Why Your Small Business Needs More Than a Basic Cash Register

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When many people think of a cash register suitable for a small business, they don’t picture a touch screen system. Instead, they picture the old-fashioned cash register, complete with a cash drawer and manual buttons, that has been a longstanding machine used for facilitating sales. However, the best cash register for small businesses is often a point-of-sale (POS) system instead. We’re going to focus on why a basic cash register is insufficient for small businesses and why a POS system is a much better choice to help your business succeed. We’ll look at the pros and cons of each, so you can make a fully-informed decision for your small business.

What’s the Difference Between a Cash Register and a POS System?

Cash registers have been around since the late 19th century. After discovering the technology used to count the revolutions of a ship’s propeller, a saloon owner in Ohio named James Ritty created a machine that could keep track of his sales. He patented the machine in 1879 and called it Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier. This first cash register didn’t include a cash drawer — it only tallied totals from each sales transaction. After Ritty sold the rights to his invention, John H. Patterson founded the National Cash Register Company in 1884 and popularized this machine with business owners all over the nation. The cash register has long been a staple piece of technology for business, both big and small. Today, many small businesses still rely on traditional cash registers to facilitate transactions. Modern cash registers are electronic, but they still fulfill the basic functions of earlier cash registers. Electronic cash registers consist of a cash drawer, a small display screen and buttons the cashier can press to add up dollar amounts, assign sales to particular departments and calculate change. Some registers will also print a basic receipt.Cash registers are essentially calculators designed for sales transactions attached to a drawer to keep cash secure. So, how does the traditional cash register compare to a POS system? A POS system takes advantage of modern technology to expand greatly on the basic capabilities of a cash register. Like a basic register, a POS system includes a cash drawer. POS systems vary, but with an all-in-one POS system, you can also expect additional integrated hardware, such as:
  • Barcode scanners
  • Scales
  • Receipt printers
  • Credit card processors
These components are typically all separate for businesses that use cash registers. At a glance, one of the most significant things that sets a POS system apart is that it features a touch screen, which no longer limits cashiers to a set of manual buttons. Now, cashiers can access multiple menus and options to fulfill a range of functions. Because of this advanced hardware, a POS system is sometimes called a touch screen cash register, but POS software is capable of doing far more than just facilitating sales transactions. It may also be able to:
  • Track inventory
  • Record sales analytics
  • Log employee shifts
  • Facilitate sales promotions
It’s easy to see how a POS system offers far more capabilities than even the best cash registers. If you want to upgrade from a standard cash register, a POS system is the modern solution that your small business needs.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Each?

Now that you know the difference between a cash register and a POS, you may be wondering which of these options is the best choice for your small business. As with almost any comparison, there are pros and cons to each option. Let’s start with the advantages of cash registers and then look at the disadvantages of this more basic option.

Pros and Cons of Cash Registers

Digital cash registers do have some advantages compared to POS system, including:
  1. Affordability: Cash registers tend to cost less than POS systems, which is helpful for small businesses with a limited budget. Since there is no software involved, you won’t have to pay a monthly or annual fee to maintain software, so the upfront cost you’ll pay for your cash register — which could be up to $800 — is the full cost, with the exception of potential maintenance costs to fix a malfunctioning register.
  2. Familiarity: If your employees are already used to using basic cash registers, then they may find it easier to stick to the method they’re familiar with. However, since cash registers come in different models, it’s likely that employees who have used a cash register before will still need some training to learn how to operate your business’s specific model. In contrast, POS systems are designed to be cutting-edge and therefore will be updated continuously with new software improvements and features that will help you run your business better.
Cash registers also come with their share of cons compared to POS systems. Here are some of the main disadvantages to consider:
  1. No Integration: Cash registers are independent machines that are not integrated with other components you need to facilitate the checkout process, such as a barcode scanner and card reader. If you have multiple registers, they won’t be integrated with each other, either. This lack of integration means there is no communication among your equipment to streamline the process.
  2. No Inventory Tracking: Cash registers simply aren’t designed to help you manage your inventory, so you can’t count on a cash register to tell you when to order more product or when you may be overstocking a certain product. This means you have to rely on manual methods for tracking inventory.
  3. No Sales Analytics: Some cash registers may truly be like a calculator that wipes the slate clean after each transaction. Other cash registers are made to keep track of the day’s sales so cashiers can balance the cash register drawer. In either case, a cash register will not keep track of sales data long-term, so you have to do this manually, which is time-consuming and is likely to be inaccurate.
  4. Inefficient Checkout: Even if you’re only interested in facilitating sales transactions, a cash register does not provide the most efficient checkout experience. Having to punch in totals and manually subtract savings from promotions results in a slower process, which can feel cumbersome to cashiers and frustrating to shoppers who are in a hurry.
  5. No Screen: Even though digital cash registers have a small display screen, similar to the screen on a calculator, all this screen will display are the totals as the cashier rings up items. If you want a larger display screen that includes more detailed information for the customer, then you’ll need a POS system. A POS system also includes a touch-screen for the cashier.

Pros and Cons of POS Systems

Now that we’ve covered the pros and cons of cash registers, let’s focus on POS systems. POS systems offer many benefits, but we’ll hit the highlights with six significant advantages that a POS offers compared to a cash register:
  1. User-Friendliness: One of the advantages of POS systems is that they’re user-friendly. The touchscreen features clear, colorful buttons that make navigating through features easy. The interface will feel familiar to employees who are used to using a smartphone or touchscreen tablet, which means they may not need a great deal of training.
  2. Integration: Especially if you purchase an all-in-one POS system, you also benefit from the fact that all the components needed for checkout are seamlessly integrated together. If you need multiple checkout lanes or even if you have multiple store locations, POS systems with cloud-based software will all send information to an app so you can access all your data in one place.
  3. Inventory Management: Managing your inventory is a critical aspect of any small business. A POS system makes inventory tracking easy by maintaining an accurate account of what you have in stock, letting you know when to order new stock and providing data to help you accurately determine which products are helping your business grow and which may be a financial drain.
  4. Sales Analytics: A POS system also helps you make data-driven decisions to help grow your business. They track sales, so you can quickly answer questions like what your peak times are, which cashiers have facilitated the most transactions, whether a promotion helped boost your sales and more.
  5. Efficient Checkout: If you’re more concerned with the checkout experience itself rather than the additional features a POS offers, it’s important to note that a POS also provides a more efficient checkout process, which will please employees and customers alike. A POS automates multiple aspects of checkout so you can maintain accuracy and get customers checked out quickly.
  6. Dual Screens: All POS systems feature a touchscreen which makes the checkout process far more visually engaging for employees. Some POS systems also feature a display screen for customers. This customer-facing screen can help you improve sales since it provides transparency and can even display ads to inform the customer of upcoming promotions.
Despite all of these advantages, purchasing a POS system does have some potential disadvantages, including:
  1. Higher Cost: The main disadvantage that concerns some small businesses, especially start-ups, is that POS systems cost more than cash registers. While POS systems are more expensive than cash registers, they include many more features that will help your business become more profitable. Consider the many other components and software programs you would need to buy if you opted for a cash register instead of a POS, and the real price gap quickly disappears.
  2. Software Updates: POS systems are intended to keep up with current technology so they remain the best piece of sales technology you can have. This means that POS software will need to be updated from time to time. If your software is stored in-house, this can be an inconvenience. However, if you go with a cloud-based system, you’ll enjoy automatic updates whenever the developers improve the software.
  3. Potentially Intimidating: A final possible downside to consider is that a POS system is a departure from the old, familiar cash register. This may be intimidating to some employees who are not used to using modern touch-screen technology. That said, 42% of Americans aged 65 and up own smartphones, so it’s likely that all or nearly all of your employees will embrace the technology with some familiarity.

Why Do Small Businesses Need More Than a Basic Cash Register?

As we’ve seen, cash registers are extremely limited in their capabilities compared to POS systems, which do far more than just help you ring up customers. In light of the advantages POS systems offer, it should be clear that they are preferable for any small business that can afford them. Even if you’re worried about the cost, you should still consider investing in a POS system for a few reasons. There are many reasons to invest in a POS system, but we’ll focus on three main reasons why you need a modern POS system instead of a basic cash register:

1. To Offer a Modern Checkout Experience

Customers today are often in a hurry and expect the checkout process to be efficient. That’s why retailers are always on the lookout for ways to speed up checkout time. Using a POS is an excellent way to do this since it integrates hardware and uses cutting-edge software to offer a seamless checkout experience. No more punching in discounts or getting frustrated over errors. A POS makes it quick and easy to facilitate sales in a way that shows customers you’re committed to the best technology has to offer.

2. To Manage Your Business Effectively

A POS system also gives you valuable tools to help you manage your business, from employees and inventory to promotions and more. These are all major aspects of management, so if you don’t have a POS to help you, you’ll find yourself relying on outmoded methods or software options that may work well on their own but aren’t integrated. A POS allows you to view data and make changes all in one place, so you can manage effectively, either on-site or on the go.

3. To Increase Sales

Finally, when customers are pleased with the checkout experience they have at your business, and you leverage data to make smart decisions about what products you carry, when you run a sale and more, you can expect your sales to climb. If your POS system comes with loyalty software, this can encourage more repeat business. A POS system is a financial investment, but for many small businesses, it could help you become more profitable.

Choose the NRS POS System to Replace Your Small Business Cash Register

Cash registers may have been a cutting-edge piece of technology back in the 19th century, but today, they pale in comparison to the capabilities offered by a POS system. The best small business cash register isn’t just a cash register. It’s a modern all-in-one POS system, complete with all the components you need to facilitate sales and help your business succeed. The POS+ from National Retail Solutions is designed with small businesses like yours in mind, so it’s an excellent option to consider. Request a free quote today, and see how you could see your business grow by bringing your point of sale into the modern age.

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