6 Common Point Of Sale Problems & Solutions

If you’re a new business owner or one looking to upgrade your hardware or software, the number of options on the market can be intimidating. Choosing a POS system that doesn’t have the features you need or that locks you into a restrictive long-term contract can be detrimental to your bottom line. But we’re here to help!

We’ll walk you through some of the most common POS problems and solutions to help you figure out your pain points, how you can fix them, and how to avoid them in the future.

6 Common Point Of Sale Problems & Solutions

Amongst other benefits of a POS system, a great POS will streamline your day-to-day operations and increase your overall productivity. But, like any technology, you will run into some issues that require some troubleshooting or support from the POS provider’s customer service team.

Here are some of the most common POS issues and how to fix them:

You’re Using The Wrong POS System

You’re going to run into problems if you choose the wrong POS system for your niche/non-traditional business.

If you pick a general POS system that has good ratings but none of the features your business needs, you’re going to find yourself constantly struggling, and there’s nothing customer support can do to help you. There are many POS systems that are geared specifically to certain types of businesses; whether you have a retail establishment, restaurant, service-based facility, or a more specialized storefront, there’s no need to settle.

Make sure you check out each system you’re considering’s full feature set and see what is included in each pricing tier and what can be purchased as an add-on. You’ll also want to prioritize the features you need to help narrow down your decision.

Need help finding a new POS system? Our article on the best POS systems for small businesses is a great place to start.

You Are Scared Of A Long-Term Contract

One of the biggest mistakes you can make while shopping for a POS system is signing up too quickly for a long-term contract.

These contracts with a company’s processing platform or its POS software can be very costly to break. If you want to avoid this issue altogether, there are plenty of systems that allow you to pay month-to-month. If you are still sold on a system that requires a contract to bring down your monthly payments or requires you to sign up for a lengthy processing agreement, make sure you know the details of the contract and sign up for a free trial if one is available.

You Installed Your POS System Incorrectly

You have the right POS system with all the features you need, but for some reason, you can’t get it to work with your hardware or other software. If you haven’t already, check out our complete POS hardware buyer’s guide to see if something is missing from your POS suite.

If you install your POS system incorrectly, you’re going to spend a lot of time trying to fix the problem, and that’s only if your POS provider has decent support options. You might even over-purchase hardware you don’t need and make the process even more difficult for yourself.

In the end, it will save you time, money, and energy to have your POS system installed professionally, either by the provider or the hardware vendor.

You Violated Your Merchant Services Agreement

An unfortunate but not uncommon POS issue is well-meaning business owners accidentally violating their merchant agreement.

The most common ways a merchant services agreement is violated is by:

• Processing too many transactions
• Selling high-risk items without informing your POS provider

It’s important to read all of your paperwork carefully and understand the terms and agreements. Many POS and processing companies specialize in high-risk merchants, so you may want to research those vendors first.

You Didn’t Secure Your POS

It happens — you are so intent on setting up your system that you don’t know what steps you should take to protect yourself and your customers from fraud. Is your system protected? If not, you are making a huge mistake.

Allowing your POS to fall victim to fraud is another major POS problem among small businesses. To prevent this costly mistake, it’s important to regularly maintain and check your POS to make sure it meets PCI-DSS compliance standards. These tasks include keeping antivirus software up-to-date, assigning a unique ID to each person with computer access, changing passwords/access information when an employee leaves your business, and using a private WiFi network.

You Aren’t Using All Of Your POS Features

This is a much less costly mistake than any of the others, but it is an important one to fix nonetheless.

Your POS system does much more than just process payments. You can use built-in or integrated features for:

• Marketing campaigns
• Inventory management
• eCommerce/marketplace selling
• POS reporting
• Customer loyalty solutions/programs

So, take some time to explore your POS system to learn what features you could use. Don’t invest in extras without exploring the full suite of options and integrations ready at your fingertips.

The Bottom Line On POS Issues

With time, patience, and research, your POS system will run with (almost) no issues.

Technology isn’t perfect, no matter who wields it, but you can get it pretty close by avoiding the mistakes above. Our best piece of advice is to research your POS options and fully understand your merchant agreement before signing any contracts.

Not sure if you’ve found the right POS system? We’ve got you covered! Check out our article on how to choose a POS system.