A line snaking past the sunglasses rack. A bestseller that’s “in stock” online but missing from the shelf. Sound familiar?
The right POS system features fix those headaches before your customers ever notice them. No wonder the category keeps growing.
Fortune Business Insights estimates the global POS market (hardware and software) at $38.57 billion in 2025. It projects $116.26 billion by 2034.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the 10 POS system features every retailer should look for. We’ll also cover the main types of POS systems and how to choose the right one for your store.
r top products and peak sales times, then plan inventory and staffing around them. Some POS systems even offer predictive analytics to help you plan ahead.
Look for dashboards you can customize, sales by location and channel, and advanced reporting and analytics that combine POS and inventory data.
Employee management features control who can do what on your POS and track how your team performs.
Tiered staff access keeps refunds and big discounts in the right hands. Sales-by-staff reports show who’s crushing it on the floor.
Look for user permissions, clock-in and clock-out, and commission tracking.
Security features protect card data and keep your business safe from fraud and breaches.
If you take card payments, your POS needs to meet the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). A breach can do serious financial and reputational damage, so this isn’t the place to cut corners.
Look for PCI DSS compliance, encrypted transactions, EMV chip support, and secure staff logins.
Offline mode keeps you selling when the internet drops, and mobile POS lets staff ring up sales anywhere in the store.
Wi-Fi has a funny way of quitting on your busiest Saturday. Offline mode stores each sale and syncs it once you’re back online.
A mobile POS system also helps you bust lines, sell at pop-ups, and help customers right where they’re browsing. Look for automatic syncing and support for phones and tablets.
Integrations connect your POS to the other tools you use, like accounting software, e-commerce platforms, and your IMS.
Without them, someone’s stuck re-keying sales into a spreadsheet at 9 p.m. With them, each sale flows to your books and stock counts automatically.
Look for pre-built integrations with tools like QuickBooks and Xero, plus an open API for everything else.
| Feature | What it does | Must-have or nice-to-have | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time inventory management | Updates stock counts the moment an item sells | Must-have | Every retailer, especially multi-location stores |
| Fast checkout and barcode scanning | Rings up sales quickly and accurately | Must-have | High-traffic stores |
| Flexible payment options | Accepts cards, tap-to-pay, mobile wallets, and BNPL | Must-have | Every retailer |
| Customer management (CRM) and loyalty | Stores customer history and runs rewards | Must-have | Stores that rely on repeat customers |
| Omnichannel and e-commerce integration | Syncs stock and orders across in-store and online | Must-have if you sell online | Retailers with an online store |
| Reporting and analytics | Shows sales trends, top products, and peak times | Must-have | Owners planning stock and staffing |
| Employee management | Controls staff permissions and tracks performance | Nice-to-have (must-have for larger teams) | Stores with several staff or shifts |
| Security and PCI compliance | Protects card data and helps prevent fraud | Must-have | Every retailer that takes cards |
| Offline mode and mobile POS | Keeps you selling without internet or away from the counter | Nice-to-have | Pop-ups, markets, and busy stores |
| Integrations with accounting and other tools | Sends sales data to your books and other apps | Must-have | Growing businesses |
POS systems come in a few flavors. Here’s a quick rundown of the main types and who each one suits best.
Torn between cloud-based and on-premise? A cloud-based POS usually costs less upfront, updates automatically, and lets you check sales from anywhere. An on-premise system gives you more local control, but you’ll pay more for hardware, maintenance, and IT support.
Great POS system features don’t just make your day easier. They put more money in the till. Here’s how.
POS systems usually offer real-time synchronization of sales and inventory data. Each sale automatically updates stock levels, giving you an accurate picture of what’s available at any given time. This real-time visibility can help you avoid issues like stockouts, which can lead to missed sales opportunities and diminish consumer confidence.
Long lines and delays at checkout can lead to abandoned purchases and angry customers. In Waitwhile’s 2024 survey of 1,000 US consumers, 80% said they avoid businesses because they see a line or expect one. Of those who change their plans, nearly 40% go to a competitor or skip the purchase.
A modern POS system eliminates these bottlenecks by streamlining the checkout process with features like barcode scanning and contactless payment options. These features allow your staff to process transactions quickly and accurately.
What’s more, many modern POS systems support mobile checkout, which enables your sales staff to complete transactions anywhere in the store without requiring customers to queue for a traditional checkout. This can be especially valuable during peak hours or special events, helping avoid one of the biggest pain points of customers shopping in stores, which is waiting in line.
The added benefit of faster checkouts is that they allow you to process more transactions in a short period of time, which can translate into a higher number of sales.
Modern customers expect personalized service. A POS system makes it easier to meet these expectations by capturing and storing important customer data and information such as their purchase history, preferences, buying patterns and so on.
With access to this data, your staff can provide more informed and personalized customer service. For example, if a customer frequently buys a particular product, the POS system can remind your staff to mention related products or inform them about upcoming sales during their interactions on the retail floor.
Some POS systems even allow you to integrate loyalty programs that customers can redeem instantly at checkout.
All these personalized experiences make customers feel valued, appreciated, and understood. These happy customers are likely to return for repeat purchases and remain loyal to your brand.
Modern POS systems can prompt staff with real-time suggestions for upselling and cross-selling based on customer purchases. For example, if a shopper buys a pair of shoes, the POS system might suggest a matching accessory or cleaning product.
These prompts help staff capitalize on in-the-moment sales opportunities, thus increasing the average transaction value.
Modern consumers expect flexibility when it comes to payment methods. POS systems accommodate various payment options, including credit and debit cards, mobile wallets, and even buy-now-pay-later services. This flexibility caters to diverse customer preferences and ensures you aren’t missing out on sales opportunities due to the lack of an appropriate payment option for your customer.
There are numerous POS solutions in the market. So how do you choose the best one for your needs? Here are a few useful pointers.
Before you start comparing POS systems, it’s crucial to evaluate your specific business needs. Every retail business is unique, and the ideal POS system should align with your specific requirements or circumstances. Consider factors like the size of your retail operation, the complexity of your inventory, the volume of transactions, and your target customer base.
For example, if you run a large store with a high volume of sales and a complex inventory, you’ll need a POS system with advanced features like multi-location inventory tracking, robust reporting, and support for a variety of payment methods. On the other hand, if you own a smaller boutique or a mobile business, you may prefer a simpler, more affordable POS system with the flexibility to work on a tablet or smartphone.
Running more than one store? Our guide to choosing a POS for multiple locations goes deeper.
By identifying what’s most important for your store(s), whether that’s speed, inventory control, customer relationship management, or integrations, you’ll be able to focus on systems that meet your needs.
As your business grows, your POS system should be able to scale alongside it. When choosing a solution, consider whether it can handle an increase in sales volume, an expanded product range, and multiple locations (if applicable) without requiring a complete overhaul or significant capital investment.
Additionally, look for a POS system that allows you to customize it to your specific business model or workflow, or that allows you to add or remove specific modules or functionalities based on your business’s requirements.
Look for a POS system that integrates with your other business tools and systems including accounting, e-commerce platforms, and inventory management.
For example, integrating your POS system with accounting software can automatically update your financial records with each sale, eliminating the need for manual reconciliation. Similarly, linking your POS system with your e-commerce platform ensures that inventory levels are synchronized across both systems, helping you avoid issues like overselling or artificial stockouts.
When evaluating POS systems, ask about their compatibility with third-party software and whether they provide APIs or pre-built integrations with the tools you already use.
In a retail environment, downtime or technical issues can hurt sales, so it’s important to have access to responsive customer service.
Choose a POS provider that offers reliable customer support channels, such as phone, email, and live chat. It’s also helpful if they offer 24/7 support, especially if you operate round the clock, or during late hours and on weekends.
Additionally, check whether the vendor offers training resources for both you and your staff. Some vendors provide video tutorials, live training sessions, and comprehensive documentation to help your team get up to speed quickly and make the most out of the system.
Security is another important feature to consider when comparing POS options. Ensure your system is PCI DSS-compliant, meaning it meets the security standards for handling credit card information. Look for a system with additional security features such as encryption for transactions, secure login methods, tiered staff access, and real-time fraud detection.
A secure POS system protects both your business and your customers from data breaches and fraud, which can have devastating financial and reputational consequences.
POS systems vary widely in price. Take into account the overall cost, including setup fees, monthly subscription charges, transaction fees, and any additional charges for hardware or software upgrades.
Wondering what a POS monthly fee actually covers? Most POS costs fall into three buckets:
Ask each vendor for a full breakdown so there are no surprises on your first bill.
While you may be tempted to go for the most affordable option, it’s important to focus on value for money. Low-cost systems may meet basic needs, but they might lack advanced features or flexibility for future growth. Consider how the system’s features will help improve your overall retail operations and your customers’ experiences.
If you run a small shop, start with the basics: real-time inventory sync, fast checkout, flexible payments, and PCI-compliant security. Then add simple CRM and loyalty tools to keep your regulars coming back. Extras like employee management and offline mode can wait until your team or foot traffic grows, as long as your POS can scale with you.
Many can, either directly or through an IMS that connects them. That link keeps your stock counts and orders in sync, so you don’t sell the same item twice. If you sell on Shopify, our Shopify integration connects your online store to Cin7. For WooCommerce or other platforms, ask each POS vendor whether they offer a pre-built integration.
Many can, but check before you buy. Look for multi-location inventory tracking so you can see stock at every store, plus reports that compare performance by location. Our guide to choosing a POS for multiple locations walks you through what to look for.
With a cloud-based POS, yes. Your data lives online, so you can check sales, stock, and reports from your laptop or phone, even from the beach (we won’t tell). On-premise systems usually keep data on local servers, which makes remote access harder. Either way, make sure your POS has offline mode so a dropped connection doesn’t stop sales in the store.
The right POS system features help you sell faster, serve customers better, and grow sales. But your POS is only as good as the inventory data behind it.
That’s where we come in. Cin7 is an inventory management system (IMS) that connects your POS, e-commerce, and wholesale channels, so every sale updates the same stock count. Learn more about our inventory management for retail and e-commerce.
We also offer an advanced POS solution as part of our inventory management software. It’s built for small and midsized businesses, with real-time inventory tracking, omnichannel integration, reporting, loyalty programs, tiered staff access, and more.
Already happy with your current POS? No need to switch. If you use a POS app like Square, our Square integration connects it to Cin7, so you keep your checkout and gain our inventory features.
Just ask Carla Zampatti. The Australian fashion brand’s old inventory system let too many errors slip through unchecked. Now Cin7’s Shopify integration keeps its web channel, 20% of total sales, in sync with real-time stock.
The result? Carla Zampatti’s business manager says inventory accuracy has never been better in her 22 years with the company.
Start a free trial today and see how Cin7 keeps your POS, online store, and stock counts on the same page!