Adverts for shop software almost always start the same way: a long list of everything the system can do. Stock control, purchasing, loyalty scheme, webshop integration, cloud reports. A small shop owner typically feels two things at that point: that they surely need some of it, and that they have no idea which part.
This article starts from the other end. It doesn't ask what a program can do but what isn't working in your shop today — and which of that a POS system, a counter-side app, or nothing at all would solve. Some shops need a full system, some need a simple app, and some are fine for now with a well-kept notebook.
We want to stay objective, so let's say one thing up front: we make Boltom App, which belongs to the light, counter-side category. It is not an official till, it doesn't keep stock levels and it doesn't handle purchasing. If your shop needs those things, the questions below work just as well — in fact, that is when they matter most.
Describe the problem first, not the feature
Before you look at a single offer, sit down for ten minutes and write down what is causing trouble today. Don't think in systems but in situations: when the queue stops, what the new assistant asks for the third time, and what you only suspect at the end of the month is going wrong. That list tells you which category you need — and which feature you would be paying for for nothing.
| What hurts today | What would the program need to do? | Which category solves it? |
|---|---|---|
| A queue at the counter, the assistant searching | Fast serving even for goods without barcodes, for example by photo or short code | Counter-side app or POS system |
| A new assistant stays unsure for days | Few screens, short training, hard to make mistakes | Mostly the counter-side app |
| Waste and own consumption show up nowhere | Recording at the counter, with a reason and a name | Counter-side app or POS system |
| You don't know what sells and what makes money | Turnover and profit by product and by category | Both — the question is who reads it |
| A big shortfall at stock-take, and no idea where from | Stock levels, goods in, stock-take | Full POS system with stock control |
| Many suppliers, many orders, forgotten items | Purchasing, order suggestions, supplier management | Full POS system |
| Your till is reaching the end of its life, or you are just opening | Legal receipt issuing | Official till or certified system |
If most rows on your list happen at the counter — the queue, training, waste, daily figures — you don't necessarily need a big system. But if your problems are in the stockroom and in purchasing, a counter-side app won't solve them, however fast it is.
The three categories: till, POS system, counter-side app
Behind the words "shop software" there are three quite different things. Many misunderstandings come from the salesperson and the shopkeeper not meaning the same thing when they say it. So it is worth clarifying which one you are talking about in the very first conversation.
| Aspect | Official (fiscal) till | Full POS system | Counter-side app |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is it for? | Legal receipt issuing and tax reporting | Running the whole shop: sales, stock, purchasing, reports | Faster serving and the daily figures, alongside the existing till |
| Does it replace the official till? | It is the mandatory device itself, where required | Only if it is certified in your country — ask | No |
| Stock levels and stock-take | Typically not | Yes, it is one of its main strengths | Typically not |
| Purchasing, suppliers | No | Yes | No |
| Learning | Short, but the codes have to be memorised | Longer, many menus and settings | Short, few screens |
| Setting up | Installation by a technician | Days or weeks: products, stock, settings | Hours: entering products and short codes |
| Hardware | Its own dedicated device | Often its own terminal, printer, barcode scanner | Your existing phone or tablet |
| Who is it for? | Everyone the law requires it of | Shops with a large range, many suppliers and a stockroom | Small shops, bakeries, snack bars, where the counter is the bottleneck |
The most common mistake happens in the third column. A counter-side app is not a "cheap POS system" but a different kind of tool: it doesn't keep stock levels, doesn't handle purchasing or suppliers, and doesn't issue tax receipts. In return it is quick to learn, runs on the devices you already have, and gives you the handful of figures a small shop needs for its daily decisions. If you need stock levels and ordering, don't try to make do with an app — that calls for a full POS system.
Which one do you need?
Two or three questions often settle it. The list below is not complete; it only covers the most common situations.
- You are just opening and have no till yet: settle the mandatory part with your accountant first. Everything else builds on it, and doing it the other way round is expensive.
- You have an official till, a small stockroom, and the problem is at the counter (queue, training, waste): a counter-side app is typically enough, and the till stays.
- Several hundred supplier lines, regular ordering, a stockroom, a noticeable stock shortfall: you need a full POS system with stock control. An app will fall short here.
- A bakery, greengrocer or snack bar with lots of goods without barcodes: look especially closely at how a croissant or a kilo of apples gets entered — that decides the speed of the counter.
- Two or more shops: in both categories look for reports per shop, and check whether the shops' data can be seen in one place.
- Everything is already running fine with a notebook or a spreadsheet: maybe you don't need anything yet. That is what the "When not to switch" section is about.
Two categories at once can also be a good solution. It is not unusual for the official till to stay, a counter-side app to join it for fast serving and the daily figures, and stock to go on being kept in a simple spreadsheet. That is not a half-measure if it covers exactly what hurts.
The 12 questions before you pay
Ask the salesperson these questions, and, more importantly, ask yourself during the trial. None of them is technical. They are all about how the program will work at your counter, with your people.
- 1How long does a new assistant take to learn it? Don't judge from the demo; hand it to someone who hasn't seen it. If after an hour they still can't serve on their own, you will pay for that hour again with every new member of staff.
- 2How do products get in? Ask specifically about goods without barcodes: bakery goods, loose vegetables, cakes sold by the piece. If these need a search through menus every time, the queue won't get any shorter.
- 3Does it work without internet? The question isn't whether you have wi-fi, but what happens when it drops out. Does it keep recording and sync later — or does serving stop?
- 4How many devices does the price cover? Many subscriptions charge per device or per user. If two of you stand at the counter and there is a phone in the back too, price it that way.
- 5Does it need new hardware? Does it run on your existing phone or tablet and fit alongside your current till — or does it only work with its own terminal and its own printer?
- 6What reports does it give, and who will read them? A twenty-page report nobody opens is worth nothing. Check whether you can see at a glance the daily turnover, the profit by product and what sells in which hour.
- 7How does it handle permissions? The assistant should see what they need, but not have access to profit, prices and settings if you don't want them to.
- 8What language does it run in? If someone on your team feels more confident in another language, an interface in their own language saves days of training — and means fewer mistakes at the counter.
- 9What is the full cost for a year? Subscription, devices, terminal, set-up and training — the table in the next section helps you add it up.
- 10Is there a minimum term or an exit fee? Ask what the minimum contract period is, what happens if you cancel early, and whether the hardware will be yours.
- 11Who owns the data, and can it be exported? Your products, your sales and your reports are your shop's history. Ask whether you can download them in a form a spreadsheet can open.
- 12Is there a free trial without entering a bank card? If the trial needs card details, payment often starts automatically when it ends. A fair trial doesn't tie you to anything.
„Shop software shouldn't be judged at the demo but on a Saturday morning, when five people are standing at the counter and the new assistant is on their own for the first time.”
What does it really cost for a year?
In offers, the monthly subscription is almost always in big print. But what matters to the shop is the total paid over a year, and the subscription is often only one item in it. Some of the rest doesn't even appear on an invoice, but in working hours.
| Cost item | What to watch for | How to calculate it |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Is it charged per device, per user or per shop? What is in the basic package, and what is a separate module? | Monthly fee × number of devices × 12, plus the modules you need |
| Hardware | Do you need a new terminal, printer, barcode scanner, cash drawer — or is your existing phone or tablet enough? | Purchase price divided by the expected years of use, or the rental fee × 12 |
| Card terminal | Often a separate contract, with its own fee and commission. Is it connected to the program? | Monthly fee × 12, plus the commission in proportion to card turnover |
| Set-up | Entering products, codes, photos, settings — who does it, and how long does it take? | Working hours × the value of your own or your staff member's hour |
| Training | Not a one-off: it comes back with every new member of staff | Training hours × the number of new staff you expect each year |
| Support | Is it included in the price? Is it available during opening hours, at weekends too? | The yearly fee, if there is one — and the lost sales if there is nobody to help |
| Leaving | Minimum term, cancellation fee, taking your data out | The worst case: what it would cost if you switched after a year |
A simple example in neutral units. If the subscription is 20 units a month per device and you use it on three devices, that is 720 units a year. If set-up takes twenty hours of work and an hour of your time is worth 10 units, that is another 200. If you train two new assistants a year and each needs eight hours before they can serve on their own, that is 160 more. So "20 a month" becomes more than a thousand units in the first year — and a cheaper but harder-to-learn system can easily end up costing more.
The trial: two weeks, step by step
A trial isn't for clicking through the menus. It is for finding out what happens in your shop, with your people, in an ordinary week and on a crowded day. Two weeks is typically enough for that, if you decide in advance what you are watching for.
- 11. Before: write down what you want to decideTake out your list of pains and pick three. At the end of the two weeks you have to answer yes or no to those — not to whether you "like it".
- 22. First two days: enter the most important productsNot the whole range. The thirty to fifty products that make up most of your sales are enough — including the ones without barcodes. Time it, because entering everything will take several times as long.
- 33. Day three: hand it to someone who hasn't seen itAn assistant or a family member, with five minutes of explanation. Watch where they get stuck, what they ask, and how many times they look at you for help. That is the real training time, not what you were told at the demo.
- 44. First week: use it in a busy hourIn the morning or afternoon rush, not when it's quiet. See whether serving is faster, and what happens if you switch off the wi-fi for a minute.
- 55. Second week: open the report and ask it questionsCan you read from it what sold best, in which hour, and what the profit was? If you still don't open the report of your own accord in the second week, the program won't change your decisions either.
- 66. At the end: try the exitDownload your data and open it in a spreadsheet. See how to cancel, and whether payment starts automatically after the trial. Only then decide.
Red flags from the salesperson
Most salespeople work honestly, but they are paid commission on today's signature, not on a shopkeeper who is still happy two years later. A few phrases are worth slowing down for and asking back.
| What you hear | Why it's suspicious | What to ask back |
|---|---|---|
| "This price is only valid today." | Pressure helps a quick decision, not a good one | Can I have the offer in writing, valid for a week? |
| "It does everything you can imagine." | A small shop doesn't want everything, it wants three things done well | Can you show me my three problems now, with my products? |
| "All you need for the trial is your card number." | At the end of the trial it easily turns into an automatic payment | Is there a trial without a bank card? How do I cancel? |
| "The minimum term is the same everywhere." | It isn't the same everywhere, and it is often negotiable | What is the cancellation fee in the first year, and after that? |
| "Nobody usually needs the export." | You'll need it when you want to switch — and by then it's too late to ask | How do I download my sales and my products, and in what format? |
| "This replaces your till too." | Only true where the system is certified and the rules allow it | Will you confirm that in writing, so my accountant can check it? |
| "Training takes an afternoon." | For you, maybe; for a new assistant in the Saturday rush, hardly | Can a member of my staff who hasn't seen it try it? |
Some signs show up not in words but in behaviour:
- They won't give you the full yearly price as a single figure, only the monthly fee and the "discounted" first months.
- The demo only works with their own sample products, not with the goods in your shop.
- The answer to every missing feature is "it's coming in the new version".
- They can't tell you who you call on a Saturday morning if the system isn't working.
- You are expected to sign the contract on the spot and can't take it home to read.
When not to switch
Not every shop needs shop software today. If the daily running is fine and the figures you need for your decisions are there in a notebook or a spreadsheet, switching is just cost and learning. A new system always slows you down in the first weeks — that pays off only if there is something for it to solve.
- You work alone or as a pair, and the same person is always at the counter.
- Your range is small and stable, and you know by heart what sells.
- The till's daily summary gives you what you want to know in the evening.
- Waste is low and always goes into the notebook.
- A simple stock spreadsheet is updated weekly and roughly adds up at stock-take.
- A big change is coming — a move, a refit, a seasonal peak — and that is not a good time to bring in a new system.
How to build a stock spreadsheet that works, and the signs that you have outgrown it, are covered in our article "Stock control in Excel". If several of the signs there are true for you, it is time to switch; if not, stay with what works.
Checklist before you buy
- I have written down the three most important problems I want to solve.
- I know which category I need: official till, full POS system, counter-side app — or two of them.
- I have checked with my accountant what is mandatory for issuing receipts.
- A new member of staff has tried it and was serving on their own within an hour.
- I have seen how goods without barcodes get entered.
- I have tried what happens without internet.
- I have added up the full yearly cost, per device and including working hours.
- I know the minimum term and the cancellation fee — in writing.
- I have downloaded my data and opened it in a spreadsheet.
- The trial didn't need a bank card, or I know exactly how to cancel.
Summary
- Choosing starts with your problems today, not with the feature list.
- There are three categories: official till, full POS system, counter-side app — and two often work side by side.
- Where it is mandatory, nothing replaces the official till; settle this with your accountant.
- Of the twelve questions, training, goods without barcodes and the exit matter most.
- The full yearly cost includes working hours, not just the subscription.
- Two weeks of trial in your own shop, with real customers, is worth more than any demo — and if the notebook is still enough, stay with it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a till and a POS system?
An official till is mainly for legal receipt issuing and tax reporting, where the law requires it. A POS system brings together the whole running of the shop: sales, stock, purchasing and reports. In some countries a POS system can itself be certified and so replace the till; elsewhere the two work side by side. Your accountant or the local tax authority can tell you which applies to you.
Can an app or till software replace the official till?
A counter-side app can't, and it typically doesn't claim to. A full POS system can only if it is certified in your country and local rules allow its use. If a salesperson promises this, ask for it in writing and show it to your accountant before you sign. This article is not legal advice — the rules differ between countries and change over time.
What kind of till software does a small shop need?
The kind that solves what hurts today. If the problem is at the counter — the queue, training, waste, daily figures — a light, counter-side app alongside the existing till is often enough. If the problem is in the stockroom and in purchasing, you need a full POS system with stock control. And if everything runs fine with a notebook or a spreadsheet, you may not need anything yet.
How much does shop software cost for a year?
It depends heavily on the category and the number of devices, so rather than a specific amount it is worth adding up the items. These include the subscription per device or per user, hardware, the card terminal, the time spent entering products and the training of every new member of staff. The last two don't appear on an invoice, but they are a real cost in working hours. A cheaper but harder-to-learn system can easily cost more in the first year.
Do I need to buy new hardware for shop software?
It varies by category. Some full POS systems work with their own terminal, printer and barcode scanner, others also run on the devices you already have. Counter-side apps typically run on your existing phone or tablet, next to the till. Ask specifically what you need to get started, and whether the hardware will be yours or rented.
What about goods without barcodes, such as bakery goods?
In many small shops this is the counter's biggest bottleneck, so check it separately during the trial. Ask how a croissant, a single cake or a kilo of apples can be recorded quickly: with a short code, a photo, a quick button or a scale. If it needs a search through menus every time, the queue won't get shorter, however good the rest of the system is. Measure it in a busy hour, not when it's quiet.
Why does it matter that the program works without internet?
Because sooner or later the connection drops — a provider fault, a bad router or a thick wall. If the program stops then, serving stops too, and the queue at the counter doesn't wait. Ask whether it keeps recording without a connection and what happens to the data when the connection returns. During the trial, switch off the wi-fi for a minute and see for yourself.
How long should the trial be, and what should I watch for?
Two weeks is typically enough, if you decide in advance what you are watching for. Enter the thirty to fifty most important products, hand the program to someone who hasn't seen it, and use it during a real busy hour. In the second week, see whether you can answer your own questions from the report. At the end, download your data and check how to cancel.
What should I look out for in the contract?
The minimum contract period, the cancellation fee, and what happens to the hardware and the data if you leave. Check whether support is included in the price and whether it is available during opening hours. Check whether the price is per device, per user or per shop, and which features are separate modules. Whatever was promised verbally, ask for in writing too.
Who owns the data if I use subscription software?
That is set by the contract and the data processing terms, so ask about it explicitly. What matters in practice is whether you can download your products, your sales and your reports in a form a spreadsheet can open. Try it during the trial rather than relying on a promise. If exporting is awkward or costs extra, switching later will be expensive.
When is it not worth switching to shop software?
When you work alone or as a pair, the range is small and stable, and the till's daily summary gives you what you want to know. Nor when a simple stock spreadsheet is updated weekly and roughly adds up at stock-take. Don't bring in a new system just before a big change either — a move, a refit, a seasonal peak. A week of measuring in a notebook quickly shows whether there is anything to solve at all.
Which category does Boltom App belong to?
The light, counter-side category. Alongside your existing till it records sales by photo, short code or by saying the product name, even without internet, and it reports turnover and profit by product, by category and by hour. It is not an official till, it doesn't issue tax receipts, it doesn't keep stock levels and it doesn't handle purchasing or suppliers. Anyone who needs those should go for a full POS system.
Say the product's name and it's there on the till.
Boltom App takes the work behind the counter off your hands. You find a product by looking at its photo or saying its name out loud — no codes, no scraps of paper. Whatever leaves the shelf or goes in the bin is recorded right there, not in a notebook. It works alongside your existing till, not instead of it.
- A quick code with a photo — or just say the product's name and the till finds it.
- Staff consumption in three taps, recorded under the person's name.
- Daily waste with its reason: expired, broken, unsellable — totalled up in money.
No card needed · 2 minutes
