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The basic POS systems you may see on a typical retail establishment consists of a cash register with or without a built in cash drawer, monitor, receipt printers, and an input device. It can also be a touch screen monitors, programmable keyboards, or scanners and handheld devices for inputting data into the POS system.

Touch screen technology: Many retail business owners find touch screen monitors as more intuitive to use than keyboards, as it can reduce mistypes and can easily cancel inputted orders in milliseconds, and because it provides flexible user interfaces and programming. Touch screens also uses less electricity and much easier to position on the counter table, but they can be more prone to breakdowns.

Handheld devices: Restaurant PDAs are handheld devices, commonly wireless, that transmits data back to its base station. You can use the newer version, which is the write-on handhelds that allows you to write detail such as the orders and directly sends the oder to the kitchen! These types of handheld devices are perfect for your staff who interacts with your customers, when up-selling desserts and drinks roaming around table per table.

Keyboards: You’ll find that most grocery and convenient stores prefer to use this type of POS hardware because it allows them to program individual keys for specific item codes and prices. A standard keyboard consists of 101-key, like with any computer. Others are small and flat, which are common in fast food chains. POS keyboards often has a built-in magnetic stripe readers for processing credit cards.

Scanners: This restaurant hardware reads bar codes and converts it before inputting it’s data to the POS computer. It fastens sales transactions and accurately inputs a customer’s product or service details that is being purchased. It typically connects through Y-connectors (called wedges) which makes them function as an extension of your keyboard.

Customers’ volume: For diffent types of volume of customers, using a scanner can be very helpful. If the counter line has several customers, then its good to use a CCD scanner or entry-level laser scanner. If the line is loaded with customers, then autosensing laser scanners would be the best choice. It’s a type of laser scanner that automatically turns on when you place an item in front of it, scans its code, and then turn off again. But if the counter line is overflowing with customers, an omnidirectional scanner would be the right scanner to use, where it scans a bar code from any angle with its 15 or 20 lasers simultaneously!

Additional POS hardware to consider

Cash Drawer: Used to store cash, credit card slips, gift certificates and other important papers. When looking to buy a cash drawer, look for a sturdy construction of at least 18-gauge steel, don’t just buy one because your local vendor tells you that it’s the best or simply because it looks fancy. Go for the most reliable cash drawer since the usable life of cash drawers are measured, you also have to make surer that you can replace rollers, bearings, and other parts. Most cash drawers opens only when it is signaled by the POS printer.

POS printers: Every retail store owner has them, every POS system needs one of course! POS printers are used for printing customer receipts and creating credit card slips. The dot matrix printers, also known as impact printers, are inexpensive and uses ink ribbon to print on regular paper. While thermal printers use heat and special heat-sensitive paper to generate receipts. It is slightly expensive than a dot matrix printer because it’s faster and quieter when printing receipts. They are also more reliable because they have less moving parts.

POS Customer display: Also called the pole display. This restaurant hardware lets your customer view their item and its price, and sometimes used to support advertising. When buying a customer display, make sure that you check for the right height and width, which will perfectly fit your counter table, and its compatibility with your POS software.

Check readers: Advisable for restaurants, fast food chains, hotels, casinos, and convenient stores. The check reader prevents fraud by verifying essential account information. By this, you are assure that every check in your cash drawer is authentic.

Magnetic stripe readers: This piece of hardware is used to read credit cards. You may find some keyboards and touch screens has a built-in magnetic strip readers for convenience.

Fingerprint ID readers: Mostly this type of hardware is used for employee login. But it is very helpful to limit which staff can access a POS terminal and prevent other staff from logging in for somebody as a favor.

Keep in mind, when purchasing for POS systems, hardware or software, make sure to know the item first before heading to your local supplier. No matter how expensive or cheap a POS equipment is, keep in mind the environment where you’re going to use it. Regular cleaning will keep your peripherals in tip top shape, vacuuming dust and lubing your receipt printer can extend its life and maintaining your workstation clean can definitely help your POS terminal from dust and spills. You can always request for a FREE POS system quote online where local suppliers will offer you competitive price lists of any restaurant hardware and software you need based on the the information you provide them. So you would never have to waste money buying the wrong POS systems.

For more information on restaurant POS systems or to have a local POS professional serving the restaurant industryin your location see more information at POS-For-Restaurants.com.