Point of sale (POS) (also sometimes referred to as Point of purchase (POP) ) or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs. A “checkout” refers to a POS terminal or more generally to the hardware and software used for checkouts, the equivalent of an electronic cash register. A POS terminal manages the selling process through a salesperson accessible interface. The same system allows the creation and printing of the receipt.
Hospitality point of sales systems is computerized systems incorporating registers, computers and peripheral equipment, usually on a computer network. Like another point of sale systems, these systems keep track of sales, labour and payroll, and can generate records used in accounting and bookkeeping. They may be accessed remotely by restaurant corporate offices, troubleshooters and other authorized parties.
Point of sales systems has revolutionized the restaurant industry, particularly in the fast food sector. In the most recent technologies, registers are computers, sometimes with touch screens. The registers connect to a server, often referred to as a “store controller” or a “central control unit.” Printers and monitors are also found on the network. Additionally, remote servers can connect to store networks and monitor sales and other store data.
The efficiency of such systems has decreased service times and increased efficiency of orders.
Another innovation in technology for the restaurant industry is Wireless POS. Many restaurants with high volume use wireless handheld POS to collect orders which are sent to a server. The server sends the required information to the kitchen in real time.
An overview of a Point of Sale