| All retail businesses need to use cash registers but | | | | traditional cash register. However, businesses do have |
| more and more high street shops and stores are now | | | | lots of different alternatives. |
| turning away from the traditional designs and are | | | | They can buy a new POS machine. Used machines |
| switching to POS or, to give them their full name, Point | | | | are also widely available. The other options are to rent |
| Of Sale machines. These units are used to link | | | | a POS machine or lease one. The problem with renting |
| merchant accounts with credit card transactions. | | | | a POS machine is that the fees will rise over time, |
| They also serve as more than just a credit or debit | | | | perhaps doubling within five years. On the plus side, |
| card machine. They also act as cash registers, | | | | should your rented POS machine develop a fault, your |
| assuring the customer he is paying the right amount | | | | supplier will be forced to replace it. |
| and receiving the correct change should he prefer to | | | | There may also be a concern that the rapid rate of |
| pay by cash. | | | | innovation could make a POS machine obsolete in a |
| POS machines are simple to use. A credit card is | | | | relatively short time, making its acquisition a waste of |
| easily read by the machine and the sale immediately | | | | money. That argument can be countered by the fact |
| sent to be approved. Alternatively the account number | | | | that customer protection is becoming paramount, so |
| can be typed in and following approval the customer | | | | the security of the POS machine system ensures it will |
| receives and signs a receipt. In short, the use of one of | | | | remain in place for quite a while yet. |
| these machine saves on business costs and makes | | | | On having decided to install a POS machine, the next |
| the whole set up more efficient. These type of units | | | | decision to make is what type. Of course cost will be |
| make it very easy to monitor sales and process those | | | | a factor as well as the needs of your business. Dial up |
| sales very qucikly. | | | | POS machines are available that work down the |
| The only thing that could dissuade a business owner | | | | phone line, but they can be slow. For businesses with a |
| from installing a POS machine is the cost. This has to | | | | large footfall and that processes a large amount of |
| be weighed against future cost savings and benefits | | | | transactions a unit with a fast connection is the best |
| of having a unit installed against staying with a more | | | | option. |