A point of sale (POS) system is the till, the stock register and the day-end cash count in one place. Choosing one for a shop in Pakistan means checking a few things that brochures rarely mention. Use this list with any seller.
Billing at the counter
- Speed: a bill with five items should take seconds, with barcode scanning or quick search. Ask to try it at a real counter, not on a demo screen.
- Receipts: check that it prints on your thermal printer and that the receipt shows your shop name, items, discounts and total.
- Returns and exchanges: a return should link back to the original sale and put the item back in stock.
- Split payments: customers often pay part cash and part by transfer. The system should record both.
Stock
- Stock moves automatically: every sale reduces stock and every purchase adds to it. If you must adjust by hand all day, it is not saving you time.
- Units and variants: can you sell by piece, dozen or kilo, and by size or colour?
- Low-stock alerts: you should see what to reorder before the shelf is empty.
- History: ask where you can see every movement of one item, so a missing quantity can be traced.
Credit customers and suppliers
Many shops run on khata. The system should keep a balance for each customer, record payments against it and show who owes what. The same applies to what you owe your suppliers.
Cash and staff control
- Shifts: each cashier should open and close a shift with a counted amount, so differences show up the same day.
- Rights: limit who may give discounts, change prices or delete a bill, and keep a record of changes.
When the internet drops
Ask exactly what happens. Can you keep billing and sync later, or does the till stop? A shop cannot close because of a connection problem.
More than one branch
Even a single shop may grow. Check that a second branch can be added with its own stock but one owner view.
Books and tax
Sales should flow into the accounts without retyping. If you issue tax invoices, ask how reporting to the authorities is handled for your business.
The seller
Ask who sets it up, who trains your cashier, how you reach support and whether you can take a full copy of your data at any time. A short trial on your own items is the best test.
How SOS helps
Checkout, stock and cash that are always true, with the same books, people and rights as every other trade on SOS.
See SOS for retail shops