A POS computer system is a computer running till software: a touchscreen, sometimes a small PC behind it, more often a tablet. It replaces a mechanical cash register with something that knows your prices, records every sale and can be asked questions afterwards. The card machine sits beside it, on a separate contract.
The POS register against the cash register
A cash register totals and stores. A POS computer holds a product catalogue with VAT and variants, tracks who sold what, and produces a day end report rather than a tape. For a business with staff or stock that difference is the whole point. For a single operator with twenty products, a register or a card reader with a notebook genuinely still works.
Till and card machine: two contracts
The till is software licensed monthly plus hardware. The card machine is an acquiring account charged as a percentage. Suppliers who sell both often quote one monthly figure, and the split is what lets you compare each against the market. Published card rates run from 0.79% to 1.75%; published till tiers from free to about 200 pounds a month.
What a point of sale till build costs
EPOS Direct publishes indicative bands for a touchscreen terminal, a thermal receipt printer and a barcode scanner, and a business size table running from a sole trader's tablet and card reader up to a multi lane retailer. A tablet based build is materially cheaper than a dedicated terminal and is what most current UK suppliers sell.
Questions people ask about pos computer system
Is a POS system just a cash register?
No. A cash register totals sales; a POS computer holds a priced catalogue, records who sold what and reports on it. That difference is what a monthly licence buys.
Do I need a separate card machine with a POS computer?
You need an acquiring account, and the terminal usually sits beside the till or integrates with it. It is a separate contract even where the same supplier sells both.
What does a POS counter build cost?
A few hundred pounds for a tablet based build. EPOS Direct publishes indicative bands per component and by business size, which is a fair check on any bundled quote.
Does a POS system cash register build cost more than a plain register?
Yes, and it buys something different. A register totals and stores; the POS build holds a catalogue with VAT and variants, records who sold what and produces a day end report rather than a tape. With staff or stock that difference is the whole point, and for a single operator with a short product list it is not, so the cheaper answer depends on which of those you are.