Best Cash Registers for a Small Business

Square Register is the perfect option for those who are on the hunt for a cloud-based point-of-sale system that comes with a customer-facing display, a touch screen terminal, and even a built-in card reader.

You can use it as a standalone system or integrate it with other hardware, such as barcode scanners, cash drawers, or printers, as its Accessory Hub has five USB ports.

The bundle works perfectly well on iOS and Android devices. And if you're using it for retail purposes, you'll find that it integrates with many popular applications, such as Shopify, Lightspeed Retail, QuickBooks Point of Sale, and much more. 

Square has an easy-to-use cash register, with a straightforward and swift setup process, enabling you to start processing payments in no time. Should you encounter any hiccups, you can reach out to the company's customer support team or head over to the Seller Community section.

Once you’re up and running, you can employ an abundance of robust features, such as real-time sales tracking and reports, employee, customer, and inventory management, tax management, and customer loyalty programs.

If you're in the hospitality business, then the Square for Restaurants plan might be the ideal fit, as it comes with a few additional features, such as menu and table management options.

Square's cash register system lets you accept chip cards and contactless payments. In addition to cash, consumers can also use gift cards. You can even send receipts via email and SMS. On top of that, financial transactions can be performed even when you’re offline. 

On the flip side, Square might not be the most affordable product on the market, as you’ll have to pay a transaction fee of 2.6% and an additional 10¢ on every sale.

That’s on top of the $799 for the complete hardware bundle. Still, considering all that you get in return, the register is well worth its price tag.

If you are struggling to choose the right cash register for your small business, Lightspeed offers cloud-based solutions for both the retail and hospitality sectors. The latter option includes a leading POS system for dine-in and delivery services.

You can choose between an iPad or desktop hardware kit, and both bundles include a receipt printer, cash drawer, and a scanner.

The system is known for its ease of use, thanks to its intuitive interface and streamlined features. The software is also scalable so that it can grow with your business. And if you need any assistance, Lightspeed's excellent support team is available 24/7 to lend a helping hand, along with the Lightspeed community and helpful video tutorials. 

A good cash register allows you to manage your sales, customers, inventory, and employees efficiently. And that's precisely what Lightspeed does. This comprehensive system makes it easy to take orders, track inventory, manage customers and employees, and run your business smoothly.

Lightspeed lets the customers pay with all major credit and debit cards or via their smartphone, using Apple Pay and Google Pay. It charges a processing fee, though, so be ready to pay 2.6% +30¢ per transaction.

When you purchase Lightspeed’s software, the prices range from $69 to $199 per month (billed annually) for retail or from $39 to $289 for restaurants. For the hardware prices, you’ll have to request a quote. 

With a variety of third-party integrations and a possibility for managing inventory across multiple locations, Lightspeed is a great choice for small restaurants that are looking to streamline their operations.

Those who prefer to use an old-school cash register will find the Sam4S ER-180U to be a perfect fit. It's an affordable and easy-to-use register that comes with all the basic features you need to run your business.

The register has a built-in thermal printer, which is fast and quiet, as well as a cash drawer. It also comes with a customer-facing display and a raised keyboard. The register isn't very scalable, so it might not be the best choice for businesses that are planning to grow in the future.

Setting up is a breeze if you follow the manual, and you can start using it right away. The register doesn't have a lot of features, but it covers the essentials, which is all you need if you're just starting out.

For example, it offers four programmable tax rates, so you can easily calculate the taxes for the items you're selling.

The register can generate 17.3 lines per second, and with basic report features such as a financial report, sales by the cashier, cash declaration, and price code look-ups, Sam4S ER-180U is arguably the best option for a small retail business, which is on a tight budget. 

Finally, the register lets you store 500 PLUs while supporting 16 keyboard departments and 10 clerks, which is more than enough to cover your basic needs. 

Unfortunately, this old-school register lets you accept only cash and split tender payments. For credit cards and checks, you’ll have to purchase an external reader. However, the price is more than reasonable, and you can get one for less than $250.

Clover Station Duo is a complete POS system with a full-fledged cash register. It comes with a built-in cash drawer, receipt printer, barcode scanner, as well as a customer display, and a sleek, responsive touchscreen interface that facilitates quick and easy transactions.

Before setting up your new station, you can schedule a phone call with a product specialist to guide you through the setup process. Once you're up and running, the Clover system will help you manage your inventory, take payments, track customers, and grow your business. 

With its powerful analytics tools, Clover Station Duo will let you track your revenue, performance, sales across locations, and more in real time. This cash register software will make the tax filing process faster with its built-in POS reports.

For an even better accounting experience, Clover integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, and other popular third-party apps.

Clover Station Duo also comes with a number of features that help you manage your customers, inventory, and employees more efficiently.

Taking online orders, managing menus, processing refunds, creating customer profiles, and rewarding loyal customers are just some of the things that this system can do for your business.

Finally, payment processing is something Clover Station Duo excelled at. With its built-in EMV chip reader, you can accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as gift cards, and contactless NFC payments, along with other options such as PayPal, Venmo, or QR codes. You can even send invoices and accept transactions on the go.

However, Clover kit isn't the most affordable option. To purchase the whole bundle, you'll need to pay $1,299. On top of that, transactions will cost you from 2.3% +10¢ to 3.5% + 10¢. On the plus side, the company offers a 30-days free trial so that you can try things out before making a long-term commitment.

Epos Now offers a hospitality kit that includes a waterproof touchscreen terminal, which means you never have to worry about spills.

There is also a thermal receipt printer, a cash drawer, and a powerful EPOS software. However, if you wish to make the most of your checkout process, you’ll need to add third-party hardware such as a card reader and barcode scanner.

The best asset of the Epos Now Hospitality system is that it’s user-friendly. You can lean onto Epos onboarding resources that cover full installation, configuration, and training on how to use the system. On top of that, there is a simple design and one-touch ordering. In addition, the knowledgeable customer support team is available round the clock.

Epos Now Hospitality has an excellent app that allows its users to track their inventory right down to the ingredients. The system also lets you identify your best-sellers and non-sellers, track sales, margin, and trends in real time while automating purchase orders and stock levels.

The Epos POS system synchronizes all your orders and payment processing, enables users to take online orders, and helps you manage your employees with clock-in and clock-out functions.

The Epos Now Hospitality POS system integrates with more than 100 third-party apps such as Xero, Sage, Deliveroo, Nettl, and Mailchimp, so you can further customize the system to your liking. 

With Epos, you'll be able to accept chip and pin, contactless and remote payments. Epos also supports Google Pay, Apple Pay, and gift cards. However, it charges a flat fee of 1.70% per transaction, with custom pricing options for larger businesses.

The software is relatively affordable, and you can get the starter kit for as little as $39 per month or a lump sum of $449. There are other bundles you can purchase, such as the iPad System and the Android System, which offer different pricing plans.