Renting a POS system - better than buying?
Should I buy or rent a POS? Which solution is cheaper, which is quicker, which is more practical? We have put together some helpful answers and tips on how you can save costs.
Cash for rent: Only favorable at first glance
Many companies do not need a POS system all year round. Talking about seasonal business, there are for example
- events, functions and festivals
- food trucks
- pop-up stores
- trade fairs
Anyone who does not work all year round naturally has an interest in keeping running costs as low as possible outside their operating months. It is also important to keep an eye on changes to legal regulations during these times. This is because the obligation to ensure that your own cash register complies with the law naturally also applies during rest periods. For obvious reasons, rental cash registers promise many advantages here without much thought - but is this really true? But are rental cash registers really an advantage in seasonal business?
1) Fast shipping - hidden costs
Many cash register rental providers offer the lure of express delivery. In addition, the costs for return shipping are added to the rental rate. However, these are often not officially included.
2) No storage - repeated expense
With express rental offers, the cash register is often dispatched within 24 hours. This means that the cash register arrives quickly, but you should also factor in the training time. In addition, the data on your company, your product range, available payment methods, etc. must be entered again for each new rental agreement: If you have your own cash register, you only have to do this preparatory work once.
3) Low daily rates - expensive bill
At first glance, rental cash registers seem like a cheap alternative to a purchased cash register system. However, please note that the rental variants are often leased and charged per day. This means that even with low daily rates, high costs can quickly arise if you need the cash register for several weeks or months. It is worth making a precise calculation here: How long do I want to rent the cash register for this time? How often will I rent it in the future? The purchase price of your own cash register can often quickly pay for itself.
4) Independent working - expensive support
Those who do not want to be permanently tied to a POS system often want to work independently. However, especially during the familiarization phase, there are often many technical questions that require quick support. If the provider's hotline charges for its assistance by the minute, telephone bills can quickly mount up. On the other hand, those who have been familiar with their own cash register for longer will need fewer questions - but here too, free customer support should be included in the scope of services.
5) Legal compliance - question mark?
As a seasonal entrepreneur, you shouldn't have to think about this: A good rental cash register is demonstrably legally compliant and fulfills all the requirements of the tax office for proper cash management. But there is also a way for your own cash register system to be up to date again immediately after the rest periods: Unlike hardware-based models, cloud-based POS systems are updated automatically. It is always worth asking the cash register provider about this.
Leased POS as a happy medium?
As with a leased car, a leasing POS system incurs monthly fees and as soon as all installments have been paid, the POS system becomes your property. However, this is not without risk: if the POS system proves to be impractical, the purchase contract can be terminated during the contract period, but this is associated with costs. In many cases, the stored data also remains inaccessible. A leasing contract is therefore only recommended in combination with an extensive, free test phase and a guarantee of data access even after the contract has been terminated.
POS purchase: often pays off faster than expected
A distinction must be made here between the costs for the POS hardware - i.e. the physical cash register with display and cash drawer - and the POS software - i.e. the operating system. Also pay close attention to which features and services are included in the provider's service package: This allows you to calculate exactly what is worthwhile.
1) Test in advance, but free of charge
Reputable manufacturers offer a free test phase: Here you can check the features included for user-friendliness. You can also find out how quickly you can familiarize yourself with the new system and whether all the features that are important to you are included. If you decide to buy after the trial, you also have the advantage that all the data you enter will be transferred to live operation - this saves a lot of work and time.
2) Save hardware costs
There are two ways in which you can save costs here.Firstly, make sure you purchase a cloud-based POS system that is compatible with your existing devices and their operating system. That way, you don't need to buy new devices.If you want to add to your existing hardware - e.g. with a receipt printer, scanner or card reader - you can also purchase used devices and save money.Just make sure that they are compatible with the new POS software.
An all-in-one can also be a solution here:Here, a mobile device such as the readyP2 from ready2order offers all checkout and administration functions, including receipt printing and card payment, in one handy device.
3) Plan software costs
Some manufacturers offer subscriptions for POS software for different periods of time. Check whether the provider offers different contract intervals. Ideally, there is not only the option of purchasing an annual subscription, but also monthly use. Important: A monthly tariff should ensure that you don't have to re-enter your data every time you use the software.
Your benefits with ready2order
In addition to annual subscriptions, ready2order also offers monthly rates for seasonal entrepreneurs.
These are your advantages with our POS system:
- Test free of charge: During the test phase, you can already enter products and test all features. You can also switch to test mode later during live operation to test features - so you can't go wrong. By the way: After the test phase, all created products, discounts, customer and supplier data etc. are retained.
- Legal security: As soon as your cash register is up and running, it meets all the requirements for proper cash register management that are important for tax consultants and the tax office. We install cloud-based updates and inform you about new developments - so your cash register is always on the safe side.
Work with existing hardware: ready2order can be used on any compatible end device. This means you don't have to buy new devices, but can simply use existing smartphones, tablets or laptops. - Easy to learn: It is particularly important for seasonal businesses that the cash register is intuitive and easy to use. This saves time and costs and is ensured by using familiar hardware in conjunction with self-explanatory software.
- Free support: We are there for you with technical questions in our help center or by phone, chat and contact form.
- Reliable data backup: Even if you only use the POS system for a month or a week, all data remains saved and can be used at any time. This has the advantage that you can simply start using your POS system as usual when you purchase a new monthly subscription.
- Powerful statistics: You have access to the statistics even if you no longer pay for the cash register.
For example, you can use the previous year's analysis to plan the merchandise management for your seasonal business before you purchase your new subscription.
Which cash register do I even need? If you're still stuck on this question, we'll give you some criteria to help you decide which cash register hardware is right for you. We have also prepared a few tips on the topic of cash register management with little effort.
Book your free consultation now
Do you need a new POS? We advise you on POS subscriptions - so you can get started safely and in compliance with the tax authorities!
Sabine Amler
Senior Content Manager
As a trained bookseller, Sabine is familiar with both sides of the counter. She combines this practical know-how of cashing up, bookkeeping and tax with many years of experience in marketing to create informative texts.