Question 1

Do I need to pay a monthly fee for POS software or to use a POS system?

Accepted Answer

Many POS systems for small businesses are pieced together with each component coming from a different company, each with its own set of fees. For example, the POS software provider often charges a monthly fee. That scales based on the size of your business and how many sales you process. The hardware (payment terminal) could come from a separate company and might have a rental fee, along with an annual contract that is difficult to break if you change your mind. Your merchant services provider might charge monthly fees & and even an account management fee & in addition to a transaction rate for each debit or credit card sale. All of this can cost anywhere from $60 a month for the most basic of POS systems to $150+ a month for software with moderate functionality. But that's not all. There are often additional (and sometimes hidden) charges for additional employees, advanced reporting andmulti-location management. Some small-business POS systems even charge extra for access to customer support. And that doesn't even include credit card processing fees (which in many cases can have hidden fees and charges of their own). Square is different. You get a fully integrated, feature-rich point-of-sale system for small businesses, all for one simple charge per transaction. Square’s fees are just 1.9% per tapped, dipped or swiped card payment & that's it. No hidden fees, long-term contracts, or long-term commitments. There are no POS software fees, and our friendly customer support team is accessible via phone, email or our dedicated support Twitter handle, so you know you can get answers to questions whenever you have them. Our hardware is affordable, secure and stylish, so you can feel comfortable knowing that your countertop will always look good.

Question 2

What alternatives to a POS system can I use?

Accepted Answer

If you feel you don't need a point of sale for small business, but still want to securely accept debit and credit cards, there are a few other mobile tools that accept payments: Invoices: Square Invoices is an easy way to send invoices to clients through our free POS app, Square Point of Sale. Invoices are always free to send and will cost you just 2.2% for any invoice your customer pays securely online with a credit card. If you need to charge a client or customer on a recurring basis & say, for a weekly dog-walking service or monthly office catering delivery, you can even set up a recurring invoice cadence. Your customers can even choose to securely store their cards on file, so recurring invoices are paid automatically for the same rate as a standard invoice payment. However, invoices aren't suitable for all types of business, and in general could be more appropriate for repeat clients. For one-time clients, it might be better to get payment in person. Virtual Terminal: You can get paid instantly over the phone if a customer still prefers to pay by credit card, but you aren't transacting face to face. With Square Virtual Terminal you can key a customer's card details directly into a web browser, and have the option of sending a digital receipt. It's secure, simple and a lot more convenient than manually keying in card details to the mobile app. Transactions processed with Virtual Terminal are charged at just 2.2% per transaction.

Question 3

What’s the difference between POS systems and cash registers?

Accepted Answer

At their most basic level, small-business POS systems include debit and credit card processing hardware, and will deposit payments directly into your nominated bank account. POS systems for small businesses can also contain software to help you run and grow your entire business, such as detailed sales reports and analytics, employee management and tracking software, inventory management, gift cards, etc.

Cash registers are simply machines that record sales, give change and store cash. It's important to keep in mind that cash registers don't enable you to accept debit and credit card payments. You need to work with a separate provider to set your business up with a card processor system, which comes at additional cost. Cash registers have basic functions and can do some simple reporting, like telling you how many sales you made that day.

Square Point of Sale for small business, for example, can show you data which details your busiest times of day each week, what your bestselling items are, and what percentage of your customers are new versus returning. This data is invaluable when you're making informed decisions such as employee scheduling, inventory ordering and where to focus your marketing or promotional efforts. If you choose to run your business with Square's small-business POS system, it integrates beautifully with Square's stylish, simple hardware and can easily be connected to a cash drawer and receipt printer.

Question 4

Can my POS system integrate with my accounting software?

Accepted Answer

Many cloud-based small-business POS systems enable you to link your accounting software, which will populate the ledger with each day's transactions automatically, summarise the data and populate into the appropriate accounts. This is another benefit of a software-based POS system over a cash register, which is unable to integrate with third-party platforms. For example, Square POS integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online, automatically feeding sales data into the respective platform and minimising the need for manual data entry. It's a time-saving exercise which will improve your business efficiency and simplify your reconciliation processes.

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Preguntas frecuentes sobre los sistemas de PDV para pequeñas empresas

1. ¿Tengo que pagar una tarifa mensual por el software de PDV o por usar un sistema de PDV?

2. ¿Qué alternativas a un sistema de PDV puedo usar?

3. ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre los sistemas de punto de venta y las cajas registradoras?

4. Si compro un sistema de PDV, ¿eso me hace compatible con PCI?

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¿Cómo puedo aceptar pagos con tarjetas de crédito?

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