Your small business has finally grown to the stage where you’re ready to adopt a POS provider. As a business owner, you want to avoid unnecessary disruption to your business and customers during the setup process. So how long does it take to set up a POS system for the first time?

More Than Just a Payment Processor

A point-of-sale system is equipped to do more than just payment processing. Whether you’re using a retail POS system or a restaurant POS system, these applications act as management platforms to assist you in running your entire business. POS software contains inventory management systems, loyalty programs, gift card redemption, and eCommerce functions, all contained within the operating system. POS systems also include integrated apps for management to use POS functions from anywhere using a mobile device.

Choose the Best POS System For Your Business

The first step is to research POS providers and find the best fit for your business needs. A retail store won’t have the same needs as a restaurant, so here are some things to consider as you do your homework.

Consider your budget. Some POS vendors have a monthly fee, others allow businesses to sign up for an extended period for one upfront price.

Next, you’ll need to consider what POS hardware you need. Ask these questions:

-Do you want a self-standing POS terminal or one that can be integrated into an existing register?

-How many employees do you have? Will they need tablets for tableside order taking in a restaurant setting?

-Do you have registers with cash drawers or do you only take non-cash and contactless payments?

-Will the system need to support multiple locations?

-Does your business have a stable internet connection?

The answers will help determine which features are most important for your business when choosing the right POS.

After You Have Chosen Your POS Provider

After you have chosen a POS provider, there is typically an onboarding process of 24 hours to a few days. Following the onboarding comes the programming of the software (if necessary), which can take up to a few weeks.

Setting up a point-of-sale (POS) system can take anywhere from a few minutes to weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your business. If you already have a POS set up, with equipment such as a receipt printer, barcode scanner, and card reader, then you may be able to get started with a new POS solution quickly. However, starting from scratch can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to make sure everything is set up properly for your business needs.

You can get a POS system set up in as little as two or three minutes if you already have a working POS. If not, your process may take anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your business.

Most businesses will need an existing computer system with appropriate hardware (such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor) and software (such as point-of-sale software). You’ll also need to decide on how much space you want to allocate for the new system relative to your other office supplies such as desks, chairs, and tables.

Every Business Is Different

There’s no “one size fits all” answer for how long it takes to set up a new POS system. Every business is different. These are some contributing factors:

  • Size of your business: How complex are your processes? Do you need to integrate multiple systems together? If so, then this will take more time than if all you want is a simple POS system for your cash registers at your retail business.
  • Types of payments accepted: The more payment types you accept, the longer it will take to set up. This is because there are certain steps required specific to each type that may not be included in other setups (like adding new banks or setting up integrations). For example, if your company accepts bitcoin as well as traditional credit cards or ACH payments, then there are additional steps involved with configuring those options which could slow down deployment times significantly (and require additional fees).
  • Features needed: Are there any customizations that need to be made before deployment? Customizations can vary greatly depending on what they are and how they’re implemented into your POS system.

Contact the POS Experts: Pineapple POS

If you want to set up a new POS system for your business, there’s one easy way to avoid the hassle and headaches: call Pineapple POS! Our trained technicians will come to your location, evaluate your business, and make a recommendation on which POS system will be the right fit for you. So, how long does it take to set up a POS system? Contact Pineapple POS today and you won’t have to wait any longer!