What is a POS system, and does your business need one?
Guides2 min read
POS means point of sale: the place where a customer pays you. A POS system is the software and hardware you use at that moment. Today it does a lot more than add up a bill, and for most businesses in Pakistan it has become the system the whole business runs on.
In this guide
POS meaning, in one line
A POS system records what you sold, to whom, for how much and how they paid, and then updates everything that depends on it: stock, cash, reports and loyalty points.
What POS software does
- Billing. Add items, apply discounts, take payment and print a receipt.
- Payments. Cash, card, bank transfer, JazzCash, Easypaisa and Raast, each recorded separately.
- Stock. Every sale deducts stock, so you know what is left and what to reorder.
- Customers. Find customers by phone number, keep their history, add loyalty points.
- Staff. Each person logs in with their own role, so you know who sold what.
- Reports. Sales, profit, best sellers and slow movers, by day, hour and branch.
POS hardware
A POS needs less hardware than most people think: a Windows PC or an Android tablet, a thermal receipt printer, a cash drawer and a barcode scanner if you sell packaged goods. Restaurants add a kitchen printer or kitchen screen. Most of this you may already own.
Different businesses need different POS software
| Business | What its POS must handle | Starc product |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, café, fast food | Order types, kitchen tickets, tables, riders, Foodpanda, recipes | RestaurantOS |
| Shop, grocery, clothing, gift store | Barcodes, stock across branches, loyalty, labels | RetailOS |
| Pharmacy, medical store | Generic search, batch and expiry, prescriptions | PharmacyOS |
| Online seller | Many channels, couriers, cash on delivery | OMS |
A general POS that tries to do all of these usually does none of them well. A restaurant needs kitchen tickets, a pharmacy needs expiry dates and a clothing shop needs sizes and colours.
Cloud POS or desktop POS?
Cloud POS lets you check sales from anywhere. Desktop POS keeps working when the internet drops. In Pakistan you want both: an app that runs on the counter PC and keeps billing offline, with everything syncing to the cloud so you can see it on your phone. All Starc products work this way.
Signs your business needs a POS
- You cannot say today's sales without counting the drawer
- Stock runs out without warning, or never matches what you bought
- You have more than one cashier and the cash is sometimes short
- You want to open a second branch and see both from one screen
- Customers wait while bills are written or totals are added by hand
If two or more of these sound familiar, a POS will pay for itself. See all Starc products side by side, or read the buyer's guides for restaurants, shops and pharmacies.
Common questions
What does POS stand for?
Point of sale. It is the moment and place where a customer pays, and the system you use to record that sale.
What is the difference between POS and billing software?
Billing software prints bills. A POS also tracks stock, customers, staff, cash and reports, so the whole business updates with each sale.
Does POS software need internet?
Not to bill. Starc products keep selling offline and sync when the internet is back. You need internet to see live reports from another place.