Whether opening a new business or simply looking to update your current system, one of the most important decisions is whether you should use a traditional POS or a tablet-based POS system. The system you choose will be the backbone of your business and will play an integral role in keeping things running smoothly. No pressure right! Well thankfully, we know that a modern tablet POS system offers a tremendous amount of value and trumps the outdated POS system of the past. Below we’ve broken down the key benefits of upgrading to this cutting edge technology.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of these two POS models:
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| Traditional Legacy POS | Tablet-Based POS | |
| Cost* | $3,000 – $50,000 / year | $600 – $10,000 / year |
| Payments | Upfront license fee + monthly maintenance | Monthly payments |
| Software | Installed on premise | Hosted online |
| Hardware | Stationary terminals | Mobile and stationary tablets |
| Data Storage | Internal back office server | Remote cloud servers |
| Maintenance | On-location | Secure remote access (Automatic + Free) |
| Simple Configuration | No – need onsite support | Yes- easy to set-up and operate |
| Reporting and analytics | Yes- on premise access only | Access from anywhere in real-time from Cloud based servers |
| MKTNG/Loyalty | Yes – expensive additional software module | Yes- Comes integrated into POS software |
| Scheduling | Yes- difficult to modify on a regular basis | Schedule and track employee hours from iPad register |
| Limitations | Data accessibility, system integration, stationary hardware | Internet reliance in some systems** |
Now that you know all the benefits of upgrading to a tablet POS system, what are you waiting for? From increased convenience, reporting and analytics capabilities, reduced start-up costs and the image of your business, there is a lot to gain by looking for contemporary solution and point of sale that delivers for your restaurant.