What should you look for in a POS system?
With a POS system you often pay in three ways: a subscription, costs per card payment and hardware. Add them up for your number of payments per month.
Subscription and card fees together
A low monthly price can come with higher costs per card payment, or the other way round. What is cheap depends on how many payments you take and how large they are.
Ask the vendor
What does a card payment with a Dutch debit card and with a credit card cost, on top of the subscription?
Sort by lowest price6 of 9 tools have a public price
Buying or renting hardware
A card terminal, receipt printer and cash drawer can often be bought or rented. Renting looks cheap, but is sometimes tied to a contract of several years.
Ask the vendor
Which hardware do I need, can I buy it or only rent it, and how long does the contract run?
We do not have a filter for this yet. Ask the vendor.
Keeping POS data
Digital files and the programs to open them also fall under the retention requirement. You keep your records for 7 years, and during an audit you must be able to show your data.
Ask the vendor
Can I export all receipts and daily reports, and can I still access them after I cancel?
We do not have a filter for this yet. Ask the vendor.
Integration with your accounting and online shop
Daily turnover that arrives in your accounts automatically saves work every day. If you also sell online, you want one stock for shop and online shop.
Ask the vendor
Which accounting packages and online shops does it integrate with, and is the turnover transferred per VAT rate?
Sort by most integrations4 of 9 tools list integrations
Support when the till stops working
A till that does not work on a Saturday costs turnover straight away. Check when you can reach someone, and in which language.
Ask the vendor
Is your support also available in the evening and at the weekend, in Dutch?
Show tools with support in Dutch6 of 9 tools meet this
A till in Dutch
The person behind the till is often a skilled worker or an on-call worker. A till in Dutch is quicker to learn.
Ask the vendor
Is the POS app fully in Dutch, including the receipts and the reports?
Show tools with an app in Dutch1 of 9 tool meets this
Data in the EU
A POS system can store customer data, for example for a loyalty card or an order. If that data is stored outside the EEA, extra conditions apply.
Ask the vendor
In which country are my sales and customer data stored?
Show tools with data in the EU2 of 9 tools meet thisMore about data in the EU
Frequently asked questions about choosing POS systems
What should you look for in a POS system?
Look mainly at subscription and card fees together, buying or renting hardware, keeping POS data, integration with your accounting and online shop, support when the till stops working, a till in Dutch and data in the EU. For each point we explain why it matters and which question to ask the vendor.
Which questions should you ask a vendor of POS systems?
What does a card payment with a Dutch debit card and with a credit card cost, on top of the subscription? Which hardware do I need, can I buy it or only rent it, and how long does the contract run? Can I export all receipts and daily reports, and can I still access them after I cancel? Which accounting packages and online shops does it integrate with, and is the turnover transferred per VAT rate?
How many POS systems in the guide can you use or try for free?
Of the 9 POS systems in our guide, 2 have a free plan and 3 can be tried for free, according to the vendor's site.
Sources
- Ondernemersplein (KVK and government): Keeping and storing your records (in Dutch)
- Belastingdienst: How long must you keep your records for VAT? (in Dutch)
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens: Transferring personal data outside the EEA (in Dutch)
Texts and sources checked on . The counts follow from the facts in the guide. Rules can change; the source prevails. This is an explanation, not legal or tax advice.
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