January 2010


POS for Restaurant refers to point of sale (POS) software that runs on computers, usually touchscreen terminals or wireless handheld devices. POS for Restaurant systems assist businesses to track transactions in real time.

Typical POS for Restaurant software is able to process credit cards, print guest checks, print orders to kitchens for preparation and run reports. Some newer systems implement wireless pagers and electronic signature capture devices.

Most point of sale software supports a large number of common functions: handling taxes, returns, displaying the items and prices in a sale, voids, payment options including credit card processing, accounting reports, discounts, and inventory tracking. Restaurant POS software allows creation of checks by diner or table, special orders, tracking orders per server, moving diners from the bar to a table, waiting lists, and more. It is so advanced that virtually any standard customer transaction will be easily handled by all major POS software.

POS for Restaurant frequent diner programs can enable frequent diner programs available to small restaurants, which until now have been in the monopoly of large chains. These programs, which reward returning customers with rewards or discounts, are booming in popularity. The program include point systems that work similarly to frequent flyer miles – each item on the menu has a point value associated with it. Diners accumulate points that can be later exchanged for a free desert, free vouchers, house special, or few dollars off their meal. By manipulating higher point values, you can increase sales to high-profit or low-performing items.

There are many types of Restaurant Cash Register out there.
Different Cash Register cater to different business. So how do we go about selecting the right one for your business ?

For businesses that have inventory to track, a cash register that scans a bar code and makes a report of the transaction and item that was purchased is ideal. For more established businesses, choosing a cash register that has battery backup along with electrical source in the event of a power outage is recommended. These are more costly than conventional registers.

Another factor to select a restaurant cash register is one that uses thermal paper for receipts. It will heat print a second copy of each transaction to further keep track of business dealings. This is recommended for businesses that require paper copies of their daily transactions. One printed copy will be issued to the customer and the second copy will be kept by the cashier.

For those business has a limited budget, instead of using thermal paper, a ribbon printer used instead. Ribbon replacements are cheaper than thermal paper and the disadvantage is there is no duplicate copy of the transaction that has taken place as the only copy will be given to the customer.