How much does POS software cost? What you really pay

POS software price is not one number. What you really pay depends on how the software is sold (monthly, yearly or once), how many registers, users and branches you need, which add-ons you switch on, how many years you use it, and the hardware around it. This guide shows how to add it up so you compare like with like.

“POS” simply means your billing counter: the screen where you ring up a sale, print the bill and keep stock and customer accounts in order.

How is POS software sold?

There are three common ways to pay.

• Monthly subscription (cloud). You pay every month and use the software through the internet, often in a browser or tablet app. The headline price is usually per register or per location, and many vendors charge separately for extra users, extra registers, advanced inventory, loyalty, online ordering or premium support. Some give a discount for paying a year in advance. Card payment processing, where the vendor offers it, is usually a separate fee per transaction.
• Yearly licence (usually desktop). You install the software on the shop’s computer and pay once a year to keep using it.
• One-time or lifetime licence (desktop). You pay once and keep using the version you bought. Some software houses also build POS systems for a one-time fee plus a yearly maintenance charge.

None of these is right for every shop. A chain with branches that must see each other’s stock live may want cloud. A single grocery store, workshop or phone shop that bills from one counter often does not need to pay every month.

What does POS software cost over 1, 3 and 5 years?

Monthly fees look small, so compare the total over the time you expect to use the software. Work it out for your own quote like this:

• Cloud: monthly price × number of registers or locations × 12 × years, plus each add-on you need.
• Yearly licence: yearly price × years.
• One-time licence: the price once, plus any paid upgrades or maintenance.

Here is RMS as a desktop example, in US dollars:

Put your cloud quotes in the same three columns. Two things usually stand out. First, the gap grows every year you stay on a monthly plan. Second, the cheapest option in year one is not always the cheapest in year three.

The table only covers the software. Your hardware costs are much the same whichever software you choose, so add them separately.

What hardware do you need, and what should you budget for?

Hardware prices differ between countries and change often, so get two or three quotes from local dealers. This is what a typical counter needs:

1. A computer. A basic desktop or laptop is enough for most billing software. A laptop has its own battery, which helps during power cuts.
2. A thermal receipt printer. 80 mm roll printers are the common choice for shop bills. They need no ink, only paper rolls.
3. A barcode scanner. Needed if you sell packaged goods with barcodes. A simple USB scanner works with most POS software because it types the code like a keyboard.
4. A UPS. Where power is unreliable, it is not optional. A power cut in the middle of a bill should not switch off the computer.
5. Optional extras. A cash drawer, a barcode label printer (if you label your own items) and an A4 or A5 printer for formal invoices.

Some cloud vendors sell their own tablets, stands and card readers as a bundle. Check whether you can use ordinary hardware instead. Ask the software vendor which printers and scanners they have tested before you buy.

Which costs are easy to miss?

The headline price is rarely the full cost. Before you sign, ask about each of these:

• Extra users and registers. Some plans charge per user or per counter. Count your cashiers, manager and yourself.
• Extra branches or warehouses. Often priced separately.
• Add-ons. Inventory, purchasing, customer credit, reports or loyalty may sit in a higher plan.
• Setup and training. Is it included, or a separate fee?
• Data entry. Someone has to type in your items, prices and customers’ opening balances. Ask if you can import them from Excel or CSV.
• Internet. A cloud POS needs a working connection at the counter, and a backup connection for when the main one is down.
• Updates and support. With a yearly or lifetime licence, ask what updates you get and for how long.
• The price increase. Monthly plans can change their price. Ask how much notice you get.

What happens to your data if you stop paying?

This is the question most shop owners forget to ask, and the one that matters most later. Your customer list, credit balances and sales history are worth more than the software.

Ask every vendor:

• Can I still open and read my records after the plan ends?
• Can I export everything to Excel or CSV, at any time, without asking support?
• Where is my data kept, and who can see it?
• Can I take a backup myself?

For example, RMS keeps the shop’s data on its own computer. If the trial or a licence ends, RMS becomes read-only: the shop can still view, print, export and back up its records. Data is never locked away. Whatever you choose, get the answer to these questions in writing.

How do you compare two POS quotes fairly?

Use a simple checklist and write the answers side by side:

• Total software cost over 3 years, with the users, registers and branches you actually need
• Hardware it needs, and whether your existing printer and scanner work with it
• Does it work during internet outages and power cuts?
• Does it handle your currency, tax name and rate, and the units you sell in?
• Does it handle your kind of shop (vehicles and service due, sizes and colours, IMEI, expiry dates, weighing-scale items)?
• Does it keep customer credit with promised dates?
• Payment types you take: cash, card, mobile wallet, bank transfer
• Reports you need, and whether they export to Excel
• What happens to your data if you stop paying
• A free trial long enough to bill on real customers

Do not decide from a demo video. Bill your own customers for a week during a trial; you will learn more than from any sales call. Our checklist for choosing POS software goes through each point in more detail.

Does tax reporting change the price?

In some countries, certain businesses must report every sale to the tax authority in real time through a certified system, and that narrows your choice and often raises the price. Check with your tax adviser whether it applies to you. 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.

What does RMS cost?

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 and is activated offline by pasting a key. It can be yearly or lifetime, and moves to a new computer free once every 12 months. You can see what each edition includes on the POS and billing page, and how it fits a retail shop.

Try RMS free for 14 days

Every installation starts with a free 14-day trial with all Pro features. No card is needed. Download RMS, bill real customers for two weeks, and then compare the numbers above with your own.