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Discover how to use POS reports to monitor sales, manage employees, and optimize your business for long-term success.
WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Editor & Senior Staff Writer
Last updated onUpdated
REVIEWED BY
Expert Contributor
POS reporting is one of the most important tools built into modern point of sale systems. The best POS platforms help your business run efficiently by turning sales data into actionable insights.
But not all systems include the same level of reporting. If deep insights matter to you, it’s worth knowing exactly what your system offers. Here’s what you need to know about POS reporting.
Table of Contents
POS reporting compiles the data your system collects into clear, actionable summaries. This data covers everything from item sales and payment types to employee activity.
Modern POS reports reveal key trends, like your top-selling products or busiest hours, so you can make smarter decisions about staffing, inventory, and promotions.
Modern POS systems do far more than just ring up sales. They act as the central hub for your entire business.
Whether your POS is cloud-based or locally installed, it automatically collects data every day from across your operation.
| Data Collected | What It Includes |
|---|---|
| Sales | Item sales, transaction totals, payment types |
| Inventory | Stock counts, reorder levels, and product movement |
| Employees | Time punches, performance, and sales per staff member |
| Registers/Terminals | Drawer openings, balances, and cash tracking |
| Online Activity | eCommerce orders, reviews, and marketing results |
All this data feeds into your POS’s reporting engine, giving you clear, automated insights you can view wherever you manage your business, whether it’s on your terminal, through a web dashboard, or in a mobile app.
POS reports turn your daily transactions into actionable insights. The best systems automatically track data across sales, payments, staff, inventory, and customers, giving you a full view of your business performance.
Nearly every modern POS system includes some level of reporting, and if it doesn’t, that’s a red flag. Strong reporting isn’t optional; it’s how you stay on top of your sales, employees, and customer activity.
If your business needs industry-specific tools — like bar tabs, appointment scheduling, or multi-location inventory — don’t compromise on analytics to get them. The best POS systems combine robust reporting with the flexibility to fit your exact workflow.
Choose a POS that gives you full visibility into your operations and helps you make smarter, data-driven decisions every day.
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Square  |
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Get Your Free Credit Card Reader
Square |
|---|
Square is an industry-leading point-of-sale and payment processing provider. Sign up for a free account and get a complimentary card reader for use with Square POS. Start For Free.
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Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
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Square POS is an intuitive and simple point of sale platform. It offers customizable tools and a variety of add-ons to fit your business needs and reach your goals.
Get Started
