After all the marketing and advertising, you have customers coming to you for your products and services. There in the last moments before the purchase clears, you hit a major obstacle; possible POS system issues.
There are a wide variety of possible POS system issues you can run into, and they can hit you no matter if you run a digital or physical storefront.
None of these problems have to be backbreaking. With a bit of ingenuity and software updates, you can keep your POS happy and running.
Possible POS Problems and Their Fixes
A POS system, or Point-of-Sale System for those unaware, is a software service that runs your sales transactions. On a good day, they will organize the purchases, take a payment, remove stock from your inventory, and print a receipt.
In this day and age, all POS systems are software and computer run. While it is possible to have a traditional POS system, they are decades out of date and inefficient.
Even small mom-and-pop stores will run digital.
The below 10 problems do often have quick fixes that you can do yourself. That said, if errors are much larger than simple issues, you may need a good repair company, like this company.
1. Securing Your POS
When the switch to digital and internet-connected POS system happened, it brought efficiency and ease. It also brought a great vulnerability to hackers.
A hacker can hack anything with an internet connection. Most POS software stores their data on a digital server, which needs an internet connection to access it.
Protecting yourself from hackers could be easy depending on your POS services. Some companies offer explicit protection for your POS from hacking and other nasty internet-based problems.
2. Power Issues
Sometimes your POS system may flicker or even go out all together. If this happens during a transaction, it can mean trouble.
While this could be because of damages to hardware or software, the more common culprit may be power.
First, check your plugs. A loose cable can cause a lot of awkward malfunctions. If the cables aren’t loose, check to see if they have cuts and tears in a cable. Even minor damages can cause issues.
If new cables don’t fix it, you may have a faulty outlet. If you use a mobile device, make sure you have a backup battery or device ready.
If all else fails, it might be a problem with the device you are working with, which will need professional help.
3. Inaccurate Data Reports
One of the biggest benefits of having a digital POS system is the ability to get a quick and accurate report from your sales with a click of a button.
When a POS malfunctions, your reporting may be off. If it is a minor difference, it can be hard to spot, but when the numbers are drastic, something big has happened.
Most of the time this is a software issue and some number or item has malfunctioned. It could have been an incorrect entry or the software may be out of date.
4. Optimal Users
Speaking of incorrect entries, human error is always a possible problem with POS systems. Learning a digital system can be awkward for some people, and a lot of software can have details that can take a long while to learn.
If you are buying a software service from a company, they may often have a tutorial guide to help train employees on how best to use the system.
If they don’t, or the guide is inefficient, it may take some time to adjust.
5. Cheap Software
Getting a POS can be a great boon to your business. Getting a cheap POS can be more of a detriment than you wanted.
You need to pay for quality, that is always true. If you are on a budget, there may be some options for you for a POS, but never get software when their main selling point is being cheap.
Cheap software are often full of errors, inaccuracies, and may need some luck to get them to run at all.
6. Poor Sales Management
Unlike cheap software, good software will give you many tools to help manage your expenses and track your inventory and sales. These tools can be great but they can also be a lot to manage.
Sometimes problems with these tools can be a simple user issue. With a bit more practice and patience, you can get a hand on these tools.
If you are facing actual glitches and errors, then contact customer service.
7. Inability to Connect to the Internet
Most POS systems need a connection to the internet to operate even their basic functions. Storing and accessing data from digital servers is more efficient, so a lost internet connection means no data to complete a process.
Check all your cables again. A loose ethernet cord could be an issue. If you connect to Wifi, check your router. Restarting your router can also refresh your system and clear out any issues.
If all else fails, your internet provider should be able to walk you through a troubleshooting process.
8. Print Issues
Printing a receipt may be getting more and more antiquated these days. With mobile banking, physical receipts don’t have as much of a place as they used to.
That said, there are still some uses for them. They can help you keep a backup of your own records, or some customers might prefer them.
Either way, printing issues can come from many places. A paper jam, a lack of printing ink, or even a connectivity error can be the problem. Check your printer for physical issues like that.
If issues still persist, you may not have good communication between the POS and printer, which could be another call to customer service.
9. Slow and Unstable
When your POS is running sluggish and having issues loading even the simplest of menus or items, there can be a few issues at fault.
It is possible your software could be out of date. Make sure you have updated all your software to the latest patch. If issues still persist, check back to your internet connection troubles.
When all else fails, your device or hardware could be failing. If they are several years old, you may need to look for a replacement.
10. Not Working with Other Devices
Connecting your POS to a mobile device can be a great way to do business on the go and allow you to move away from behind a counter. The problem, of course, may come from instability.
Some POS software isn’t designed for mobile use. As well, only the lastest of mobile devices may be able to run the software without running slow or crashing.
When in doubt, try and check the software on multiple mobile devices of differing ages. This can narrow down whether it is the device or the software at fault.
The Best Answers in Technology
Every possible POS system error boils down to technical issues. Technology can be annoying when it doesn’t work right, but getting it on your side only takes some expertise and knowledge.
For more knowledge on technology and all it can do, check out our other articles in the Technology section.
