This refers to the ability to move POS functionality out from behind the cash register station and into the hands of roving employees for faster, more customer-centric business transactions. In that vein, one of the most popular trends in today's POS systems is mobility.

A little more on this later.ДЄnd while the software half of the POS system equation is probably most important, especially in a cloud-based solution, many retail businesses will still require a hardware half. Ensuring that your vendor has your back in these situations is key, but knowing exactly how and where that support will come from is critical, too. These systems can suffer not only from software problems but also from internet connectivity issues. A backup solution is essential here and that's especially true in the case of cloud-based POS systems. But just because you have someone on the phone doesn't mean your system is back online you're still losing revenue every time an impatient customer walks out of the store. If the system crashes at the start of your busy period, then how easy is to get someone on the phone? That's a question that can often be solved by paying for the appropriate support plan. The other half includes whether or not that implementation will annoy or please your customers as well as whether or not it will help or hinder your Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)-compliance efforts.ДЄnother critical area may not be a POS trend but it's still something you'll need to be very careful attention to: product support. Making sure your POS system candidate can handle these new emerging systems is only half of the equation. These features include the ability for customers to use two types of payment, for example, or to allow for returns, special pricing (for sales or special customers), gift cards, and surge pricing.ДЄnother fast-growing standard is the near-field communications (NFC) transaction, which is an electronic payment system being popularized by mobile giants such as Apple Pay and Google Wallet ( at Google Pay). Once you get past the minimum functionality, then depending on the needs of your business, there are other features that you'll want to look for. The ability to 'dip' these cards means additional or new hardware for which some POS systems charge a bit extra. EMV is the standard that is said to provide more security than the swipe-and-sign tech we've been using for the past decade or so. Some, but not all, also accept 'contactless' payment types, such as Amazon Pay or Apple Pay.ДЄn important factor to note is that the introduction of Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV), or chipped cards, has complicated things somewhat for small vendors. There are a variety of ways that people get paid today and your POS system should handle all of the methods you need, including cash, checks, and credit and debit cards. The point of a good POS system is to let you get paid for products and services. (Image credit: Statista) Key Software Features Most Popular Consumer Payment Methods, 2018-2019 If you're wondering what kinds of payment options your POS should support, consider the chart of popular brick-and-mortar payment methods compiled by market research firm Statista from a consumer survey the firm conducted in March 2019. It's best to have a POS system in place that has payment flexibility built-in rather than having to swap out a new system. Your customers may be primarily using one or two payment methods now, but give how quickly payment options can change, those customers may be asking for new options soon. The POS systems we reviewed are predominantly focused on SMBs that sell from one to 25 outlets, although a few may handle up to 100.ДЄnother important aspect of POS software is broad support for new payment systems. Such functions include replacing inventory, tracking employee productivity, and noting what sells and what doesn't.

That's because it's the software that lets you track sales, issue receipts, and perform back-office functions. This means they communicate with back-end accounting software and can handle multiple kinds of payments.Дespite the cash register motif, however, when people talk about POS systems, they're mostly referring to the software, which could be client-based or cloud-based. While there are several kinds of payment processing solutions available, including credit card readers and various new mobile payment methods, the POS systems we reviewed are full-on cash registers. POS systems now integrate more seamlessly with other back-end applications such as customer relationship management (CRM) and inventory management.

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