EPOS Systems Explained

We’ve put together this detailed article and guide on all aspects of EPOS systems and how it can help businesses. Click on the links below to jump to each section.

• What is an EPOS system?
• How does an EPOS system work?
• EPOS software
• EPOS reporting
• EPOS security and compliance
• EPOS training
• EPOS maintenance
• Making the decision about your EPOS

What is an EPOS system?

The definition of an EPOS system is a computerised Point of Sale system which can include devices such as scanners, barcode readers and touchscreens. An EPOS is used to record sales and control stock, plus much more.

An EPOS consists of three things: hardware, Point of Sale software (also known as POS software) and payment processing. An EPOS system is connected to the internet via an internet or Local Area Network (LAN) cable, depending on the business’ internet access and set up.

EPOS stands for Electronic Point of Sale Systems. EPOS systems can also be referred to as POS systems.

How can EPOS systems help a business?

As well as being a sophisticated and advanced point of sale system, a good EPOS system will transform your business and assist business growth. Monitor and record all transactions in your business. Track sales, income and outgoings, payments, stock, orders, invoices, staff, productivity and performance in all areas of the business. It will make your life easier and give you the competitive edge, as well as transform your business operations, making it more efficient and productive.

EPOS systems will give you the information and insights that you need to save money and operate your business in a more efficient manner.

An EPOS is the system to collect, store, and convert that data into useful information. Using that data, business owners can gain insights into almost every aspect of their business which helps them to improve their profits, processes, ordering, customer sales and customer service, plus much more.

Who is an EPOS system for?

An EPOS system is an excellent investment for any business owner wanting to streamline their operations and improve their profits and margins. It can be used by all sizes of businesses, from a large, multi-branch business to a smaller business that is growing. It can radically transform a business and assist with better-informed decisions.

An EPOS can be for all types of businesses in a range of sectors, including retail business, hospitality, services, warehouses and pharmacies. The list is endless! All sizes of business can benefit from POS systems, whether small businesses or larger business operations with multiple stores.

EPOS Features

An EPOS system has many features including:

Point of sale: sales processing, returns, refunds, discounts, promotions, plus more
Inventory management: stock control, product variants, purchasing, plus more
Customer management: loyalty programs, customer data capture, marketing, etc.
Reporting and analytics: sales reports, inventory reports, financial reports, etc.
Security and compliance: data protection, PCI DSS, GDPR, back up.

 

The history of EPOS systems

Till systems date back from the 19th century, when a US saloon owner from Ohio, called James Ritty, invented the first mechanical cash register. By 1879, he had designed and patented a cash register which displayed and accounted for customer sales and the amount paid by customers and tallied takings and receipts.

During the 20th century, more customers paid with debit and credit cards, with the cash register and till systems evolving to cope with the change in payment methods, technology and demand. During the 21st century, electronic and internet banking has grown and evolved, as mobile payments, mobile wallets, money transfers and payment processing is now widely used.

Today’s traditional cash registers, or electronic point of sale system, is now connected to a digital system online with other peripherals and access to electronic payment gateways. It is run with software that can be customised and has a variety of features to benefit businesses today.

Today’s businesses using older tills

Some businesses are still relying on an older till system and cash registers based on antiquated push-button technology. These standard cash tills are stand-alone and not connected to the internet or networked and don’t run with software. These older till systems do not have the processing power that a modern EPOS will have, nor access to any data other than end of trading day totals and final total amounts.

Older tills will not give the powerful EPOS till system features to manage stock and track sales, orders and customers, as well as give customer data, order and sales data and in-depth insights and reporting.

Traditional cash register vs EPOS systems

The table below shows the main differences between a traditional POS or cash register, and an EPOS system run with EPOS software.

How does an EPOS system work?

We will be breaking down the EPOS system into separate components, and go into detail for each of those components, so you can get a thorough understanding of what an EPOS is made up of, how it works and how it comes together to give a powerful, modern payment and business system.

What is EPOS hardware?

We have previously said that an EPOS system is made up of hardware and software.

The hardware has, typically, the following components:

• POS terminal (monitor/touchscreen)
• Peripherals such as barcode scanners, receipt printers etc. Other peripherals such as scales can be integrated with an EPOS.
• Cash drawer
• Customer display
• Mobile POS devices including tablets and smartphones
• Payment processing devices, including card readers, NFC terminals

Let’s have a look at each piece of hardware.

EPOS terminal

An EPOS terminal will be the till point that is the key device and gateway to input sales and take money, similar to the older style cash register. This is where you input orders and sales and process payments through major UK payment providers.

An EPOS terminal will have a touch screen and display that shows the software interface. The software for this interface can be standardised or customised for a business to better help and serve that particular business. We will cover that later in the software section.

An EPOS terminal interface is designed so that it is far more intuitive and easier to see items, products and offers, than a traditional older cash till that will have no visual display for the cashier apart from price amounts and totals. The touch screen display gives faster data entry at the point of sale and no keyboard is needed, again so it is faster and easier.

Peripherals

Peripherals are connected to the EPOS system and can include barcode scanner, receipt printer, and scales.

Barcode scanner for customer sales

A barcode scanner will scan a barcode and bring up the price instantly on the screen and customer display. Scanning speeds up serving customers and reduces errors, as pricing is entered automatically into the EPOS system.

Barcode scanner for stock

A barcode scanner is also ideal for scanning inventory into the EPOS system, quickly and easily. Counting stock with scanners is far more accurate and less reliant on manually counting and inputting prices and amounts, which takes much more time and causes errors in stock taking and amounts. All product items are scanned and recorded in the EPOS system data, so all transactions are logged and can be reviewed, checked and monitored. Stock amounts are auto-adjusted so you have real-time inventory data at your fingertips for high quality inventory control.

Receipt printer

A receipt printer is connected to the EPOS to give instant receipts, saving time and giving great customer service.

Thermal receipt printers don’t use print ribbons or ink and have thermal printing technology. They print high resolution receipts quickly, and are ideal for busy and dynamic businesses.

For hospitality businesses, printers can link directly with orders, so as soon as a customer makes an order and it is inputted into the EPOS, out comes a receipt instantly, whether at the bar or in the kitchen.

Barcode printers

Barcode printers are ideal for printing barcode labels, which can be customised, adjusted and inputted into the EPOS and printed quickly on the printer for shelf edge labels and products. These barcodes are scanned with the barcode scanner (detailed above) which will appear on the EPOS monitors and in the database.

Electronic scales

Electronic scales, such as Avery Berkel scales, can also be integrated and connected to EPOS systems in retail stores. Powerful and accurate, Avery Berkel scales are used by retailers worldwide. Combined with the EPOS technology, they give sophisticated and advanced features. Amounts weighed are instantly priced and put into the EPOS system, whether weighed on the till or by the customer themselves. A digital scale quickly computes the price charged for weight-based sales.

The scales will also be able to reduce wastage and accurately manage stock, as it will make automatic adjustments. For instance, if you have 5 Kgs of cheddar cheese, and a customer buys 350g of that cheese, the EPOS system will know and log that you have 4650g left in stock.

Avery Berkel scales can manage many items that you sell by weight, including meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, delicatessen products and spices. When charging for items by weight, a digital scale can be an extremely helpful addition to your POS system.

Cash drawer

A cash drawer is used to store the daily takings and cash float, plus any other payments and documentation such as cheques, vouchers, receipts and slips that are relevant to accounting and business transactions.
A cash drawer is metal and will keep cash secure and protected. It can be easily connected to any standard POS printer. The cash drawer will come with compartments for bank notes and coins.

The clever thing about a cash drawer is that it is designed to work alongside any standard EPOS printer, so that EPOS software can trigger the drawer to open when ready to take the cash and a receipt if printed. A cash drawer can also operate as a standalone device using a key to open it.

Customer display

An EPOS customer display is a screen that is positioned at the back of the EPOS till and is linked to the EPOS system. It has multiple uses which informs the customer and can benefit your business.
A customer display gives your customers a view of a breakdown of sales transactions and prices with a total price before they pay, so that customers can check each price that is inputted into the EPOS terminal. This will help to minimise errors and allows customers to query any prices that they are unsure of, for instance, if the correct discounts were applied on sale items. It will also benefit faster ordering as customers can check prices before paying at the point of sale and payment.

If you run a hospitality business, the customer display will give a breakdown of their order items and prices.

A huge benefit of a customer display screen is the opportunity to upsell and cross-sell products to customers at the point of sale. Marketing messages can be customised to push promotions and offers, including buy one get one free or additional items to an offer.

Mobile POS devices

A Mobile POS system (MPOS) gives an additional benefit with the EPOS, enabling the use of portable devices. Devices can be tablets, laptops or smartphones, and are used to process sales transactions and orders via a Bluetooth, WiFi connection or mobile app.

Mobile devices used with an EPOS means that your business and staff can be agile around your business premises, warehouse, stock room, restaurant, bar or takeaway and take customer payments from anywhere in the premises. This can speed up customer service and give a better service to customers, as staff are not fixed to one place or till terminal. It can also be a good way to extend resource for busy periods and to cut queues, when payments can be taken from a mobile device in additional to the fixed terminals.

Another great advantage of mobile POS devices is that staff can carry out stock takes and inventory management, change and add prices and edit products around the premises from anywhere. This speeds up managing your business and makes it much more efficient and easier. Barcodes and shelf labels can also be implemented via mobile devices and printed off, so it’s faster and more convenient to deal with products and pricing.

A mobile POS system offers increased mobility, which means you can take care of sales and transactions anywhere in your store without needing to be tethered to a fixed checkout station. This helps to improve customer service and increases efficiency.

EPOS system mobile devices often come with enhanced security features, such as encryption, that can help protect your business against fraud and theft

Payment systems and card readers

All customers expect to pay securely, fast and smoothly, using their preferred and chosen payment method that is convenient to them. As a business, giving customers the best payment experience and options to conveniently, quickly, and securely pay for goods and services helps you to retain loyal customers. It also helps you to stay competitive.

A payment system includes the entire process for accepting card payments. It may include a card reader and payment terminal, an EPOS, other devices or systems connected to a payment terminal such as Wi-Fi for connectivity and the connections out to a merchant bank. It is important to use only secure payment terminals and solutions to support your payment system.

Payment processing devices are provided with EPOS systems to take payments, give refunds and credits. This device is a card reader (also known as PDQ machine, card machine or card terminal), and is essential to take credit card, debit, or digital wallet payments from customers. It is connected and activated with an EPOS system to take secure payments from a range of payment methods. Payment processing gives quick and seamless, secure payments for customers. A fixed and mobile card reader are available.

Card terminals can use different technologies, such as chip or EMV readers and contactless card readers, with NFC, RFID technology, for contactless payments and digital wallets for mobile payments including Samsung pay and Google pay.

Payments from customers will process through the internet. You can use a card reader with a mobile network, hardwired internet connection, or WiFi. You can read more about payment processing in the payments section of this article.

Secure payments

Customers can be sure that their card details and payments are secure, as card readers use payment tokenisation which is a secure process to send card and customer data across the internet. Tokenisation is the process of replacing and converting actual card details to a unique alternate code known as a ‘token’, which is a unique, secure number code. This token data is then transmitted through the internet to process the card data. This process makes the data secure and virtually impossible to encrypt. Card readers also protect your business from accepting a fraudulent card.

A card reader/machine device and PIN pad must be PCI-compliant to prevent fraud and secure cardholder data. Your card machine should already be programmed to make sure you remain compliant with this requirement. Most terminals have in-built compliance programming, but be sure to check. Techcube only supply PCI DSS compliant card terminals. You can read more about PCI compliance in the Security and Compliance section below.

The card reader will instigate a data flow through the card reader, from the customer’s payment card to final purchase. Payment processing takes a customer’s payment information, communicates the transaction data via tokenisation and sends this data from the card to the cardholder’s bank and back to the business to finish the sale. 

Convenience when taking payments

Card readers offer fast and smooth payments which makes taking payments efficient. Card readers also offer multiple ways to pay, whether by credit or debit card, contactless, chip and pin, or mobile payment. If a card doesn’t work for a customer or a customer forgets their PIN number, they can try multiple cards or use mobile payments instead. By offering other payment options, this means that you can make that sale and take the payment too. Mobile card readers are available for flexible and contactless payments, as well as fixed card readers.

Refunds and credits

Card readers with EPOS systems will also handle refund payments and credits.

Finite payment transaction data

Your EPOS software will record all the cards and payments processed through your credit card reader. It will also show the type of payment. This gives you a complete overview of your sales transaction data with more accuracy, and to identify any discrepancies. The card reader will give totals for the day which can be cross-checked with the EPOS system, so that you have a detailed tally and view of daily, weekly and monthly takings and payments. Chargebacks can be easily identified using the recorded data.

EPOS software

How EPOS software works

We have already said that EPOS hardware and the software is what makes an EPOS system, along with payment processing. The software runs the EPOS system and will have all the functionality to drive and manage the EPOS, input and retrieve the right data to make business decisions. EPOS software can be tailored to your particular business needs and sector.

EPOS software is the powerful and flexible programme used to run the EPOS system and your business. It also integrates and synchronises with other collected information, for instance accounting, e-commerce or scheduling software. EPOS software can be hardwired to the terminals and system on-site, or cloud-based or hybrid systems depending on internet and hosting access.

The software components consist of a front-end interface for the point of sale system and terminal, and a back office, or back-end, component which stores and collates data and gives the data analytics and management functions and tools.

EPOS software can be installed on the EPOS terminals and mobile devices, such as laptops, mobiles and tablets. With cloud software, It gives remote access as the data is securely held on the cloud and therefore available 24/7.

The staff using the EPOS terminal uses the front-end interface, either on a touchscreen monitor or mobile device. The back-end is accessed separately in a browser or application window either on the same device or a separate PC or mobile device.

The benefits of EPOS software

EPOS software will give you a wealth of information and real-time data that you can use to run your business successfully and efficiently.

EPOS software is cloud-based which allows for easy updates, flexible integrations including Ecommerce platforms, payment processing and accounting systems. It also gives enhanced reporting features for every part of your business.

The EPOS software will give a complete business management platform to radically improve and transform your operations. Here’s some of the benefits.

• Advanced electronic till system to process sales
• Increase profits
• Storing and collating data, including stock, sales, income, staff, plus much more
• Streamline processes
• Save operational costs and time, reduce errors and wastage
• Advanced business and sales reporting
• Inventory management
• Orders and suppliers management
• Multi-store management
• Table, order and delivery management
• Integrations such as CRM, customer management and loyalty, accounting
• User access control and anytime remote access

Custom EPOS software

EPOS software is only as good as what it can do for your business. Many EPOS systems come with standard, generic software which cannot give you the deep insights and customisation for your specific needs. Techcube are experts in developing custom EPOS software, as it is all developed in house and tailored to clients’ businesses. No two businesses are the same, so why settle for a standardised software option that won’t reflect your exact business. Software has to reflect your business processes, type of business, operations, customers, products and trends.

EPOS software applications can vary a lot. Every business sector has their own specific requirements. For example, restaurants will need a table layout to link orders to and may need a self-service menu interface for customers to order items themselves. Custom hospitality and EPOS restaurant software can offer this functionality and more as a part of hospitality EPOS systems and software package.

A dry cleaners EPOS system can use custom EPOS software with ticketing functionality to easily manage customer’s clothes items and understand where they are in the system and when ready to collect. This software can also automate customer communications by messaging the customer to notify their items are ready for collection, giving efficient and excellent customer service.

A retail EPOS system can use EPOS retail software that is customised according to departments, products, offers, staff and seasonal offers.

A pharmacy EPOS system will require specific pharmacy EPOS software for its health and medical products, product and prescription labelling and customer data for repeat prescriptions and orders.

Every single business using EPOS software can have it customised to their business needs. This not only makes operations simpler and smoother, it is more efficient because the custom EPOS software is matched to the business and how it operates. It makes sense to customise the software rather than use a standard, off the shelf package with minimum features that don’t all apply to your operations.

Read more about our EPOS software and development process that has successfully helped our clients grow and manage their business. We develop and supply bespoke custom software in Essex and London for our own EPOS systems, as well as for other branded EPOS that have already been installed and needs customising and updating.

Using and accessing EPOS software data

EPOS software can be in the cloud, which are off-site servers, or on the premises which is on-site. The distinction is where and how the EPOS processes and stores data.

With mobile apps, cloud or web-based software programmes the EPOS backend system can be accessed at anytime from anywhere as all the backend data exists in the cloud. The beauty of the cloud software is that data and certain functionality can be controlled with user access controls. So, for instance, a manager can have higher access to software features such as reporting, sales and income data, staff and customer information, ordering, than a cashier member of staff. Finance staff can have exclusive access to the financial data.

Cloud EPOS software allows real-time syncing of data, scalability to grow and adapt, security and back-up of data. The software will run on the latest software version, with regular updates to the software to prevent against malware and virus threats, and to maintain optimum performance. Updates are fast and easy, and there is cost efficiency compared to on-site servers and databases because there are no IT infrastructure costs or expensive maintenance and updates to carry out.

Of course, a cloud solution will mean that the software and system is reliant upon the internet, so if the internet goes down and there is a disruption in the service, the EPOS may lose functionality. However, most EPOS systems can continue to work online, take payments and update when back online, to minimise business disruption.

The EPOS system will allow you to store and access data from all areas of your business in real time. You can view sales anytime and manage inventory. If you run a retail business, every product sold, sales income and staff information is collated, and stock automatically managed and adjusted.

If you run a hospitality business, an EPOS enables instant updates on orders, income, deliveries, menu items and ingredients, table management and staff.

EPOS software also gives you the business management tools to easily and efficiently run your business, which cuts resource time and costs and streamlines processes, allowing you to concentrate on key business activities.

Head Office software

Where a business has multiple branches, warehouses, outlets and locations, Head Office software is a must to keep on top of every part of the business. Having separate locations and outlets can be a challenge and difficult to monitor, track and manage cohesively.

Head Office software gives complete control and management over multiple and disparate departments with centralised management and data, so you get complete visibility across all the business. It also gives granular detail for every part of the business so that you can drill down and analyse each area and performance.

This type of software can help with managing:

• Prices
• Resources and staff
• Productivity
• Stock
• Orders
• Customers
• Promotions
• Payments

A wide range of reporting is available with the Head Office software to give data, trends, analysis and forecasting capabilities to improve business and grow profits.

Software updates

EPOS software can be easily updated to the latest versions to prevent malware and viruses, and give maximum protection.

Security and back up

All of the data is securely held and backed up.

Additional software integration

It is key to ensure EPOS providers have EPOS solutions that can be future proofed for your future needs and are scalable. Having a system that supports additional software applications and upgrades is a way to ensure that you have a system that will be useful to you in the long term.

Stock management and ordering

The EPOS will make it easy to order and create purchase orders on the system, keeping everything in one place and linked to stock and financial data.

The EPOS system can be set to re-order stock and products automatically when your inventory is low and reaches a certain threshold. This data is synched with the real-time inventory stock which is auto-adjusted when a product is sold. This will save a huge amount of time keeping on top of stock levels and re-ordering products, ensuring that you always have your stock available to sell. This is particularly useful at busy periods and for discounts and offers, so that you can re-order stock to keep selling and make profits.

Using the bar code scanners and mobile devices means that you can track and count up stock anywhere, whether on the shelves or in the stockroom. Set up alerts so that you can see when you need to order in new stock. You can also reduce wastage by identifying the best and the worst selling stock, so you can decide on the items that sell to make more profits.

You can also set up variable product items using the software easily. So for instance, add in flavours, sizes, colours as one product item rather than many items. This makes it easier to process, and reduces errors and mistakes when inputting prices.

Manage warehouse and high volume stock

Where you run a warehouse operation or large stock inventory to keep on top of, managing stock becomes a lot easier with a Warehouse Management System and software. It will help you to understand and see just how much stock you have at any one time, in real time, the point when stock levels run low and how much to order to keep the orders moving and profits coming in.

It prevents running out of stock and late, reactive ordering of goods, helping warehouse and large inventory businesses to be efficient and more in control. With large stock amounts, you can see how much stock you will need, and when, and negotiate favourable prices with suppliers in advance and with plenty of time.

Supplier management

An EPOS system will also help you to keep track of your orders with suppliers, amount spent and compare prices with other suppliers. This will save time and costs. It will also give a clear view on how much you are spending with certain suppliers to negotiate deals and better prices.

Customer management

Using your EPOS data, you can get CRM insights into customers, including how much they spend, popular products, best-selling items, popular offers and high value customers. Target customers with special offers and discounts so that they spend even more, and tailor promotions to maximise profits.

You can easily operate a customer loyalty scheme to reward high value, repeat customers and boost repeat sales. Improve customer relationships and give them what they want. Using EPOS software you can also contact customers with updates and offers to increase footfall and sales and maintain customer loyalty.

Send invoices to customers directly from the system and keep track of payments.

Employee performance and staffing

An EPOS will give you information on employees and their performance. You can see who sells the most, numbers of hours worked and profits per employee, how much income is taken per employee, orders per employee, and productivity, plus more. Compare employees and departments, and target special measures and focus on the lowest selling staff and departments to get them up to standard and improve sales.
An EPOS will also identify peak times when you need the most staff, so this could save on staff costs when it’s not so busy.

Sales channels

The beauty of EPOS systems is that they can be scaled and adapted to any business operation. Whether you have one store or outlets in multiple locations, an EPOS will make it easier to manage all of your sales channels wherever you are. If you operate in-store and on a premises only, an EPOS will make it smoother to manage. If you have online sales through one or several Ecommerce platforms, EPOS systems can be easily integrated with your online sales channels and Ecommerce website.

EPOS reporting

Take more control of your business and operations with EPOS software that gives advanced and customisable reporting options generated from real-time data, available anytime. You can gain an outstanding and top-level visibility of your business with advanced reporting features at the touch of a button, making reporting so much easier and faster.

All data and workflow is collated and used to show data from all areas of the business. Set KPIs and benchmarks, quickly view dashboard reports, filter by categories such as products, costs, staff time, sales. Drill down to get finite data analysis. Set customised reporting that’s specific to your needs and view and track different departments. Tracking real time sales data, patterns and trends can improve pricing and marketing strategies and forecasting.

With more than one branch, see total sales and data from all branches and each branch. It’s easy to compare branches and outlets and trouble shoot poor performing departments and branches.

An EPOS system gives you five main reporting areas for your business:

• Sales and transactions
• Stock
• Financial
• Customers
• Staff

With all of these reporting areas, you will be able to compare by time range and products, see how offers and discounts affect performance, and evaluate trends to optimise sales.

Sales and transaction reports

Every transaction and sale that you make, including refunds and credits, are recorded in the data. You will be able to easily see transactions across the departments, products and locations, and filter and split these reports to give an in-depth analysis.

When you can know how much you are selling, and of what products, you can make informed decisions and understand performance. You’ll be able to quickly and easily run a completed actions report to get real-time information on your business.

Sales reports will give you the visibility of the products that sell, factoring a range of reporting criteria such as time, offers, products, locations, employees, departments, plus more.

Each sector will have their own reporting requirements, which Techcube can customise into the EPOS software. So for instance, hospitality reporting will include table management data, drinks compared to food, popular drinks and menu items, menu ingredients and stock items, delivery times, staff tips, busy periods and staff resourcing.

View sales by product report to get a feel for what is popular, and not so popular. This information can help you to focus on top selling menu items and look at pricing options to optimise profits.

Stock reports

Stock reports will track your inventory and give you real-time, total visibility of stock levels. This will reduce and minimise stock shortages so that you can maintain sales and never run out.

Stock reports can include stock warnings and alerts when you reach a certain pre-set cap amount, stock history, changes in stock and pricing and any discrepancies. With fast-moving stock, it’s critical to keep on top of your inventory levels and know what you have and need to order in good time to keep business sales moving. A good EPOS system can do this for you.

Financial reports

Understanding the financial position and performance of your business assists with financial planning and accounting over the short and long term.

Modern EPOS systems offer accounting and banking information so you can track cashflow, finances and transactions. Monitor daily, weekly and monthly financial performance and identify trends, and compare by date, timescales and many other factors. Export reports easily for greater analysis.

The EPOS will integrate with accounting systems to boost reporting, however if it’s not integrated, you can still access a wide range of financial reporting.

Customer reporting

Monitor your customers and their buying behaviour easily.

See what your customers are purchasing, whether they return, amount of repeat business, value per customer and credits. Customise offers and discounts for loyal customers.

An EPOS will also give you a customer loyalty option, so you can track even more customer data through loyalty points and offers.

Staff reports

Staffing and resourcing can be the most expensive costs of running a business. So it’s important to manage your employees and optimise their resource.

Staff reports give you sales per employee, working hours, costs and sales per employee, plus much more. Track staff performance easily and identify problem areas, and high performing employees.

You can also track employee tips and gratuities to inform wages and salary decisions.

We can show you a range of reporting formats and functionality. All reporting is in easy-to-read and see formats and makes data reporting simpler and faster.

EPOS security and compliance

Another very important factor to consider with an EPOS system and EPOS software is security and compliance. Your EPOS will be processing, storing and using a variety of sensitive data which will be subject to Data Protection and GDPR regulation, as well as needing to be highly secure when processing card and financial transactions.

PCI compliance and fraud

PCI compliance, or PCI DSS compliance, stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment to protect both the consumer and the merchant.

When taking and processing a customer’s credit card, you receive a great deal of sensitive data, so keeping customer credit card and personal information safe and secure is paramount. Being PCI compliant will make it harder for criminals to hack, access and use card details for fraud.

Stealing cardholder data is not limited to remote hacking and access via computer systems. Criminals can often attempt to access cardholder data by stealing hardware containing the data, such as a computer, laptop or database server, or stealing and using paper receipts containing cardholder data. Another very common criminal practice is tampering with or substituting legitimate card reading devices.

What are PCI DSS requirements?

The requirements you must meet for PCI compliance include the following:

• An up-to-date EPOS that is PCI-compliant and validated
• PCI-compliant payment gateway
• EPOS software that is compliant
• Credit card terminals and PIN pads that are current and compliant with PCI
• Data Security Standard (DSS).
• Encrypted wireless router with password protection
• Strong passwords
• Must install firewalls on your computers and your internal network.

To be PCI compliant, you must not store any cardholder data in any way or form, including on paper or storing on a computer.

When you are looking for an EPOS provider, make sure that all EPOS hardware and software is PCI compliant. Ensure that all of your payment machines and systems are PCI compliant.

Techcube provides only PCI-compliant EPOS hardware and software and maintains a PCI-compliant platform. Our card readers and payment systems give end-to-end encryption for every transaction.

GDPR and holding customer data is also very important. All of our software is designed to adhere to GDPR and Data Protection regulations, so you can be sure that information storage and handling is secure and legal.

We provide regular updates to our EPOS software to ensure your EPOS system is fully secured against malware and viruses, and compliant with security standards.

EPOS training

Just as important as the system itself and what it can do for you, is the after-sales support that you receive and expect.

You will need training on the EPOS and software to understand how it works and optimise all of the functionality to your advantage. There is no point having an advanced and sophisticated EPOS and custom software if you and your staff are only using a fraction of the powerful and useful functions that it has.

Ask questions about the training on offer with your EPOS, including:

• How is training delivered – on-site or remotely?
• Is there an additional cost for training?
• How long is the training for?
• How many people is it for?
• What training can be given to new employees, how can this training be done?
• Are there training manuals and materials, either printed or online?
• Is there an online training course?
• Can you get subsequent training or ask further questions after the training is delivered?

The EPOS system interface should be intuitive and easy to follow, with no complex interfaces and functions. It should be a user-friendly standard that everyone can use, including employees who aren’t computer literate or don’t have much experience on a computer.

The importance of EPOS maintenance

Maintenance is really important to keep your EPOS updated and working. Ensure that you will receive after-sales EPOS software updates that protect your system and give you the maximum performing results. As we have already said, we provide regular updates to our EPOS software to ensure your EPOS system is fully protected against malware and viruses, and compliant with security standards. This is imperative to ensure that your EPOS is working tip-top condition and is secure and compliant.

As well as looking at the EPOS system itself, check out the maintenance plans on offer and the costs. Think about what happens if your EPOS stops working, here are factors to consider.

• How quickly can your EPOS supplier get to you and fix the problem?
• What are the standard callout times?
• Are there different service level agreements and maintenance packages to choose from?
• Are there remote fixes that can be implemented?
• Can your EPOS supplier come on-site quickly?
• What are the terms and conditions of the maintenance package?
• What are the costs of maintenance?
• Can you get maintenance discount for volume of EPOS systems?
• Are your peripherals covered in the maintenance package?
• Do you have payment systems maintenance, and is this part of the package?
• What are the price levels for upgraded maintenance packages, is it worth paying the extra for a faster callout?

Making the decision about your EPOS

So now you have the information on an EPOS system, choosing the right EPOS system is your next step.

What is the right POS solution for your business and for you as a business owner? It’s important when considering EPOS systems, you think about:

• The size of your business
• Scalability. Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
• Your industry and sector
• Your requirements. What do you want out of your EPOS and how do you want it help your business?

Discussing your business requirements and finding out more about the right EPOS system for you is an important step to take. Finding a reliable, high quality EPOS provider with the expertise in all things EPOS systems and EPOS software is equally as important.

Techcube EPOS systems

Techcube is one of the most experienced EPOS providers, providing many businesses with EPOS systems and EPOS software in Essex and London. We provide complete EPOS systems and can advise on the ideal EPOS solution tailored to your business requirements and sector. We also provide free demos, either at our shop or online.

We have installed thousands of EPOS systems for customers in London, Greater London, Essex and the M25 area. We also develop in-house custom EPOS software tailored to your business needs to transform and improve your business operations.

As EPOS experts, we have the EPOS technical expertise and knowledge, working with many clients from the retail, hospitality, cash and carry and warehousing sectors.

Read more about our EPOS solutions and contact us to find out more. Our friendly team of EPOS experts can discuss your requirements and give a free online demo to take you through what our EPOS can do and how it works.

 

 

 

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