Choosing POS software for a small shop is less about features lists and more about fit. The right system matches how you sell, the hardware on your counter, your internet, your tax rules and your budget over several years. This checklist walks through each decision in the order that saves the most time.
“POS” (point of sale) simply means your billing counter: the screen where you ring up a sale, print the bill and keep stock and customer accounts in order.
Do you need cloud POS or offline POS?
This is the first decision, because it rules options in or out.
| Offline (desktop) | Cloud (online) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where data lives | On the shop’s computer | On the vendor’s servers |
| Needs internet to bill | No | Usually, or a limited offline mode |
| See sales from home or phone | No | Yes |
| Live stock across branches | No | Yes |
| Typical way of paying | Yearly or one-time licence | Monthly subscription |
Choose cloud if you run several branches that must share stock live, or the owner needs to check sales from a phone during the day. Then make sure every counter has a dependable connection and a backup one.
Choose offline if you bill from one counter, your internet drops now and then, or you would rather keep the records on your own computer.
RMS is offline software. It runs on the shop’s own computer, and selling, printing, reports, backups and licence activation all work without internet. It is not a cloud service: there is no web login, mobile app or live sync between branches. If those matter to you, RMS is not the right fit.
Does it handle your currency, tax and date formats?
Software built for one country can be awkward elsewhere. Check that you can set:
- Your currency symbol and where it sits (before or after the amount)
- 0 or 2 decimals, and number grouping such as 1,234.50 or 1.234,50
- Your date format and time zone
- Your tax name (VAT, GST or sales tax) and rate
- Your tax registration numbers printed on tax invoices
RMS lets you choose all of these, and country presets fill them in at setup.
Does your tax authority require a connected system?
In some countries and for some businesses, every sale must be reported to the tax authority in real time through a certified or fiscal system. If that applies to you, it narrows your choice to approved systems, so check with your tax adviser before comparing anything else.
RMS prints tax invoices with your own tax name (VAT, GST or sales tax), rate and registration numbers, but it is not connected to any government e-invoicing or fiscal reporting system. Businesses that must report each sale to a tax authority in real time need a certified system.
Can it sell in the units you use?
Many shops buy in one unit and sell in another. Ask whether the software can:
- sell by the piece, pack, dozen or carton, with conversions such as 1 carton = 24 bottles;
- sell by weight or volume (kg, lb, litres) with quantities like 1.25 kg or 3.5 L;
- buy in bulk and sell loose, for example a 208 L drum sold by the litre;
- sell by length (metres or feet) for cable, chain or fabric.
RMS supports these units and conversions where the unit permits.
What hardware will you need?
Budget for the counter as a whole, not only the software:
- A computer. A basic desktop or laptop runs most billing software. Check which operating systems are supported; RMS runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- A thermal receipt printer. 80 mm roll printers are the usual choice for shop bills. They need paper rolls, not ink.
- A barcode scanner. Needed for packaged goods. A simple USB scanner types the code like a keyboard and works with most software.
- A label printer if you price or barcode your own items.
- A UPS or battery backup, so a power cut does not switch off the computer mid-bill.
Ask the vendor which printers and scanners they have tested, and try your own before buying more.
What should the printouts look like?
Look at real printouts, not screenshots. Check that the software prints:
- an 80 mm thermal receipt for walk-in customers;
- an A4 or A5 invoice with your logo for businesses that need a formal invoice;
- barcode labels for your own items;
- a tax invoice with your registration numbers if you are tax-registered.
RMS prints A4, A5 and A6 invoices, 80 mm thermal receipts, a windscreen service sticker and 50 × 30 mm barcode labels. Every printout carries a QR code that shows whether the shop really issued it.
Does it keep customer credit properly?
If you let regular customers pay later, credit should be part of the bill, not a separate notebook. Look for:
- an “on account” payment that puts the unpaid part on the customer’s balance;
- a statement per customer with every bill, payment and correction;
- a promised date and a list of who is due to pay;
- a receipt that shows the balance after each payment.
Which reports will you actually use?
Do not count reports; check the five you will open every week: daily sales and cash, profit, stock and reorder, best and slow sellers, and what customers owe. Make sure they print and export to Excel or CSV so your accountant can use them.
How is the software licensed, and what does it cost over time?
There are three common models:
- Monthly subscription, often per register or location, sometimes with paid add-ons.
- Yearly licence, usually for desktop software.
- One-time (lifetime) licence, paid once.
Compare the total over three to five years, with the users and counters you really need. Then ask the most important question: what happens to my data if I stop paying? You should still be able to view and export your records.
RMS Basic costs USD 39 a year or USD 99 once (lifetime), for 2 users. RMS Pro costs USD 79 a year or USD 199 once (lifetime), for unlimited users. A licence is for one computer. If it ends, RMS becomes read-only and your data is never locked away. See How much does POS software cost? for a fuller comparison.
How do you run a fair trial?
- Enter your 50 best-selling items with their real prices
- Bill real customers for a week, including your busiest day
- Do a return, a credit sale and a split payment
- Print every kind of bill you need
- Do a day close and count the drawer
- Switch the internet off and see what still works
- Take a backup and restore it
Any vendor confident in their software will let you do this before you pay.
Try RMS free for 14 days
Every installation of RMS starts with a free 14-day trial with all Pro features. No card is needed. Download RMS, work through the checklist above on your own counter, and see the POS and billing page for what the billing screen does.