How We Review and Test Point-of-Sale Systems

What Makes a Good POS System?

When choosing a POS system, it’s important to know what sets a good one apart. We’ve highlighted the key factors below to help you understand what to look for. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it offers a solid foundation for evaluating systems that not only support your day-to-day tasks but also long-term growth.

• Fast Transactions – Speedy transactions to avoid unnecessary delays for customers.
• Flexible Payments – Ability to accept multiple payment methods (cash, card, mobile).
• Easy-to-Use – Intuitive interfaces that are quick to learn.
• Reliable – The system should work smoothly without downtime.
• Solid Reporting – Detailed sales reports, analytics, and customer insights to help make business decisions.
• Good Customer Management – Features like loyalty programs, discounts, or customer profiles.
• Include Key Features – Key features like payment reconciliation, inventory management, and employee management.

Our Testing Criteria for Point-of-Sale Systems

When we test POS systems, we follow a detailed set of hands-on testing criteria. Unlike in other software testing, like accounting, POS is customer-facing, so instead of focusing solely on functionality, we also focus on user experience (for both merchant and customer) and payment processing (including both software and hardware).

Our comprehensive testing process includes:

• Hands-on hardware and software testing
• Registering for free demos or trials
• Reviewing documentation and video tutorials
• Focus group interviews with merchants
• Third-party reviews and user forums

Having first-hand experience with the products allows us to create helpful guides with useful insights for small business owners across multiple industries to help them find a suitable system for their business.

Functionality and Features

Why: Many POS systems appear very similar at first glance, making it hard to differentiate them. The key difference lies in how these features perform under real-world conditions and how they align with a business’s specific operational needs. A well-optimized POS offers speedy transactions, can enhance customer experiences, and drive business growth.

How: We conduct hands-on testing in environments to replicate real-world scenarios that businesses like restaurants, retailers, and e-commerce stores face. This includes transaction speeds during peak times, processing multiple transactions simultaneously, offline functionality, managing customer data, and generating sales reports. With this information, we can assess if the system is reliable, intuitive, and capable of supporting the unique needs of small businesses.

Core Functionality We Test Hands-On

• Payment Processing – We evaluate how efficiently the POS system handles various payment types, including cash, card, and mobile payments, ensuring fast and secure transactions.
• Inventory Management – We assess the system’s ability to track stock levels in real-time, automate reordering, and provide alerts, helping businesses avoid stockouts or overstocking.
• Reporting and Analytics – We judge the POS on variety and depth of its reports, ensuring businesses can easily analyze sales trends, monitor performance, and make data-driven decisions.
• Integrations – We test the system’s ability to integrate with other essential tools, like accounting or CRM, allowing businesses to streamline operations by syncing data across multiple platforms.
• Customer Management – We evaluate how well the POS system supports customer profiles, loyalty programs, and personalized discounts, helping businesses enhance customer relationships and retention.

Ease of Use

Why: Small business owners often juggle multiple responsibilities and need a POS system that’s simple to operate without a steep learning curve. A user-friendly POS allows staff to process transactions quickly, reduces onboarding time, and minimizes costly mistakes during busy hours, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.

How: We evaluate ease of use by going through the setup and daily tasks ourselves, from initial configuration to processing payments and managing inventory. We assess how intuitive the system feels for first-time users, how easily staff can complete key tasks like ringing up sales or applying discounts, and whether the interface is designed logically for quick, efficient navigation.

Security

Why: Ensuring the security of transactions and customer data is critical for any POS system, especially as it handles sensitive payment information. Business owners need to trust that their system complies with industry standards like GDPR and PCI DSS, to protect against fraud, breaches, and unauthorized access to payment and customer data.

How: We assess the POS system’s security measures by testing whether it complies with PCI DSS and GDPR requirements, including encryption of payment data and secure storage. We also evaluate how well it implements features like multi-factor authentication, regular software updates, and data encryptions for both in-person and online transactions. Additionally, we review how well the system manages third-party integrations to prevent any vulnerabilities.

Compatibility

Why: For POS systems, compatibility for both hardware and software is crucial to ensure smooth operations across different devices like registers, card readers, barcode scanners, and printers. The system should work seamlessly within a business’s existing setup, whether it’s a restaurant using mobile POS devices or a retail store relying on fixed terminals.

How: We test the system’s compatibility with a range of hardware, including tablets, mobile devices, and additional hardware like receipt printers and barcode scanners. We assess whether the system runs smoothly on major operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS.

Reliability

Why: Having a reliable POS system is essential to keeping business operations running smoothly, especially during peak times. System downtime or malfunctions can lead to lost sales, frustrated customers, and operational bottlenecks. Business owners need a POS they can trust to work consistently, whether online or offline, and handle high transaction volumes without failure.

How: We rigorously test each system’s performance under both online and offline conditions to ensure it can function during internet outages. We simulate high-traffic environments, assessing whether the system processes transactions smoothly without lag or crashes. We also test the system’s ability to store and sync data once reconnected to the internet, ensuring there are no disruptions or loss of sales data during periods of downtime.

Price and Value for Money

Why: A POS system should offer a pricing structure that reflects its core features, providing value without unnecessary costs. Small business owners need transparent pricing that aligns with their budget and operational needs, avoiding hidden fees or overpaying for features they won’t use.

How: We assess value for money by examining whether the system offers transparent pricing plans, free trials, or money-back guarantees. We compare the costs to similar POS systems on the market and review features provided at each pricing tier. We check for hidden fees related to hardware, transaction rates, or additional services, ensuring that businesses get a clear understanding of costs upfront. Our evaluations of the system’s performance and features help us determine whether the price is justified based on the functionality it delivers.

Scalability and Future-Proofing

Why: It’s important that a POS system can grow alongside a business, adapting to increased sales, more locations, and emerging technologies. Business owners need a solution that won’t become obsolete as their operations expand or as industry trends evolve, ensuring they won’t need to switch systems frequently or risk falling behind competitors.

How: We test scalability by evaluating how well the POS system handles increasing transaction volumes, multiple users and locations, and offers customizable features as businesses grow. We assess future-proofing by looking at how regularly the system updates to incorporate new technology, payment methods, and industry standards.