Start from the shop, not the terminal
A retail POS system should be chosen for the shop it must serve, not for the terminal that looks most impressive, because shops differ in size, in products, and in customers, and a terminal that suits a large supermarket may not suit a small boutique, nor a boutique terminal a supermarket. A small shop with a narrow counter needs a compact terminal, while a large shop with a wide counter can take a larger one, and a shop that sells many small items needs a fast scanner, while a shop that sells a few large items needs a clear display more than a fast scanner.
Count the checkouts as well as the counter: a shop with one till needs one terminal that works reliably, while a shop with several tills needs terminals that work together, with a consistent layout, so any operator can use any till without retraining. A buyer who equips several tills should choose one terminal family for all of them, rather than mixing families, because a mixed fleet costs more to support and more to train on.
Choose the screen size for the counter
Screen size should fit the counter and the operator's work: a 15-inch screen suits a standard counter, a 15.6-inch screen suits a counter where more information must be shown, and a 12.1-inch screen suits a narrow counter or a compact shop, where space is the constraint. A screen that is too large for its counter will dominate it and leave no room for the scanner or the printer, while a screen that is too small will force the operator to scroll or to squint, slowing the sale and causing errors.
Resolution matters as well as size: a 1024×768 screen suits a standard checkout display, a 1366×768 screen suits a wider display, and a 1280×800 screen suits a compact display, and the resolution should be chosen with the size, because a high resolution on a small screen makes text too small to read, while a low resolution on a large screen makes it coarse. The monitor size guide explains the sizes in detail, and the model pages give the per-size specifications.
Choose the peripherals with the terminal
A POS system is not a terminal alone: it is a terminal plus a printer, a cash drawer, a scanner, and a customer display, each ordered as a separate model, and each must match the terminal and the shop. A printer that does not match the terminal's connection cannot print, a drawer that does not match the terminal's trigger cannot open, and a scanner that does not read the shop's barcodes cannot scan, however good each piece is on its own, because the pieces must work together.
Confirm each peripheral separately, in the inquiry, naming the terminal and the peripheral, because a term for one piece does not cover another, and a specification for one piece does not describe another. A buyer who confirms the terminal but not the printer will discover the printer problem on delivery, when it is costliest to fix, while a buyer who confirms all the pieces will discover any mismatch before payment, when it is cheapest to correct.
Single-screen or dual-screen
A dual-screen terminal adds a second screen facing the customer, so the shopper can see the sale as it is rung up, which suits a retail shop where transparency about the total prevents disputes and speeds payment, because the shopper who sees the total is ready to pay when the sale is completed. A single-screen terminal suits a shop where the operator faces the customer and can show the screen, or where space is too tight for a second screen, and a buyer who does not need a second screen should not pay for one.
The choice should be made by the counter layout and the shopper flow, not by the terminal's appearance: a counter where the shopper stands opposite the operator suits a dual screen, while a counter where the operator and shopper stand side by side may not, because the second screen would face the wrong way. Name the layout in the inquiry, so the supplier can confirm whether a dual-screen variant serves it.
Windows or Android
A retail POS terminal runs either Windows or Android, and the operating system determines which applications can run on it, so it should be chosen by the applications the shop uses, not by habit or by price. A shop that uses Windows applications needs a Windows terminal, while a shop that uses Android applications needs an Android terminal, and neither can run the other's applications without a change of system that is rarely practical after purchase.
A buyer who is unsure which system their applications need should check with their application provider before ordering the terminal, because a terminal ordered on the wrong system cannot be fixed by a peripheral or a setting, and must be replaced. The inquiry should name the applications as well as the terminal, so the supplier can confirm the system match.
Trade terms: confirm per model
Trade terms for a retail POS system are confirmed per model, not as a site-wide rule, because minimum order, supply ability and stock time differ by model across the official detail pages. A buyer who assumes the majority term applies to every model will be wrong for the minority models, and a buyer who orders a model whose minimum is higher than assumed will find the order cannot proceed as written, while a buyer who assumes a stock time is a delivery time will expect a delivery that cannot happen.
Read each model's page for its own terms, and confirm them in the inquiry, naming the model, the quantity, and the market, before payment. The minimum order and lead time inquiry pages explain the distributions in full, and the wholesale inquiry page explains how to write a bulk inquiry that covers every model in the order.
Plan for growth
A retail POS system should be planned for growth as well as for today: a shop that will add tills, add products, or add a second site should choose a terminal family that can grow with it, rather than a terminal that serves today and cannot be extended tomorrow. A family with several sizes and variants can grow by adding the same family's terminals, while a single model with no family cannot, and the cost of replacing a fleet is far higher than the cost of choosing a family that grows.
Growth also means peripherals: a shop that adds tills will need more printers, drawers, scanners and displays, and a family whose peripherals are shared across its terminals will grow more cheaply than one whose peripherals differ by model. A buyer who plans growth should ask about the family's range in the inquiry, not just about one model, so the growth path is known before the first order.
Before you order for retail
Name the models, the sizes and variants, the quantities for each, and the market you sell into, in the inquiry. Ask for the specification for each exact model, the minimum order quantity for each model, the lead time for the order with its meaning, the payment and shipping terms, the warranty terms, and the certificates that apply to your market, by name, with documents attached. Do not pay before these have been confirmed for the exact models in the order.
A retail POS system is only as good as its fit to the shop, and the fit is only as good as the confirmation. The wholesale inquiry page explains how to write the inquiry, and the pre-order checklist blog explains the compatibility steps in detail, so a buyer who follows both will rarely be surprised.
A note on sources and confirmation
The model specifications and trade terms referred to in this article come from the company profile's official product pages, as presented on this site's model and category pages. Trade terms are stated per model only: minimum order, supply ability and stock time differ by model across the official detail pages, and delivery EXW, though stated on all 101 pages, is still written per model rather than as a blanket promise, and stock time is not delivery time.
Figures that are not stated on a model page — a price, a payment, shipping or warranty term, or a certificate for a specific model and market — are confirmed per order in the inquiry, and this article does not invent them. Official list prices that appear on the official detail pages are transcription only and are never a quotation, and no certificate name, number, or issuer is stated anywhere on this site, because none are evidenced; certificates are available upon request.
Before ordering, name the model, the variants, the quantities, and the market you sell into, in the inquiry. Ask for the specification for the exact model, the minimum order quantity, the lead time with its meaning, the payment and shipping terms, the warranty terms, and the certificates that apply to your market, by name, with documents attached. Do not pay before these have been confirmed for the exact models in the order, because payment removes the leverage to resolve an unconfirmed item, and a confirmed order is the only basis for a safe purchase.