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A POS (point of sale) system is essential for brick-and-mortar retail companies or service suppliers. A sophisticated POS system enables you to obtain funds and monitor monetary data simply. Nevertheless, POS techniques are a dime a dozen, and choosing the proper one from a sea of choices might be daunting.
I’m reviewing Epos Now, one of many best-known POS techniques, that will help you determine if it’s the appropriate alternative. I examined it extensively to notice its professionals and cons for companies. Learn on to study Epos Now’s options, pricing, user-friendliness, and what it presents for what you are promoting.
Epos Now POS: Plans and pricing
Epos expenses flat transaction charges of two.6% plus 10 cents. This charge is consistent with many POS techniques I’ve examined, though some rivals provide decrease charges of two% to 2.5%.
To make use of Epos Now, you’ll want a recurring subscription along with the transaction charge. The usual charge is $39 month-to-month for the software program solely on a one-year time period. The entire package deal, which incorporates the software program and Epos’s {hardware}, prices $79 month-to-month.
Epos Now’s {hardware} pricing technique isn’t so simple as that of different POS techniques. It presents particular {hardware} bundles, usually discounted, however it’s also possible to purchase {hardware} equipment individually.
“The Full Resolution,” as Epos Now calls it, features a countertop POS terminal, card reader, money drawer, and customized setup. Epos Now normally sells this resolution for $1,099, nevertheless it was closely discounted to $349 with a catch.
The low cost solely utilized if we paid a month-to-month subscription beginning at $79. Given these circumstances, there wasn’t a lot of a reduction; it illustrates why it’s important to learn between the strains when firms dangle appreciable reductions.
To be truthful, Epos Now’s {hardware} pricing isn’t misplaced in comparison with rivals. I’ve examined a number of POS techniques that cost $1,000+ for his or her {hardware} bundles and nonetheless require month-to-month subscriptions. Epos Now isn’t probably the most inexpensive choice, however its costs aren’t out of the blue for a sophisticated POS system.
Epos Now: Options
Epos Now gives many options that allow companies to simply accept in-person funds. With its cloud-based system, prospects will pay for items by inserting, swiping, or tapping their playing cards on the cardboard reader.
One thing stood out when testing Epos Now; it doesn’t assist manually keyed-in funds, i.e., typing the shopper’s card particulars immediately in the event that they don’t have their playing cards with them.
Many POS techniques assist manually keyed-in funds, albeit with greater transaction charges due to the elevated dangers. It appears Epos Now selected to not assist them in any respect.
Instead, you’ll be able to create cost hyperlinks for patrons to enter their card particulars. You’ll pay the identical transaction charge of two.6% plus 10 cents, not like the three.5% most POS techniques cost for manually keyed-in transactions. In a method, Epos’s refusal to assist manually keyed-in funds saves you cash.
This method gives a simple approach to handle your product catalog. I might add or take away product particulars with out trouble and retrieve any product when wanted.
Suppose you run a online game retailer. You may add all of your merchandise and their corresponding particulars, together with costs and portions, to your Epos Now catalog. When a buyer chooses an merchandise, you’ll be able to shortly retrieve it on the system, they usually’ll pay the required worth.
Epos Now tracks your stock depend, so you’ll be able to obtain alerts when an merchandise’s amount runs low. Suppose you record seven models of an merchandise. Every time a buyer buys that merchandise, it’ll be subtracted from the stock depend. You may set Epos Now to warn you if the merchandise’s depend falls under two, guaranteeing you restock it to maintain prospects comfortable.
I like that Epos gives an interactive dashboard to trace all funds associated to your POS system. When you have a number of shops with Epos POS techniques, you’ll be able to observe all collective funds from a single dashboard. You may monitor stock at each retailer and get low-stock alerts.
Notably, Epos’s software program works with exterior POS {hardware}. Not like some POS techniques I’ve examined that make their software program work solely on their {hardware}, you should not purchase Epos’s {hardware} to make use of its software program.
Epos Now’s {hardware} techniques are dear, so it’s comprehensible in the event you select various choices whereas sticking to its software program. In that case, you’ll pay its month-to-month subscription charge of $39 for at least twelve months ($468 complete).
In distinction, individuals who use Epos {hardware} will pay for his or her subscription month-to-month and not using a twelve-month dedication (the corporate makes use of this method to incentivize prospects to decide on its {hardware}, however various choices nonetheless work).
For those who select exterior {hardware}, organising your Epos system turns into extra complicated. Relying in your {hardware}, you may want a developer to combine Epos’s software program. But, even with these hoops, exterior {hardware} generally is a extra inexpensive choice for companies with restricted budgets.
I admire Epos Now’s versatility and tailored options for several types of companies, together with retail shops, eating places, bakeries, resorts, and extra.
As an illustration, Epos gives a device to record accessible resort rooms for patrons to test and simply e book. For eating places, it gives a kitchen show system to ship real-time orders from the counter to the kitchen employees. I toyed with related useful options for different enterprise niches.
I all the time contemplate third-party integrations when testing any POS system. You may want encompasses a POS system doesn’t provide, however third-party integrations will do the trick. Epos Now didn’t disappoint on this criterion. It has integrations with dozens of apps, starting from supply to e-commerce, appointments, loyalty packages, and accounting.
For instance, Epos Now’s integration with Shopify, a well-liked e-commerce platform, allows you to combine your offline and on-line shops. Each shops will share the identical stock, and you’ll monitor in-person and on-line transactions from the identical dashboard.
Epos’s integration with QuickBooks makes managing your funds simpler. Each in-person transaction might be mechanically inputted into your accounting data, and you’ll shortly retrieve it when getting ready formal accounting reviews. These are a number of examples of the integrations accessible with Epos Now.
Nevertheless, I believe Epos Now’s integration library is proscribed. I’ve examined POS techniques with a broader library of integrations- assume a whole lot as a substitute of dozens. Although its current integration library gives precious options, I consider far more might be added.
But, that doesn’t imply any app not accessible on Epos Now’s app retailer can’t be built-in with its system. Epos presents API entry to allow builders to create distinctive integrations for POS techniques. You may rent a developer to construct a customized integration on your Epos Now system.
Epos Now: Interface and use
The final time I examined Epos Now, I famous difficulties navigating its interface. Nevertheless, the interface has improved considerably since then. It’s a lot simpler to navigate, and the setup course of is now extra easy.
Epos Now has a noticeably fast setup course of when utilizing the corporate’s {hardware}. It will get extra complicated when utilizing exterior {hardware}, as integration requires API entry, however the course of isn’t overtly difficult. Epos gives detailed documentation to information builders by means of the method.
For those who need assistance, Epos presents direct assist by way of stay chat and phone. You may also go to the official Epos Communities discussion board to search out options to widespread points.
Epos Now: The competitors
I’d like to focus on two main rivals to Epos Now: Lightspeed and Square. I’ve examined each extensively to see how they examine.
Lightspeed presents broad options for various enterprise varieties. Whether or not you run a retail retailer, restaurant, cafe, resort, or different brick-and-mortar enterprise, Lightspeed allows you to settle for in-person funds conveniently. It presents intuitive software program and complex {hardware} starting from a conveyable card reader to a full-fledged Terminal.
Lightspeed has broader complementary options than Epos Now. For instance, you need to use its NuOrder system to search out and order items immediately from suppliers. Lightspeed has higher customization and third-party integration. The disadvantage is its greater subscription charges.
Sq. outshines Epos Now in usability and affordability. Its person interface is far more intuitive, and Sq. doesn’t cost subscription charges. Its commonplace transaction charge is 2.6% plus 15 cents, barely greater than Epos.
The disadvantage is Sq.’s restricted customization and scalability. Including and managing new POS units to your Sq. account is not as handy as on Epos Now. Likewise, Sq. has restricted third-party integrations, a problem I additionally highlighted about Epos Now.
Epos Now: Remaining verdict
Epos Now’s a flexible and dependable point-of-sale system. I like that it really works for varied enterprise varieties, with options tailor-made to completely different niches to make the most effective of Epos Now.
Epos Now is likely one of the few POS techniques I contemplate appropriate for all enterprise sizes, whether or not small or massive. It has some drawbacks, akin to its greater {hardware} prices, nevertheless it’s a good POS system general.
Additional studying
Uncertain which POS to decide on? Learn our information on how to choose the right POS system for your business,