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Whether you’re running a small market stall or a multi-venue operation, your point of sale will be the hub of your business. To help you choose the right setup, this article outlines how POS systems work and what you can expect from their hardware and software. What is a POS system? POS stands for point of sale, it refers to the place (in-person or online) where customers complete a purchase. A POS system is the combined hardware and software that is used to facilitate these purchases and assist the business in tracking and managing the sales. Today, POS systems encompass a variety of functions, including (but not limited to): Processing orders Taking payments Tracking inventory Providing sales analytics Generating receipts and order dockets Gathering marketing data Implementing customer loyalty programs POS systems vary greatly depending on the size of a business and the industry it's in, and come in the form of physical devices – such as countertop machines and mobile POS or 'mPOS' terminals – or virtual checkout points via online apps and kiosks for self-service orders. For small businesses, a smartphone or mobile device may suffice, while larger more complex operations may require computer systems, barcode scanners, receipt printers, and more. Read on to learn more about how POS systems work and the hardware and software included. How does a POS system work? There are four main steps involved in the point-of-sale process. Your POS system will use the data generated by the sale to offer you helpful business insights, and identify marketing opportunities. You will be able to understand which products are most popular, when your busiest time of day is, who your most valuable customers are, and more. What hardware is typically included in a POS system? If you operate a food truck or a market stall, you may opt for a mobile POS solution (also known as MPOS) which can be operated from a smartphone, tablet, or mobile EFTPOS terminal. However, for larger businesses, there is a range of POS hardware that can help support your operations. The following are the most typical pieces of hardware that are included in a POS system. Display and computer Many POS systems comprise a countertop computer where merchants can manage transactions, as well as a display that faces the customer. Traditionally, these machines have been bulky monitors with in-built cash drawers, but today, more and more businesses are opting for sleeker tablet-style setups. EFTPOS machine Businesses that process payments in-person, will at the very minimum, require an EFTPOS machine to accept card and contactless payments. These machines are most often supplied by a financial services provider like  Zeller  or a traditional banking institution. For smaller, more agile businesses that don’t want to be anchored down to the checkout counter, smartphone-based card readers such as  Tap to Pay with Zeller App  allow customers to make their purchase anywhere in the store. Cash drawer In Australia today, less than 20% of transactions use cash, which is why many businesses are choosing to go cashless. However, for those still accepting cash, you will need a cash drawer within your POS set up to securely store money securely and provide change to customers. Receipt printer While many modern POS providers are able to send digital receipts to customers via SMS or email, you may choose to offer your customers the option of a paper receipt. Additionally, if you run a hospitality business, you may need to print order dockets for the kitchen. In both cases, you will need a receipt and/or docket printer as part of your POS setup. Barcode scanner For businesses with a large product inventory, barcode scanners are a helpful way to quickly pull product information and add the cost to the checkout total. They help automate the checkout process, creating a faster and smoother customer experience. Plus, barcode scanners integrate with inventory management systems to automatically adjust stock levels. What features can I expect from POS software? Payment processing The most basic and important feature of a POS system is to accept payments. Depending on the needs of your business, this may include any or all of the following: Cash processing Accepting secure online payments through your eCommerce site Accepting credit and debit cards with an embedded chip Accepting contactless payments with mobile wallets (e.g., Google Pay, Apple Pay, Android Pay) Processing card-not-present transactions (ie. when your customer and their card aren’t in front of you so you have to manually enter their card details via  MOTO  or a  virtual terminal ) Inventory management Most POS systems include software that will automatically update your inventory whenever a customer orders a meal, or buys or returns an item. This allows you to easily track stock levels, anticipate when popular items will run out, and stay on budget by purchasing supplies only when necessary. Depending on the needs of your business you can find POS software that: Digitally scans products and counts them Manages stock variations (eg. size, colour, style, etc.) Uses unique serial numbers to track inventory Monitors inventory across multiple locations Automatically reorders popular items Table management For dine-in hospitality businesses, a POS system can also aid in managing floors and tables. Some software allows restaurants to make a visual floor plan, allowing staff to see what tables are occupied, reserved, and available at a glance. POS software can also help staff to make bookings and manage reservations, waitlists, and track table turnover rates to help managers identify peak times and optimise seating arrangements. Sales reporting For businesses to effectively manage their cash flow, sales need to be recorded, categorised, and updated in real-time.POS software can provide daily, weekly, and monthly sales reports, ranging from high-level summaries to comprehensive detailed analytics. These sales and revenue reports can help to identify top-selling products and seasonal trends, revenue trends, purchasing behaviours, return rates, how profitable products or services are, and more. Employee management In retail or restaurant environments, where many employees work hourly, POS systems can simplify time tracking and scheduling. Instead of manually logging hours, employees can clock in and out with a card swipe or code entry, enabling precise tracking of hourly wages. This system also facilitates quick identification of top-performing employees, particularly those working on commission. Customer relationship management (CRM) Some POS software doubles as a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, consolidating customer data and trends and enabling you to track purchase histories effectively. These POS systems will collect customer information (such as name, age, birthday, phone number and email address), associate sales with specific customers, help you implement customer loyalty programs, and integrate with email or SMS marketing tools. What is the difference between cloud and on-premise POS? Traditionally, POS systems have been installed and run on a computer or server on the business premises — referred to as “on-premise”. However, today, more and more cloud-based systems have become available, offering a POS that is entirely decentralised and accessed online. So, the principal difference between on-premise POS systems and their cloud-based counterparts is that the former is installed and run on a computer physically located on the business premises, while the latter is hosted on remote servers and accessed through the internet. To learn about the pros and cons of each system, read our blog article on the differences between  cloud and on-premise POS  here. Let Zeller take care of your payments While choosing a POS might take some further consideration (read our article on the best POS systems for small businesses here), choosing an EFTPOS provider is easy. Zeller is Australia’s favourite payments platform, trusted by thousands of businesses ranging from sole traders to national franchises. Whether you need a simple, zero-cost mobile solution or a fully integrated EFTPOS machine with the most advanced features (think tipping, bill-splitting, screensavers and more), Zeller’s platform is designed to adapt to the requirements of your business. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.

With hundreds of point-of-sale (POS) providers in Australia, selecting the right one can be an overwhelming task. In this article, we outline the key factors to consider when choosing a POS system , and recommend some of the best providers for your industry. If you’re a new or existing business owner, you probably already know  what a point-of-sale system is and how it works . The next step is choosing a solution appropriate for your business size and industry. To help make the right decision, read our list of considerations below and make note of which ones are the most (and least) important to your business, so that when you’re in conversation with a POS provider, you can be well equipped to ask the right questions. Then, learn which POS providers are the most popular among cafes, quick-service restaurants, dine-in restaurants, retail businesses, and bars and clubs. Plus find Important considerations when choosing the best POS for your business. Hardware POS hardware refers to the physical devices that make up your point-of-sale system . This could include any or all of: a computer or display unit, a receipt printer, a barcode scanner, a cash drawer, and an EFTPOS machine. While large businesses may require a full suite of hardware, many smaller businesses can get away with little more than a tablet or smartphone. Portable devices like Zeller Terminal 2 (which has a Zeller POS Lite built-in) are often referred to as mobile POS or ‘ mPOS ’, and they provide excellent functionality, allowing merchants to do everything from managing their inventory to taking payments all from the one machine. Software Functionality will arguably be the biggest factor in determining your final choice. If you are a retail business, you may want to prioritise a robust inventory management system – this will allow you to easily track stock levels, anticipate when popular items will run out, and stay on budget. For hospitality businesses, a floor management system may also be required to manage table seating and reservations. Additional functionality includes sales reporting, for managing cash flow; employee management, for automatically logging hours and tracking performance; and customer relationship management (CRM), for collecting customer data and implementing targeted marketing campaigns. While these are the most common and basic features of POS systems, those designed for individual industries will offer even more specialised features. Ease of use Think about who will be using the POS on a day-to-day basis. Do you have a high turnover rate of employees? If so, consider how easy it will be to train new staff to use the software. A simple, intuitive interface will greatly reduce human error, which, in a fast-paced environment, could be critical. Integration For most businesses, their POS provider cannot just work alone, it will need to be able to integrate into a number of different systems. The accounting software, payments provider, and/or e-commerce platform you use (or are planning to use) should ideally integrate with your POS. By enabling information to flow easily between systems, you will greatly increase the efficiency of your operations, saving you and your team time and money. Take note of what platforms a POS provider integrates with before making a decision, as this can become a frustrating roadblock later on if it is neglected. Customer support How quickly and easily you can contact your POS provider is something that can be easily overlooked – but it’s extremely important. If you decide to go with a POS that offers all the bells and whistles, but doesn’t have anyone to pick up the phone when you need help, this will quickly lead to frustration and potentially lost revenue. Check the provider’s website and LinkedIn: are their offices based in Australia? What are their customer service hours? Do they have a robust support centre with help articles and troubleshooting resources? Will you be assigned an account manager? Additionally, how quickly you need to get up and running is an important consideration. Many traditional POS providers require a technician to come out and set up the hardware and software, whereas newer web-based systems are often self-service and can be entirely set up remotely. Multi-location Do you run a multi-location operation or are you planning on scaling in the future? If so, it’s important to be sure that the POS is equipped to deal with multi-venue requirements. Being able to push updates to machines at several venues at once, aggregating reporting from all venues, and monitoring stock transfers between locations, are just some of the features you’ll want to ensure your POS provider can support. Cost With varying pieces of equipment, features, minimum requirements, and pricing models, understanding exactly how much you’re going to pay for a POS service is not easy. To avoid bill-shock later on, make sure you understand exactly how each aspect of the service is priced. Are you buying the hardware outright or will you access it on a rental agreement? Is the software licence a one-time purchase or a monthly/annual subscription? Is there a cost associated with ongoing support and maintenance? Will you pay a fee each time a transaction is processed through the POS? Ensure you ask any potential POS provider all these questions before signing a contract. Best POS providers by industry. The table below presents some of the best POS providers available to Australian business owners, organised by industry, with some of their noteworthy features listed on the right hand side. For a comprehensive list of features, be sure to contact the POS provider directly and request a demo before signing up. Let Zeller manage your payments. No matter how you prefer to manage your checkout process, Zeller is Australia’s leading payments provider, tailored to meet your business needs. For smaller or mobile businesses with a limited inventory, Zeller offers Zeller POS Lite, built into Zeller Terminal 2 at no extra cost. Larger, more established businesses can benefit from Zeller Terminal’s seamless integration with over 600 different POS platforms. Whether you’re looking for a simple, cost-effective mobile solution or a fully integrated EFTPOS machine with advanced features like tipping, bill-splitting, and custom screensavers, Zeller’s platform is designed to evolve with your business. Chat with our sales team today to set up Zeller POS Lite, or explore our Zeller Partner Hub to find the perfect POS integration for your business.

Jessica Audas served her first customer at just four years old. By 17, she had won silver for Australia in restaurant service at the international WorldSkills Championships — an accolade that opened doors to Sydney’s top kitchens and a stint alongside a former Noma sous-chef. We sat down with her to discuss her transition from fine dining to event management, and the processes and technology that underpin both . “I grew up above a restaurant. I was always in and around the kitchen. So from a young age I knew I wanted to work in hospitality,” she says. Cutting her teeth in Sydney’s fine dining scene — including time at Rockpool Bar & Grill, Momofuku Seiobo, and Silvereye — taught her early on the importance of processes and procedures on the commercial success of a venue. “Restaurants at that calibre have systems and procedures in place. It’s a very well-oiled machine. It’s like opening a theatre show each night — you know how you’re going to perform.” A sea change from Sydney to the rolling hills of Gippsland in Victoria’s south-east saw Jess apply that fine-dining rigour to a local venue, transforming it into a hatted degustation restaurant in just 18 months. “There was already so much potential — it just needed systems put in place. A reservation system, a POS system, a good website,” she explains. “And then it came down to service as well.” From FOH to festival coordinator So when the opportunity arose to apply those same systems on a much, much larger scale, Jess didn’t hesitate. Appointed Head of REVEL Global in 2024, she now runs the nationwide cheese and wine event MOULD x PINOT PALOOZA , which merges two festival brands: ‘Mould - a Cheese Festival’ and ‘Pinot Palooza’. Managing more than 100 wine and cheese producers, and upwards of 6,000 attendees across multiple weekends in every state, is a far cry from fine dining, but her commercial and process-driven mindset still delivers success. “Before the doors open, I brief the producers just like a restaurant pre-service,” she explains. “I tell them how many people are coming through the door, remind them the crowd is excited, and that it’s going to be hard and fast. We do a lot of coaching around expectations rather than just opening the doors and hoping for the best.” Revelling in data Very little is left to chance with Jess at the helm. Unlike other festivals where vendors pay for a site, MOULD X PINOT PALOOZA operates on a commission model — which means centralising payments and point-of-sale so the entire event runs like one large venue. “We’re very data-driven,” she says. “I can tell you that last year we sold five tonnes of Australian cheese and moved 13,000 litres of wine — that’s 17,000 bottles. That all comes down to our POS partner, Zeller. Without that data, we simply couldn’t provide this level of insight.” Being able to make accurate predictions has a twofold benefit. For Jess, it means calculating the ideal ratio of attendees to producers — maximising sales while minimising queues. “I want everyone to have a good time. I want to see growth, but I don’t want to lose the integrity of the event,” she says. For vendors, the model provides the structure they need to confidently forecast stock levels and revenue. “The reason people love participating is because I can say, ‘I predict you’ll make around $14,000 across three sessions.’ From there, we work out their average unit cost and how much stock they need to bring. It’s very reassuring for producers.” 200 terminals, one dashboard With thousands of transactions processed in rapid succession, the choice of POS and payments provider becomes critical. Reliability, accuracy, and real-time data aren’t nice-to-haves — they’re essential. “In Melbourne, we received six and a half thousand people in two days. We cannot have our terminals go down,” Jess says. That need for reliability is why REVEL chose to partner with Zeller. “Firstly, Zeller has far better customer service than our previous provider. The other big win is visibility — “We can remotely see if a vendor is manually entering sales instead of selecting items, ask what they need, and create a new item on the spot so everything is correctly categorised for reporting.” But the deciding factor was connectivity. “Zeller is the only all-in-one [POS and EFTPOS] provider I’m aware of that has SIM-card connectivity,” she says. “When we were using our previous provider, someone disconnected the venue WiFi at the end of the day while some patrons were still inside. A batch of sales — around 15 minutes’ worth — never went through. The EFTPOS provider didn’t cover them. We literally had to take the terminal back to my hotel room to reconnect it, and even then we couldn’t get help from customer service. We ended up losing money because we had to pay the producer out. With Zeller, there’s a much greater level of confidence that sales won’t be disrupted.”