Most POS software looks good in a demo. The real test comes on a busy evening, with a queue at the counter, a slow connection and a new salesperson. Here is what to check before you pay.
Start with your own shop, not the feature list
Write down what actually goes wrong today. Stock that never matches? Customers who owe money and nobody remembers how much? A salesperson who gives discounts you never see? The right software fixes your three biggest problems. A list of 200 features you will never open fixes nothing.
Eight questions to ask before you buy
- Can my staff use it in Bangla? If your counter staff think in Bangla, the screens and the memo should be in Bangla too. Ask to see both languages.
- How does it behave on a slow connection? Ask for the demo on a mobile hotspot, not on the seller's office broadband.
- Does it handle dues properly? You need each customer's balance, payment history and a way to collect part payments.
- Can it print labels and scan barcodes? Scanning makes sales faster and stops price mistakes. Check that it can also print labels for products that arrive without a barcode.
- Can I limit what each user sees? A salesperson should not be able to see your profit report or delete an invoice.
- Which reports do I get? At the very least: date-wise sales, purchases, profit, a cash ledger and customer-wise reports.
- Who answers when it stops working? Ask who you call, on which days, and whether that person can actually fix the problem.
- Can I take my data if I leave? Your sales history belongs to you. Ask in what format you get it back.
Understand the whole cost
A low first price can hide costs you only find out about later. Before you decide, ask for these in writing:
- The setup charge, and how much is due in advance
- The yearly or monthly server and maintenance fee
- SMS charges, which are almost always separate
- The cost of using your own domain, if you want one
- What happens if a renewal payment is late
Try it with your real work
During the demo, do not just watch. Ask to enter a few of your own products, make a sale, take a return and collect a due payment. Bring along the person who will use it most, because they will spot problems you will not. If they are comfortable after half an hour, that is a very good sign.
Where to go next
Our own ePOS is online POS software for retail shops, in Bangla and English. If it suits you, we will show it to you free of charge and answer these same eight questions. If it does not, the checklist still works for any other software you look at.