Total Point of Sale Buyer's Guide Part 1

How to Choose POS Hardware and Improve Efficiency

- By Jeff Haefner

So much attention is devoted to the selection of POS software that the hardware is often overlooked. Yet your hardware is arguably your most important choice because your software won’t run without it. In fact, your POS hardware will have a significant impact on the efficiency of your business.

Just imagine how annoyed your customers would get if they had to wait in line because your computer locked up. Or your receipt printer jammed. Or the keyboard sticks and the cashier can’t complete the transaction.

Nobody wants that. However, every retailer wants to improve their customers shopping experience so they come back over and over again. Right?

Not only will the reliability of your hardware peripherals improve customer satisfaction… but the type of technology that you use can make the difference too.

To help you consider your hardware options, I compiled a list of the most popular POS peripherals and an explanation of how they can help your business.

WARNING: Before you purchase hardware... make sure it’s compatible with your POS software! You should always call your POS software vendor and ask them about their hardware requirements and recommendations. And you should always choose your POS software before you buy any hardware!

With that said, let’s get started...

Your most important hardware components are the computer, keyboard, receipt / invoice printer, and bar code scanner. I do NOT recommend buying the cheapest equipment you can find. You need these items to work reliably so you can quickly check out your customers. Not to mention, these items take the most abuse! They’ll get dropped, spilled on, and beat up all day long. So make sure that you invest in quality components.

receipt-printer

Receipt Printer

As you probably guessed, this device is used to print receipts for your customers. Most receipt printers use paper rolls about 3 inches wide. This is perfect for retailers that need to quickly print a small amount of information. However, if you repair equipment or sell large ticket items like motorcycles or tractors, it’s more practical to print a full invoice (8.5 in x 11 in) on a dot matrix or laser printer (which we’ll cover in the next section).

Receipt printers come with all kinds of options. Let’s start with the computer interface. There are 3 types of interfaces (connections) to the printer, including:

RS-232 Serial
(PC Side)
serial-pc-side

Parallel
(PC Side)
parallel-pc-side

USB
(PC side)
usb-connector

USB is the latest interface technology but for printing purposes all the interfaces perform about the same. Your biggest concern will be finding an interface that’s available on your computer. Most new computers have 1 serial port, 1 parallel port, and 4 USB ports. Before you choose a printer interface you need to consider ALL the peripherals you’ll use and the number of ports available on your computer.

Your next choice will be the type of "printing technology" that you use. Your options include:

Dot Matrix - For those looking to save money, dot matrix printers are the cheapest printers available. They use an older technology that’s very reliable. However, it doesn’t produce high quality receipts (when compared to thermal). With dot matrix printers, you can easily make multiple copies (using multi-part paper). But the biggest advantage to dot matrix printers are their very low operating costs (because ribbons and paper are very cheap to replace).
Thermal printers – Thermal’s are the most popular receipt printers and the best choice in most situations. Thermal printers use a special "thermally coated" paper for printing. The thermal head has direct contact with the thermal paper, which causes the item to be printed. Thermal printers never run out of ink or toner. They’re quieter, faster and produce a higher print quality than dot matrix printers. However, the printer and thermal paper will cost a little more money.
Ink Jets – Ink jets use print heads that squirt liquid ink droplets onto the paper. They allow color printing but require expensive ink cartridges.

All three technologies have pros and cons. If price is your biggest concern, then go with a dot matrix printer. If you need minimal noise and speed, then thermal is the way to go. If you want to set yourself apart from your competition by printing color logos and coupons on your receipts, then an ink jet is your best solution.

Cost and Other Considerations

Before you make your final decision, you have a few more features to consider...

Printer resolutions (DPI)
Printer speed
Paper cutter. (You can choose a Tear Bar or an Auto Cutter)

In most cases you don’t need to worry about the print speed or resolution because the entry level models will do the trick for most small and medium retailers. However you might want to consider an "auto cutter". It’s a handy feature that only costs a little extra.

I recommend finding a receipt printer that allows you to quickly and easily change paper rolls. Nothing is more frustrating than struggling to replace a paper roll while your customers are waiting. Most of the new thermal printers are pretty easy to use but you should double check before you buy.

I also recommend a name brand, reliable printer with a good warranty. Your printer will get abused all day long and you want it to last a few years.

Budget is always an issue and costs vary depending on the technology and quality of the printer. A typical receipt printer will cost around $175 to $350. And the high end receipt printers will cost up to $800.

If you want to learn more you can check out a couple of manufacturer websites:

http://www.starmicronics.com
http://www.epson.com
http://www.ithper.com
http://www.cbma.com
http://www.posiflexusa.com

invoiceprinter

Invoice printer

As I mentioned earlier, if you repair equipment or sell large ticket items, you’ll need to print a lot of information. In this situation, your best option is a larger printer that prints full size invoices on 8.5 x 11 in. paper.

Before you purchase an invoice printer, you need to decide if you want a "dot matrix" or a "laser" printer. Dot matrix printers are popular because they last a very long time, they’re cheap to maintain (ink ribbons only cost a few bucks), and they allow you to use multi-part paper for extra invoice copies.

However, laser printers produce much better print quality and they’re quieter than dot matrix. Lasers would be the perfect choice if they weren’t so expensive to maintain.

Another consideration is the use of pre-printed invoices. Most POS systems allow you to use pre-printed invoices which look more professional than plain paper. You can print your color logo and graphics on pre-printed invoices and then run them through your printer. Any local print shop can provide you with pre-printed invoices but you should check with your POS software vendor and find out their requirements first.

A typical invoice printer will cost $300 to $600. However you could pay well over $1000 for a high end laser printer. If you choose a dot matrix model, I suggest an Okidata or Epson model. For lasers, HP and Okidata printers are popular choices. When choosing a laser, one of your biggest concerns will be the cost per page, reliability, and time to print the first page (warm up time). Some laser printers can take 30 seconds to warm up which means each customer will have to wait longer. I suggest looking on the internet for help with your laser printer choice. Both of these websites include the latest printer reviews and helpful information:

http://www.pcmag.com
http://www.pcworld.com

To learn more, check out The POS Software Buyers Guide.

To Your Success.

Jeff Haefner
POS buyers guide

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