POS Hardware

The hardware that makes up a POS system has many options. The basic component is a computer. I normally recommend a 2.0 Ghz processor, 2 GB RAM or more, and 80 GB harddrive. These are minimums these days especially for a computer that will function as a point of sale register and as an administrator of the backoffice tasks of accounting, office productivity apps, inventory control, etc...

I break down POS hardware into two main sections - standard hardware and optional hardware.

Standard hardware consists of a cash drawer, receipt printer, barcode scanner, and credit card swipe device.

Optional hardware includes a pole display, label printer, various credit card swipe machines, wireless scanners, and a physical inventory scanner.

Standard Hardware:

• Cash Drawer - allows for storage of cash and receipts


• Receipt Printer - prints receipts only from POS


• Barcode Scanner - scans barcodes for easy order entry


• Credit Card Swipe - runs a credit card through processing

Optional Hardware:

• Pole Display - shows the customer what item and price is being rung


• Label Printer - prints various labels including price tags with barcodes


• Credit Card/Debit Card Swipe Terminal - allows you to process credit and debit cards


• Credit Card/Debit Card/Signature Capure Terminal - allows you to process credit and debit cards and also captures signatures so you only have to print one copy of the receipt for the customer instead of a second one for the store copy as well


• Wireless Barcode Scanner - allows for cashier to move around to scan bulky items


• Physical Inventory Scanner - allows for a regular inventory count that saves man-hours and errors in counting