installing a POS in your business.

Point of Sales, aka as POS, are an essential tool in the retail business (when was the last time you saw a non-digital till being used?). As the years go by, new systems are being released which affects the minimum specifications required  to run a POS smoothly. If you run a Point of Sale on an old computer you may face crashes (oh no!), slow performance (double no!), and even data losses (oh no, no, no!).

Before you head out to buy your next POS hardware, take into consideration the following advice so you ensure that all transactions will be recorded securely and you will be able to checkout your clients without any issue.

Minimum System Requirements for running a POS

Beyond processing power, what matters the most while installing a POS is connectivity. The minimum recommended Internet speed is 2 Mbps download / 1 Mbps upload while the optimal Internet speed would be 6 Mbps download / 2 Mbps upload.

What browser is the best for a POS?

Anything but Internet Explorer (we mean it!). The top browsers recommended for managing a Point of Sale are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. While Chrome has dozens of add-on integrations, while Mozilla Firefox recent updates makes it a privacy powerhouse.

What memory & speed is recommended to run a Point of Sale?

To run a POS, you will need a computer with a CPU speed of 1 GHz or higher processor, 1 GB of Ram memory and 3GB of hard drive space. You can find brand new laptops with these specs for as little as $350, which is great for new retailers.

What printers are compatible with POS?

POS usually work with any printer that is compatible with the rest of the hardware, however it is recommended to get one that can also drive a cash drawer. That being said, Point of Sales installed on iPads seem to run smoothly with the EPSON Star printer series.

What cash drawer should be used with a POS?

The cash drawer is a vital part of your POS. Your best choice is to get a “printer-driven” cash drawer, which attaches to the printer so the drawer pops every time a receipt is printed. Cash drawers connected directly to a CPU will not work with Point of Sale systems like Erply.

What barcode scanners are compatible with Point of Sales?

Although you can work Point of Sales without needing a scanner, checkouts will be a breeze by investing in a good barcode scanner that can be set to keyboard mode. In the particular case of iPad POS, you should use a bluetooth-compatible barcode scanner that can toggle between the device keyboard and the scanner.

To learn more about the basics of running a Point of Sale visit the Erply blog. You can also follow the latest updates regarding Erply POS and other retail management solutions via Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram.