There are point of sale systems for what seems like every industry. And beyond that it breaks down to every vertical within a single industry. It’s safe to say POS marketplace is saturated.

Some well-known point of sale systems include Square and Clover. Both companies offer POS systems with great features. But as with any product, these and other softwares can also have major detractions. Fortunately there are more than just the big-name players in the game. Finding a POS system that fits your business’s unique needs is possible!

Let’s break down the competition.

Square
One of the main selling points for Square POS is that it has no monthly fee. Buy an iPad, download Square, and you’re ready to begin selling your goods and services. But Square is not completely free, as it charges 2.75% for each swiped credit card transaction, plus an additional 3.5% and $0.15 per keyed-in transactions.

For businesses conducting around $15,000 in monthly transactions, this isn’t a bad option.
However, once a business reaches $20,000 or more in transactions, it could be time to consider a different POS option. A 2.75% rate that looked appealing at first glance eventually adds up as your business’s transactions do. Other processors such as Payscape not only offer POS solutions, but they also provide in-house competitively priced merchant processing. Just one benefit of working with privately owned companies like Payscape - they can often offer payment transaction rates and discounts that larger corporations cannot.

Clover
Clover POS solutions are commonly identified by their visually appealing hardware. There’s no denying it looks sharp! While this is the case, it’s always important to check under the hood and ensure any POS system is a good fit for your business.

We mentioned earlier that Payscape offers merchant processing in addition to a suite of other small business solutions. Similarly, Clover is owned by First Data, a merchant processing company. The difference here lies within the aspect of flexibility. When using POS or any of our softwares, Payscape will always encourage you to opt for our merchant processing in order to save yourself the headache of going through a third party. But at the end of the day, you have the freedom to take payments with whomever you prefer. With Clover, your options aren’t just limited. A contract with Clover requires your company to process payments with First Data, meaning you don’t have the luxury of exploring potentially less expensive rates.

Of course, the flexibility to eventually move on to another POS solution still remains. But because Clover POS systems are specifically encrypted to each individual merchant, business owners are unable to resell former POS equipment, resulting in a loss on costly equipment investments.  

Lastly, Clover being solely Android-based technology along with outsourced add-on features could be a determining factor to many business owners.

Payscape POS
Now let’s compare those businesses to yours truly!

Payscape has the capability to write merchants at different credit card processing rates, meaning it can go much lower than the 2.75% of Square. Combine that with the NCR Silver, and merchants can get an ideal combination of robust point of sale software and competitive processing rates.

Payscape separates itself from the pack by offering top-of-the-line customer care, on-going technical support, and fair processing rates. By offering POS packages powered by NCR, Payscape provides an ideal point of sale software for businesses of all sizes. In particular, food trucks, boutiques, counter-service restaurants, and the likes will find our bundles suit their needs and are offered at competitive price points.

Unlike many of our competitors, Payscape POS also includes many other features at no extra cost such as email marketing, social media integration, customer loyalty programs, gift card capabilities, discount and coupon programs, off-line payment functionality, advanced reporting, and more.

In a saturated marketplace, it’s important to do your homework for the greater good of your company. Researching as many options as possible will help you weigh the pros and cons of different POS operating systems.

Click below to learn more about Payscape's POS system software, view pricing options, schedule a free live demo, or simply speak to a rep:

John Burns is a Product Account Manager for Payscape POS. Information presented is research-based done on behalf of Payscape and represents publicly available software features to the best knowledge as of or before 4/5/2017