The Best Multipurpose POS Systems On The Market Today

If you are opening a new business, whether you’re selling artisanal vegan beignets or specializing in novelty key chains featuring lesser-known Family Ties characters, there is a point of sale system that is perfect for you. If you’re, for some amazing reason, doing both of those things, you’re going to need a POS that matches up with your versatility and creativity. Those of you who are running a restaurant, bar, gift shop, coffee shop or other business that sells both edible and non-edible items (like mugs, shirts, or commemorative koozies) will benefit most from a system that fits more than just a niche industry. With the number of features modern POS software offers and the ability, in some cases, to customize your own system, you can afford to be picky. We certainly are here at Merchant Maverick and we’ve tabulated a list of some of our favorite multi-use POS systems on the market (in no particular order). Read on for more details!

Don’t have time to read a whole article? Check out this comparison of the top POS systems on the market today.

Shopkeep:

• Hybrid system
• iPad, iPad Mini, iOS 8.2 or higher
• $69 per month/register
• Small to mid-sized businesses of all types
• Comprehensive register
• Inventory functionality
• Unlimited 24/7 support
• Reporting suite

Shopkeep (see our review), a New York-based POS company founded in 2010 is, quite simply, one of the best and most accessible pieces of software in the industry. A modern and easy-to-navigate interface is coupled with extensive features to suit nearly any business owner. Shopkeep has an affordable and simple placing plan, starting at $69 a month (with no termination fee).

This POS features a solid register function that is simple to set up and requires limited training. On the back end, Shopkeep is truly impressive, especially for its price point. The POS offers a matrix inventory feature, making it possible to track raw items individually. There are also simple mechanisms to manage employee hours and record transactions. Shopkeep has made a point recently of marketing directly to restaurant and food service businesses but its design and features make it more than capable of handling nearly any retail establishment. The reporting suite and recent tax rates update have also improved on an already strong product. Shopkeep integrates with MailChimp, Quickbooks, and other programs and it has won multiple awards for its exemplary customer service.

Don’t forget to check out our complete review of Shopkeep if you want more details.

SalesVu:

• Cloud based
• Customizable hardware package offered through mPOS Gear
• Monthly pricing ranging from $25 to $125 per month
• Wide range of retail businesses
• Invoicing
• Appointment Scheduling
• Customer Database

You would be hard pressed to find a much more versatile POS system than SalesVu (see our review). Founded in Austin in 2011, the software has features that can suit nearly any business from retail to restaurants to spas. Both front end and back end features are well designed with a similar look making them easy for new employees to learn. The POS offers comprehensive features for splitting checks and keeping orders open. Its inventory tracking features are excellent, allowing inventory to be uploaded via CSV files.

SalesVu also has one of the better appointment tracking features in the industry. Businesses can schedule efficiently without booking overlaps and customize things like commissions for employees, making this an ideal solution for a variety of businesses. Its customer management capabilities are also impressive, storing customer information and offering loyalty rewards that are easily accessible.

A more detailed review of SalesVu is available on our site.

iConnect:

• Cloud based
• iConnect register and tablet included (iPhone 4 and above, iPad 2 and above)
• $75 per month per terminal, per location
• Enterprise available
• Small or multi-location businesses
• Comprehensive booking
• Customer tracking
• Reporting options
• Helpful integrations

Whether you have a single store or multiple franchises, iConnect (see our review) has the functionality to meet nearly all of your needs. The company, which started in 2011, offers an interface which is easy to pick up for novice employees (or POS reviewers who have been granted a free trial). iConnect has packages of its own hardware which can be purchased, but it can be run on most of the recent iPads or Android devices. One of the product’s biggest features is its complex booking mechanism. Appointments are easy to create, find, and modify (if necessary) and can also be tracked in real time.

iConnect also allows for different price points to be set quickly, a useful feature in spas or salons. Moreover, its strong inventory management system would be useful to those in either restaurant or retail environments. Customer tracking is also a huge plus to this POS; each customer is assigned an individual code. iConnect integrates with QuickBooks, MailChimp, Magento and dozens more apps, and has friendly 24/7 customer service.

Here are our extended thoughts on iConnect for more details.

talech:

• Cloud based
• Most iPad models
• $69/month for Standard (slight discount billed annually) $99/month for Premium ($89 if billed annually)
• Enterprise available
• Any sized business
• Customizable customer management
• Robust inventory management
• Purchase and online ordering

The biggest fault to find with talech (see our review), a relative newcomer on the POS scene, is that your word processor will constantly try to capitalize its product name. The system features a modern and functional interface. The front end offers everything you would expect from one of the better POS systems on the market, but talech has also put a lot of its time and energy into the back end. Customer information can easily be transferred from another device and email lists can be created and customized quickly for marketing.

The inventory management feature is one of talech’s big standouts, emphasizing extensive product history options and raw material tracking that can help manage restaurant ingredients or root out popular selling retail items. The ability to create purchase orders is also a unique function; inventory can even be purchased automatically when items reach a certain threshold. The online ordering feature, a relatively new addition to talech, is also another impressive feature.

You can read up more on what talech has to offer right here.

NCR Silver:

• Hybrid model
• NCR Android register or any iPad running iOS 8.0 or later.
• $99 a month for Basic ($79 billed annually) $169 for Pro ($149 billed annually)
• Small to mid-sized businesses
• Vendor and cost tracking
• Employee tracking
• Cash management
• Variety of loyalty programs

An offshoot of one of the biggest electronics corporations in the world, NCR Silver (see our review) does just about everything well. Its interface is designed with functionality in mind, limiting the number of buttons and screens that needed to be sifted through in order to maximize efficiency. For anyone remotely familiar with POS systems, limited training will be necessary. The inventory management features are professional and can track vendors and costs, along with the total value of your inventory at any given point. Employees are given a convenient pin, which allows them to easily clock in and out.

Cash drawers can be customized and the POS’s reporting suite gives managers quick and easily digestible overviews of sales, taxes, and discounts etc… NCR also provides some useful marketing tools, particularly with its ability to entirely manage email campaigns. With the amount of experience NCR has in the world of electronics and retail, it’s easy to see how it has created a versatile product that can be used by a wide variety of clients. Along with a standard number of integrations, NCR also offers 24/7 customer support, including live chat.

Want to know more? You can get the full story on NCR Silver right here.

Bindo:

• Cloud based
• iPad running iOS 8.0 or later
• Custom pricing from $59 to $150 a month
• Most-sized retail businesses
• Data importing
• Inventory management
• Purchase ordering
• Easy employee management
• Custom gift cards
• Bindo Marketplace

A young and fast-growing POS system, Bindo’s goal is to help businesses stay afloat when faced with the overwhelming online presence of bigger corporations. Bindo (see our review) has many features designed to save employees time. Along with a sleek design, Bindo easily uploads and stores data. There is a very useful function which creates shortcuts for the most accessed inventory items and organizes them. The ease of Bindo’s purchase ordering is also impressive, allowing managers to quickly view current or canceled orders and be alerted when products are running low.

As with many current POS systems, Bindo offers a PIN system to easily manage employee hours and track their registers. The addition of Bindo Marketplace is perhaps the POS’s most unique feature. This gives businesses the ability to conveniently meet the needs of other merchants in their area by allowing them to easily see and purchase products which can then be delivered quickly and easily. Whether you sell clothing, offer services, or own a restaurant, this is an excellent way to let other nearby businesses owners know you may be a better option than the online behemoths. Bindo’s customer service and technical support are also well above average, featuring 24/7 access and live chatting.

If you’re interested in Bindo, be sure to read our full review.

Quid POS:

• Cloud based
• Most Android or Apple devices
• Free option, $12 a month for Premium ($9 billed annually)
• Enterprise available ($39 a month)
• Smaller businesses
• Multi-functioning POS
• Complex inventory management
• Versatile register

Quid POS (see our review) is designed with small, independent merchants in mind, but its founders did such a good job in their product’s creation that mid-sized businesses are likely to find everything they need in one of the most affordable options on the market. The interface is extremely simple to understand and navigate. Quid POS allows for simple reservation taking and scheduling, and employees can be managed by assigning them each different roles which, in turn, gives them access to different features.

Quid POS is particularly useful for businesses with clients all around the world and, as such, it can handle nearly every type of retail store with its versatility. The device can handle 165 different currencies and six different languages and can even accept gold and silver as currency if, for example, a customer has recently deciphered a pirate’s treasure map. The POS’s support team is small but extremely knowledgeable and responsive.

Our full review of Quid POS is available if you’re interested in learning more.

Instore:

• Hybrid system
• iPad Air 2
• $39 a month plus $99 start up cost (for Terminal)
• $59 a month plus $199 start up cost (for Pro)
• Small to mid-sized retail businesses
• Strong employee management
• Modern integrations
• Gift card and loyalty program

Instore (see our review) is an exceptionally easy to use POS that allows business owners to select the right level of services they need. One of Instore’s biggest sells is that its interface is seamless, allowing users to easily take and modify orders while also applying discounts. Another unique feature is how well the product integrates with social media platforms, allowing users to access Facebook and Twitter directly from the device to quickly inform followers of new items or specials—or to alert the world if a celebrity walks through the door to buy a latte or browse your boutique (#theyrejustlikeus).

Instore has a very strong reporting function, allowing owners to quickly assess their costs and monitor employee hours while showing projected sales in real time. Gift cards can be sold through the system and Instore also offers a custom-made loyalty program. Customer service by phone or live chat is only offered on weekdays.

Read our full review to see what else we have to say about Instore.

Clover Station:

• Cloud based
• No specific software requirements
• Custom price points
• Small to mid-sized businesses
• Plug and play set-up
• Personalized apps
• Ease employee management
• Open API
• Custom order taking

Clover Station (see our review) is an appealing product for businesses that don’t want to worry about a lot of time or energy wasted on set-up or training. The system comes ready to use virtually right out of the box and had a unique look that is simple and intuitive. Maybe the biggest draw for Clover is that it offers its own app market. Nearly all of the apps are free and there are plenty of options—from discount programs to bar tabs—making this a strong option for any type of business just getting off the ground.

The interface makes it easy to modify orders and apply discounts. Employees are managed through a pin system and can be assigned different roles. Clover also has an open API, making it possible for knowledgeable business owners to create their own tools. Clover has a less than stellar reputation for its customer service but is relatively easy to get in touch with when needs arise.

You can read about Clover Station on our site or check out similar reviews for Clover Mobile and Clover Mini.

Korona.pos Cloud:

• Cloud based
• PC or Mac computer
• $49 per month per terminal with additional add-ons available
• Small to mid-sized businesses
• Extensive free trial
• Customizable interface
• Built-in reports
• Security permissions

If you’re looking for a POS system that you can easily customize to fit your business’s needs, Korona.pos (see our review) is an intriguing option. It allows you to choose and pay for only the features that you will use and it offers basically an unlimited free trial to help you get your feet wet. The interface can be changed easily and graphic elements are simple to install. Searching for products is also simple and accessible from the home page, allowing managers to make a few keystrokes to quickly find a specific shirt or perhaps a seldom-ordered menu item.

Reports are built into the system and all transactions are archived daily. Employee management is also simple; managers have the ability to give workers certain levels of access. As far as support goes, Korona.pos provides a user manual and assistance can be requested through email.

Here is our full review of Korona.pos Cloud if you’d like to find out more.

Final Thoughts

There are so many different ways to market these days; chances are, even if you’re primarily in the food industry, you’re also selling a variety of other products to help promote your brand. Likewise, if you operate a spa or small gym, you may offer some small food items or even operate a small cafe to appeal to your customers. In this case, a POS that can handle a wide variety of businesses may well be up your alley. And, if you do your homework and shop around, you should be able to find a product that provides the vast majority of what you’re looking for.

Choosing a POS may seem like a relatively inconsequential decision in the grand scheme of things but, in the world of point of sale systems, you won’t be disappointed by shopping around to make sure you’re completely satisfied.