What is a Point of Sale Terminal?

A point of sale terminal is a common part of today’s retail technology that customers often see at checkout. The point of sale terminal is basically an electronic cash register, updated from older traditional models to include electronic/online technology for more versatility for tasks including credit card processing. Merchants can buy or rent a point of sale terminal along with other services and equipment according to their budget and needs.

Point of sale or or POS equipment is often part of an overall “merchant credit card account” or “credit card processing service” that third parties offer to a range of businesses. Companies of all sizes like to outsource POS credit card processing options to make their operations easier to manage. In these kinds of situations, the third-party service adds rented equipment to the bill for credit card processing.

Retailers and other businesses use various kinds of POS equipment. Smaller options like wireless POS modules or specific credit card reader machines are handy for mobile businesses such as event concessions or outdoor sales kiosks. Some of the POS technologies offered to these merchants include portable wireless options for recording and processing credit card transactions. In restaurants, business leaders sometimes use mobile POS solutions to help servers process credit card transactions at a table.

In contrast to these other mobile POS options, a point of sale terminal is most commonly a “wired” part of a semi-permanent retail installation. POS terminal models include cashier-operated and self-checkout options. Both are frequently attached to permanent installations for long-term retail use.

Over the years, as point of sale terminal technology improved, manufacturers found ways to incorporate more advanced features into these high tech cashiering machines. Self-checkout POS terminal designs often include handy software elements for managing preferred customer identification, complex sales like alcohol vending, and much more. In hospitalities, POS terminal designs can help staff book rooms or manage billing for amenities. In restaurants, POS technology can be meshed with table-waiting software for better control of a dining area.

Hospitalities, food service, and retail are not the only businesses that use point-of-sale terminals. Different types of point-of-sale terminals are popular with more obscure kinds of businesses that sell a specific product to a narrow target audience. These merchants can choose customized POS options and merchant credit card processing services that help them to make their business thrive using its own “economy of scale.” Those who are too small to benefit from some kinds of POS technologies on their own can cooperate with similar businesses if they share a POS environment. POS technology has changed the way the world does business, adding a lot of flexibility to the global marketplace.