POS systems can help you get the most out of your omnichannel sales efforts. They connect and synchronize online and offline retail and restaurant sales data, automate inventory adjustment and offer easy order management for both online and on-site fulfillment.

Most point-of-sale systems  include hardware, software and a payment processor for processing credit cards and cash. Typically, you can use any device with internet connectivity to access your system–from a desktop or laptop computer, tablet (especially iPads) to mobile phones.

When a customer decides to purchase an item or service, your POS looks up the product details, calculates the price and adds any applicable sales tax. Then, the customer pays through a card, tap card, mobile wallet, loyalty points or in-store credit. Once the sale is finalized, your POS system updates the inventory counts, adjusting the quantities in both your physical store and online sales channels.

“The Power of Point of Sale Systems: Revolutionizing Retail and Hospitality Businesses

A POS system should also keep track of your customers to help you tailor communication and build repeat business. Look for a POS that supports customer relationship management tools and staff roles and permissions to help manage your team members. Some POS also includes receipt printers to provide customers with digital or paper proof of their purchase and make returns easier. In addition, if you sell food or beverage products, consider finding a POS solution that lets your customers add a digital tip during checkout. Then, your servers or staff can apply that to their payment total.