Best Cash Registers for Small Businesses 2023
This article is part of a larger series on POS Systems.
Small businesses can choose from two kinds of cash registers: electronic cash registers (ECR) or point-of-sale (POS) systems. ECRs provide the most basic functions—tallying sales, completing customer payments, printing receipts, and storing cash. However, most businesses get their cash register hardware from a POS software provider, as the global market for cash registers has declined by more than 10% since 2019 and many major ECR providers have stopped manufacturing cash registers.
Many POS software and hardware combinations cost the same or less than standard ECRs, and POS systems are much easier to use. So, our retail and restaurant experts included both ECRs and POS-based registers in this guide. Based on our evaluation, the best ECR and POS cash registers for small businesses in 2023 are:
- Square: Best overall cash register for individuals, startups, and small storefronts
- Toast: Best POS cash register for restaurants that need $0 upfront cost
- SAM4S ER-180u: Best portable electronic cash register for mobile businesses and low-volume sales
- Lightspeed: Best POS cash register for high-volume or multilocation retailers
- SAM4S SAP-630: Best electronic register for grocery and convenience stores
- TouchBistro: Best POS register for high-volume food trucks and coffee shops that need three or more terminals
- SAM4S ER-925: Best electronic register for low- to mid-volume retailers
Top Cash Registers Compared
Hardware Cost | Monthly Software Fees | Integrated Card Reader | Built-in Receipt Printer | Built-in Cash Drawer | Number of Employees | Number of Tracked Items | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$149–$799* (depending on model/kit) |
$0–$60 (custom plans available) |
✓ |
Some models |
Some models |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Visit Square | |||||||
|
$0–custom quote |
$0–$165** |
✓ |
Optional add-on |
Optional add-on |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Visit Toast | |||||||
|
$200–$300 (depending on vendor) |
None |
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
10 |
500 |
Purchase SAM4S ER-180 | |||||||
|
Quote-based |
$69–$399+ |
✓ |
Optional add-on |
Optional add-on |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Visit Lightspeed | |||||||
|
$1,700–1,799 (depending on vendor) |
None |
Optional add-on |
✓ |
✓ |
50 |
100,000 |
Purchase SAM4S-630 | |||||||
|
Custom-quoted |
$69 per terminal |
✓ |
Optional add-on |
Optional add-on |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Visit TouchBistro | |||||||
|
$649–$789 (depending on vendor) |
None |
Optional add-on |
✓ |
✓ |
50 |
3,500 |
Purchase SAM4S ER-925 |
* Monthly financing available
** Pay-as-you-go financing available
The registers in this article were selected by Fit Small Business experts, Meaghan Brophy, Mary King, and Brigitte Hodge. They have a combined experience of more than two decades working in and managing retail and restaurant businesses.
Learn more in our comparison of POS systems vs cash registers.
Square: Best Overall Cash Register for Small Businesses
Square
Pros
- Free cloud-based software
- Affordable hardware with payment plan options
- Incredibly user-friendly; setup can be completed in minutes
- Built-in payment processing makes for fast set-up
Cons
- Must purchase cash drawer separately; does not support dual cash drawers on a single register
- Built-in payment processing means you can’t shop around for lower rates
- Needs internet access to process credit card payments
Square Pricing:
- Square Stand: $149 or $14 per month for 12 months. Stand and card reader for iPad (iPad sold separately).
- Square Register: $799 or $39 for 24 months. Fully integrated POS register with touch-screen monitor, customer-facing display, and card processing terminal.
- Square Terminal: $299 or $27 per month for 12 months. All-in-one portable credit card machine with POS software and receipt printer built-in.
- Mobile device card readers: $49. Use your smartphone or tablet and connect a contactless chip and swipe card reader.
Payment processing: 2.6% + 10 cents per chip, tap, and swipe payment
Monthly POS software fees: $0–$60
*Each Square account comes with a free magnetic stripe reader that you can plug into your mobile device
Square is a cloud-based, POS-driven register with several low-cost hardware options. An all-in-one solution that combines a credit card processing service, software, and cash register, Square is our top choice for the best small business POS systems. Unlike electronic cash registers, it lets you process sales and run your entire business from your smartphone or tablet. Or, you can use one or more countertop registers to meet any in-store selling need.
We recommend Square as the best POS-driven cash register for small businesses because it delivers a complete suite of sales, payment, inventory, and business management tools for free. It is also far easier to set up than an electronic cash register. Most Square users can get their register up and running in less than an hour.
Unlike the other picks on our list, with Square’s POS register, you can’t rate-shop merchant account providers. But, Square’s payment processing is very small-business-friendly, with simple flat-rate fees and no startup or monthly account fees for a baseline subscription. If you want, you can expand Square’s reporting and workforce management tools by signing up for a Premium service tier for $60 per month.
Square POS Cash Register Features
Square users who accept cash payments will either need to purchase a cash drawer separately from Square or from a third-party vendor. Additionally, if you plan to use an iPad or smartphone as your main register, you’ll need to connect it to a card reader. Users who subscribe to one of Square’s POS packages—Square for Retail and Square for Restaurants—will get a free card reader from Square.
Others can find smartphone- and iPad-compatible Square readers at major office supply retailers for around $9.99 for a swipe reader and $49 for a contactless reader. If you operate Square on an iPhone 11 or later, you can accept tapped payments without a card reader.
Square recently added tap-to-pay on iPhone11 and later models, so you can accept payments without an attached card reader. (source: Square)
Square’s features include:
- Sales and checkout: Square’s touch-screen registers also support barcode item sales and accept credit card and contactless payments. The system also records cash and checks, adds discounts and coupons, tracks open tabs, splits payments, and logs tips. Digital receipts are Square’s default—allowing you to collect customer contact information and save paper—but you print thermal receipts by attaching an optional thermal printer.
- Mobile sales: Square supports online sales via its free Square Online Store website in addition to in-person sales. You can receive online orders for pick up, delivery, or shipping directly in your Square register.
- Taxes and reporting: You can add and manage taxes from your Square online dashboard or the Square app on your register. Taxes automatically tally per set rules.
- Interconnectivity: Square’s register allows you to record sales and process cash payments without an internet or cellular connection. You can also spool credit card payments that will run automatically when you regain an internet connection. But, be careful; when you accept offline credit card payments, you will have to accept the loss for any declined cards. A basic Square POS subscription allows you to operate Square on an unlimited number of devices.
- Inventory management: Your Square system stores detailed product lists and adjusts your inventory in real time as you sell items in-store or online. You can easily add new products from any internet-enabled device by logging into your Square dashboard.
- Employee management: Like Lightspeed, Square supports unlimited staff logins, while the electronic registers on this list are limited to 10 to 50 staff log-ins. You can easily track employee sales and use your Square system to log employee hours for payroll. If you opt for the Free POS subscription, however, you’ll need to keep in mind that, at that tier, you can only have a single permission level—so all employees will have access to the same functions on the register. If you need customized permissions, you’ll need to upgrade to the Premium level.
- Customer management: Unlike the ECRs on this list, Square saves customer contact information and tracks sales by customer. You can use this information to help guide customers to items they might like on future visits or use it to feed customized marketing and promotions.
Read our full Square POS review for more information.
Need to bring your own processor? Square is extremely user-friendly, but you can’t bring your own payment processor. And unless you process more than $250,000 annually, you can’t get a custom rate. If you want to keep an existing processor or shop for rates, consider any of the electronic registers on this list. If you want an iPad-based register with more payment integrations, check out Lightspeed.
Toast: Best POS Cash Register for Restaurants
Toast
Pros
- Mobile POS terminal option
- Track inventory at an ingredient level
- Loads of hardware peripherals for kitchen displays, digital menus, self-service kiosks, and handheld terminals
- Integrated online order management
Cons
- Steep processing fee for pay-as-you-go customers
- Requires a Toast Payments subscription; no payment integrations available
- Requires use of proprietary hardware
- Requires a two-year contract
Toast Pricing:
- Countertop starter kit: $0–$799 + $69/month*
Includes touch-screen POS terminal, Toast tap payment device, and a router - Handheld starter kit:$0–$609 + $69/month*
- Custom: For anyone looking at paid plans, you get to choose more advanced hardware and get a custom quote
Processing fees:
- If you pay upfront: 2.49% + 15 cents processing fee
- If you pay as you go: 2.99% + 15 cents processing fee
Monthly POS software fees: $0–$165
*All Toast account holders have the option to pay for their hardware upfront or use the Toast Pay-as-You-Go model ($0 down with a higher processing fee)
Toast is a cloud-based POS designed for restaurants; in fact, it is our top-recommended restaurant POS system. It operates on Toast-designed POS hardware for terminals, self-service kiosks, kitchen displays, and handheld order and payment devices.
Two things set it apart from the competition on this list: It is designed specifically for restaurants and offers hardware at no upfront cost. You’ll pay higher payment processing fees if you opt to pay-as-you-go for hardware, but if you are a new, small, independent restaurant you’d be paying higher processing fees no matter what system you use.
There are a couple downsides, though. Toast is the only system on this list that requires a contract (two years). Like Square, Toast also locks you into its built-in payment processor, Toast Payments. Though, Toast has a history of matching or beating competitor’s processing rates if you can provide documentation.
Toast POS Cash Register Features
Toast users can operate their POS system from a Toast device or access the management dashboard from any computer. If you are planning on accepting cash payments, you will either need to purchase a cash drawer from Toast or a third-party vendor—one is not provided in the starter kits.
There is also a lack of transparency from Toast in terms of the hardware options that are available for the Custom plan. All of its paid plans allow you to “choose your own hardware,” but the only way to view the expanded hardware kit options is to work with a salesperson.
Toast cash register features include:
- Restaurant-grade hardware: Restaurant POS systems take a lot of damage, but Toast is ready for anything with an IP54 spill-proof rating, fast processing times, and sleek minimal design to fit any brand.
- Tableside service: With order-ready notifications, tableside payments, and guest feedback portals at checkout, your staff will be able to deliver better and faster service.
- Menu management: Sync your menu with your inventory so that you can stay on top of diminishing ingredients and view what items are low with inventory countdowns.
- Online ordering: Integrate your online orders onto your POS device so the kitchen doesn’t miss a thing—and neither do your inventory controls.
- Training and installation: All Toast account holders will get free installation of all POS systems as well as in-person training and 24/7 phone support.
Learn more with our full Toast review.
Need more flexibility? Toast’s biggest drawback is the required two-year contract. It also doesn’t have tools for retailers. If you need something more short-term, consider Square. If you want a POS-driven register for retail, consider Lightspeed.
Sam4s ER-180u: Best Low-cost Portable Electronic Cash Register
Sam4s ER-180u
Pros
- Lightweight, portable register; great for pop-up retailers
- Built-in receipt printer and digital price display support streamlines sales functions
- Basic tools are uncomplicated for small retailers
Cons
- Does not support an integrated card reader
- Only supports 10 employee logins and 500 product listings
- Does not support integrated card reader
Sam4s ER-180u Pricing & Features:
Sam4s ER-180u: $159.95 to $198 (price varies by vendor)
- You will need to get a separate merchant services account and an external un-integrated card reader. Rates will vary.
- 10 employee logins
- 500 supported price look-up (PLU) codes
- Four programmable tax rates
- Electronic Journal captures up to 2,000 lines of transaction history
- Customizable receipts
The ER-180u is SAM4S’s entry-level economy register. This compact register is streamlined to support the smallest retailers. The 180u does not contain any ports to connect an integrated card reader, so this register works best for cash-only transactions. With only 10 supported cashier profiles, it is also best for small operations with a small staff. At a light 12 pounds, this register is portable, so it can support crafters and hobbyists who frequent craft fairs.
Several legacy cash register manufacturers (Casio, Sanyo) have stopped making ECRs. So SAM4S has quickly become a global frontrunner in the electronic register category. Its products are sold in 70 countries, and it claims to support 15% of the overall cash register market. So, users can feel confident that customer support and replacement parts will be available for many years to come. This is why we recommend this brand and do not recommend you purchase a used register from a brand that no longer offers customer support.
Sam4s ER-180u Cash Register Features
The 180u is an all-in-one cash register unit; you don’t need to purchase a separate cash drawer and receipt printer—unlike the build-your-own cash registers from the POS systems on our list. However, you’ll have to add a standalone terminal from your merchant account provider to process credit cards. This model does not have a connection to an integrated credit card terminal.
Sam4s ER-180u’s features include:
- Sales and checkout: You can get your 180u with either a standard greyscale, numerical keyboard, or a programmable, color-coded keyboard. This register tracks cash, check, or credit card payments, though you must run cards on an external card reader. You can also accept split tender payments (i.e., cash and charge). Change due will show on the cashier and customer-facing displays for cash payments.
- Taxes and reporting: You can program up to four different tax rates into your 180u. Tax can be applied as an additional line item on the receipt, or you can set the register to roll the tax into the item price. The 180u tracks and stores up to 2,000 lines of sales transactions in an electronic journal, and it includes some basic built-in reports such as a financial report and those for cash declaration, price code look-ups, and sales by cashier. You can also print your entire electronic journal to use that information to complete other reports.
- Interconnectivity: This register does not need internet access to operate. But, whatever external card reader you get will likely need internet or phone line access to process card payments.
- Inventory management: While it is not exactly inventory tracking, you can use the information from your electronic journal to update your inventory. If you need real-time inventory tracking, you’ll be better served by Square or Lightspeed.
- Employees: The 180u features separate profiles and sales tracking for up to 10 employees. This is the lowest number of employee profiles available from any register on this list, but for small retailers, 10 may be enough.
Need something stronger? If you need detailed, real-time inventory tracking, you’ll need a POS-driven register like Square or Lightspeed. If you need ingredient-level inventory tracking for a food service business, TouchBistro is your best bet. Though, if you don’t mind spending a little more for advanced tools, both Toast and Lightspeed’s restaurant inventory modules are even more robust.
Lightspeed: Best POS Cash Register for High-volume or Multilocation Retailers & Restaurants
Lightspeed
Pros
- Robust features with advanced inventory and reporting tools
- Connect multiple registers and locations
- Cloud-based system with real-time data sync
Cons
- Browser-based POS requires internet access to operate
- Monthly software fees can get pricey
- Printers and cash drawers are not built in; you must purchase them separately
Lightspeed Pricing:
- Quote-based pricing available for hardware bundles. Lightspeed can run on desktop computers, laptops, and iPads. Connect any mix of printers, cash drawers, barcode scanners, and card readers.
- Lightspeed comes with built-in credit card processing with Lightspeed Payments. Rates are 2.6% + 10 cents for in-person swipe, chip, and tap payments. Volume discounts are available.
- Retail: $69–$319+ per month
- Restaurant: $69–$399+ per month
Lightspeed, like Square, is a POS-driven cash register with a comprehensive set of store management tools. Users can track inventory in real time and manage purchasing, staff, and business tasks across multiple locations. Like Square, Lightspeed also connects in-store and online sales. As a POS-based register system, Lightspeed lets you set up several registers in one or many locations and connect all data within one centralized, cloud-based software system.
The ECRs on this list lack the ability to link multiple locations. And the only ECR that can be networked with other registers—the SAM4S SAP-630—is the most expensive option on this list. So, if you have a multilocation business you need something more robust that can be networked. Lightspeed is one of the best options for businesses of that size and offers great value for its price point. Users should be mindful, though, as this cloud-based system needs a strong internet connection to keep the network running.
Since our last update: Lightspeed has revamped its pricing structure and now offers four distinct subscription tiers, with custom pricing available for high volume or multilocation businesses. To get the best pricing, you should contact Lightspeed directly for a detailed quote.
Lightspeed POS Cash Register Features
Lightspeed users can build a cash register solution to meet their exact needs—they can build a cash register around an iPad tablet or a Mac or PC, plus they can use Android tablets and iPhones as mobile registers. All of these connect to the shining star of Lightspeed’s feature set—advanced inventory management.
A top reason small businesses choose a POS register over an electronic cash register is for the ability to track stock counts, pricing options, and customer data in real time. Here, Lightspeed truly delivers. Its advanced inventory management tools are top-notch, plus it has a robust purchase order system. Plus, you can oversee stock across store locations or in backroom and warehouse storage. For all these reasons, Lightspeed is our top pick for leading POS inventory systems.
Lightspeed’s features include:
- Sales and checkout: Lightspeed supports touch-screen or computer-controlled checkout screens and barcode scanning for item entry. You can also program discount codes and coupons to apply via code entry or barcode scan and handle open tickets and tabs for restaurant sales. Your Lightspeed register saves customer data and transaction history for quick returns. As with Square, you can print receipts or send them via email and SMS message.
- Taxes and reporting: Taxes automatically tally per rules that you set in the Lightspeed dashboard. Lightspeed’s reporting is the most detailed of any system on this list. You can print standard reports for sales, labor, and stock counts and integrate your performance data with accounting software to automate administrative tasks. The system contains hundreds of preset reports that you can view by custom timeframes to drill into your store’s key performance metrics.
- Interconnectivity: Lightspeed has an “offline mode” to continue operating even if the internet connection is interrupted. However, you should know that some networking functions won’t operate in offline mode and you assume the additional risk for card payments that are processed in offline mode. If the card is later declined, you’ll be out of that money.
- Inventory management: Users can store detailed inventory lists, track parts and ingredients, and sync inventory with an online store and multiple locations. Lightspeed also has granular ingredient-level stock tracking, features to manage product variants and custom orders, and sophisticated inventory reporting. Your system will alert you when inventory is running low, complete purchase orders, and track your vendors.
- Employees: As with all the systems on this list, Lightspeed allows you to create different employee logins to track sales by employee. You can also set customized permissions to block access to certain features. Technically the electronic registers support this same function with manager codes and keys, but with Lightspeed, you can create unlimited users with customized permissions directly in the Lightspeed management dashboard.
See more features in our full Lightspeed review.
Hate monthly software fees? If you otherwise like Lightspeed’s touch-screen register but hate monthly fees, check out Square (which offers free register software). Restaurants should check out Toast’s pay-as-you-go plan. If you want to go electronic, the SAM4S SAP-630 is your best bet.
SAM4S SAP-630: Best Electronic Register for Grocery & Convenience Stores
SAM4S SAP-630
Pros
- Built-in touch screen speeds checkout process
- Tracks 100,000 PLUs
- Connects to cloud-based SAM4POS for remote reporting
Cons
- SAM4POS app costs extra
- Cannot track inventory expiration dates
- Pricey
SAM4S SAP-630 Pricing & Features:
Hardware: Available in retail (SAP-630R) or foodservice formats (SAP-630F). Prices vary by vendor and configuration from $1,700–$1,799.
- You will need to get a separate merchant services account. Rates will vary.
- Touch-screen and keypad operation
- EBT processing
- Tobacco rebate and loyalty integration
- Tracks 100,000 UPC numbers
- Additional ports to connect: barcode scanner, scale, external card reader, external pole display, and Dallas key port
- Wi-Fi connectivity available for tablets, printers, and scales
- Cloud accessible reports
- Scheduled report emails to keep tabs on operations
SAM4S’s SAP-630 combines a 9.7” Android touch screen with a built-in keypad, cash drawer, and receipt printer to create a hybrid cash register that acts like a POS. The addition of the integrated Android touch screen gives you the ability to manage 100,000 inventory items, which grocers and convenience stores need. You can also tether an optional handheld Android tablet via the SAM4POS app to process sales on the floor or count inventory. You can purchase this register with either a retail (SAP-630R) or a hospitality (SAP-630F) configuration.
The SAP-630R is the most expensive register on this list, and must be purchased from an authorized SAM4S retailer. But for the price, you get six months of technical support and assistance with programming and set up. This register is also a true POS/ECR hybrid, so some services (like loyalty and rewards programs) require monthly fees. But for the basic sales and inventory tracking functions, you’ll only pay the upfront cost. Setting up this register requires some functions—like a custom screensaver—to be configured by the dealer you purchased from.
SAM4S SAP-630 Features
The SAM4S SAP-630 combines the ease of a POS with the simplicity of an electronic cash register. The keypad and touchscreen combo allows your cashiers to choose the checkout process that is easiest for them, and also supports direct communication with the cloud-based SAM4POS app.
- Sales and checkout: The SAP-630R includes a keypad for quick entry, a touchscreen for deeper level functions like product searches, a cash drawer, and a digital customer-facing display. The only thing you’ll need to attach is an optional card reader and a barcode scanner if you use one. On the touchscreen, you can search products by UPC or item description.
- Taxes and reporting: You can navigate reports on the register using the report mode on the touchscreen. Or—like the POS-driven models on this list—you can access reports via the cloud on your smartphone. Though unlocking mobile reporting functions on the SAP-630, you’ll need to pay an extra fee for the SAM4POS app. Unlike the other SAM4S registers, the SAP-630 does not clear your data whenever you print a “Z” report. You can pull reports for custom date ranges from the register or the reporting app, just like a POS.
- Interconnectivity: This register can accept EBT payments and integrates with tobacco company loyalty programs to drive tobacco sales. You also have the option to connect a handheld tablet via Wi-Fi, so you can process payments on the sales floor or count inventory. Additionally, you can network multiple SAP-630 registers via ethernet connection and communicate with remote label printers via Wi-Fi
- Inventory management: An optional BTP-L520 label printer prints high-resolution item and shelf labels for quick inventory scanning. The register can connect to mobile scales to weigh items sold by weight and subtract tares.
- Employees: This register can track an unlimited number of employees The touchscreen includes fast log in tools that prompt your employees to clock in and out directly on the register. So, you won’t need an additional timetracking system. You also have the option to use Dallas keys for employee or manager access.
Need something simpler? The SAM4S SAP-630’s combination configuration is a fascinating option for small businesses, but it requires an authorized dealer to configure. If you prefer simple self-installation with options for built-in processing, check out Square or Lightspeed.
TouchBistro: Best POS Register for Food Trucks & Coffee Shops
TouchBistro
Pros
- User-friendly system is easy to train staff on
- Can operate via Wi-Fi- or LTE-enabled routers to support mobile businesses like food trucks
- Integrates with multiple payment processors so you can shop for low rates
- Strong offline functionality
Cons
- Requires monthly software fees
- No free trial or free baseline subscription
- Printers and cash drawers are not built in; you must purchase them separately
TouchBistro Pricing:
- Quote-based pricing available for hardware bundles. TouchBistro runs on iPads, but they must be purchased from TouchBistro to be covered by TouchBistro’s customer support.
- TouchBistro comes with built-in credit card processor TB Payments. Users can also choose to use Square, TSYS, or WorldPay for processing.
- $69 per terminal per month (custom pricing available for more than 2 terminals)
TouchBistro is an iOS-based POS system that, like Square and Lightspeed, operates on iPads. Like Toast, TouchBistro is also designed to support foodservice businesses. This system includes ingredient-level inventory in the baseline POS, but it is much simpler and less automated than Lightspeed’s inventory module, making it a great fit for streamlined operations like food trucks or coffee shops that run through a high volume of a few items.
It is one of the most user-friendly iPad registers on the market. Most users say they can train staff to use the system in under an hour. If you’ve ever operated an iPhone, you’ll know how to operate TouchBistro. But, using this system requires a baseline cost of at least $69 per register monthly. Unlike Square and Toast, TouchBistro does not offer a free baseline subscription, and unlike Lightspeed it does not offer a free trial, either.
TouchBistro POS Register Features
TouchBistro was designed to support small, independent businesses that are often overlooked by the larger POS brands. So, their terminals are streamlined and the user interface is pretty foolproof. Management dashboards and order screens are easy to navigate, and everything from employee time keeping to inventory updates and reporting can be done directly in the register.
- Sales and checkout: Touchbistro operates like a big iPhone and supports customizable speed screens for order combos. You can attach a second iPad to create a customer-facing display, and purchase cash drawers, barcode scanners, and card readers separately for custom-quoted prices.
- Taxes and reporting: TouchBistro includes all the necessary reports to track your sales, labor, and costs by shift, day, week and month. The reports are templatized, so you don’t need to waste time building them and most reports auto-generate charts and graphs so you can quickly analyze your data at a glance. You can charge and track multiple tax settings for state and local sales tax, alcohol tax, and more in the management dashboard.
- Interconnectivity: TouchBistro terminals easily network to one another, and you can self-configure your hardware by following the system’s detailed tutorials. They include multiple configuration plans for food trucks and other small food service operations. The POS also integrates directly with popular tools for online ordering and delivery, loyalty, and automated inventory tracking.
- Inventory Management: TouchBistro includes ingredient-level inventory management in the baseline POS for no extra cost (unlike Toast and Lightspeed which charge extra). You can manage stock levels directly from the POS.
- Employees: TouchBistro includes an unlimited number of employee log-ins with customized permission levels. The terminals also act as your timeclock so you can track employee hours and tips for payroll reporting. You can pull detailed reports for employee productivity, showing how often they apply voids and discounts, alongside their sales and tip data. Timesheet reports are detailed, showing you paid and unpaid breaks, overtime, and even penalties accrued for New York State’s Spread of Hours law.
See more features by reading our full TouchBistro review.
Need more robust tools? Toast and Lightspeed both have deeper reporting capabilities than TouchBistro. Lightspeed’s ingredient-level inventory is also much more automated (though only available with the priciest monthly subscription). If you need a register without monthly subscription fees, check out Square or any of the ECRs on this list.
Sam4s ER-925: Best Electronic Cash Register for Low- to Mid-volume Retailers
Sam4s ER-925
Pros
- Integrated card reader and dual cash drawers are available
- Does not need internet access to operate
- Several options for customizable peripherals including additional printers
Cons
- No customer data entry
- Need to find a payment processor
- Upfront cost can be high, depending on your chosen peripherals
Sam4s ER-925 Pricing & Features:
- You will need to get a separate merchant services account. Rates will vary.
- Up to 50 employee logins
- Tracks up to 3,500 PLUs
- 100 mix-and-match discount options
- 6-line pre- and post-receipt messages
- Additional ports to connect: barcode scanner, scale, external card reader, external pole display, and Dallas key port
The Sam4S ER-925 is a sturdy electronic cash register built for retail businesses. It is popular with gift shops, ceramics studios, candy shops, and other mid-volume retailers. Pricewise, this register is a big step up from the much more affordable 180u, but it offers a lot more features, including customizable peripheral hardware.
You can attach a barcode scanner, scale, and external pole display. You can also choose from an integrated card reader or an external reader. To speed service up, you can add an optional Dallas Key reader, allowing cashiers to quickly log in to the register by attaching a magnetic fob. However, if you want to collect customer emails for your marketing efforts, or need a system with built-in payment processing, you’ll be better off with Square or Lightspeed.
Sam4s ER-925 Cash Register Features
The ER-925 register connects to a credit card terminal to integrate payments into your checkout. So, it beats the basic 180u right out of the gate since that register has no terminal connections.
Like the 180u, though, the ER-925 can’t match a POS-driven register’s inventory management and inventory tracking tools. However, it does include an SD card that can transfer your sales data to your accounting or reporting software, which helps with basic labor and inventory tracking. This solution isn’t quite as streamlined as a complete POS system, but it’s a solid middle-ground for shopkeepers with administrative time to spare.
Sam4s ER-925’s features include:
- Sales and checkout: Dual displays show transactions to customers and cashiers in real time. You can accept cash, check, EBT, gift cards, and credit/debit card payments, split tenders, and process voids, returns, and discounts in the register. You can also attach an optional barcode scanner, scale, pole display, and change dispenser. Busy shops may also want to attach the optional second cash drawer so that two cashiers can work out of the same register.
- Taxes and reporting: The ER-925 supports X reports (which display totals without resetting your system) and Z reports (which reset your register when printed). This register includes a number of reports that its sister register, the 180u, lacks. In addition to basic sales and financial reports, you get stock reports, discount and void reports, and segmented sales reports by category or tender type. The register’s PC utility lets you transfer your reporting information to a desktop computer via an internal SD card or direct PC link for deeper reporting and further analysis.
- Interconnectivity: The register does not require an internet connection for cash transactions and reporting. However, if you accept credit cards, you’ll need an ethernet connection to feed the integrated card reader.
- Inventory management: The ER-925 detailed sales by product category and waste tracking features give you much more control over your inventory than the 180u. But, they still do not come close to the real-time stock alerts provided by a POS-driven register. If inventory management is an essential feature for you, check out Square or Lightspeed.
- Employees: This register tracks up to 50 employee logins. An optional Dallas Key port allows cashiers to access the register quickly by attaching their personal electronic fob. The ER-925 also includes a training mode, so you can train new employees on the register without compromising your daily reports.
Need marketing and loyalty tools? If you want to automatically collect customer emails for your marketing efforts, the ER-925 is not a great fit. Both Lightspeed and Square offer much more robust customer management tools (and Square’s are priced based on your actual use). Both also offer built-in payment processing, which speeds your setup process.
Methodology
We compared each system based on its price, ease of use, and retail and restaurant features. Also, we considered the availability of popular peripheral hardware, like barcode scanners, kitchen printers, label printers, and card readers. If there is one piece of equipment that a small business needs to operate seamlessly, it’s the one that handles the money. So, available support and warranties were a big consideration here, as registers can be tricky to program on your own.
Meet the Experts
The selection and evaluation of the registers and POS systems on this list were performed by Fit Small Business’s top retail and restaurant experts. Read about their real-world retail and restaurant experience below:
Mary King With more than 14 years of hospitality experience, Mary has used cash registers and POS systems in coffee shops, food trucks, full-service restaurants, quick service restaurants, bars, hotels, co-working spaces, event spaces, and retail stores. She has several years experience advising bar and restaurant owners, and 3+ years evaluating POS systems. | |
Brigitte Hodge is a retail specialist and staff writer with brick-and-mortar management experience. Before joining FSB, she managed a storefront for several years, working in everything from merchandising, to buying, to sales analysis. Brigitte also has a background in writing, research, and publishing with an undergraduate degree in writing. | |
Meaghan Brophy has 10+ years of retail experience during which she has operated a variety of different cash registers and POS systems in different settings and applications. Since working in retail, Meaghan has 7+ years of experience writing for retailers including 4+ years experience evaluating POS systems. |
Best Cash Registers for Small Business Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I know what register is best for my business?
The best cash register for your business is the one that securely accepts and tracks your most commonly accepted payment types. If you accept a large volume of cash, the best register will include lockable cash drawers, and possibly even dual cash drawers so two cashiers can use the same register. If you accept card payments, you’ll need a register with an integrated or attached card reader. In either case, you’ll also want a register that tracks transactions by cashier so you can easily identify errors or a pattern of suspicious transactions.
What can I use instead of a cash register?
Depending on your business type, you can use a smartphone, iPad, or other touch-screen tablet as a cash register. All you need to do to turn one of these devices into a register is download a POS or payment app and attach a cash drawer or bank account to receive cash and digital payments.
For solopreneurs, mobile business, and service businesses that accept card payments a smartphone, a card reader and an attached bank account is all you need. Brick-and-mortar stores that want to securely accept cash will want a stationary tablet with an attached cash drawer.
What is the best brand of cash register?
The best brand of cash register varies by business type and your budget. For many business types our retail and food service experts have found Square’s suite of registers to be the best for the widest range of business types. You can learn more about what we specifically like about these systems by reading our reviews of Square POS, Square for Retail, and Square for Restaurants.
Can I buy a used or discontinued cash register?
Discontinued and used cash registers are available on sites like Amazon and eBay. Because configuring a cash register can be a tedious, sensitive process we do not recommend buying discontinued cash registers, though. Managing your business’s money—especially if you deal in a high volume of cash—is simply too important to rely on a product that does not come with active customer support or hardware warranties.
Bottom Line
With more customers relying on digital payments and fewer companies manufacturing cash registers, it can be challenging to find a cash register for your small business. If you are willing to expand your search to include POS-driven registers, you’ll have more options. For its affordable price, ease of use, and popularity with small businesses of all types, we named Square the best overall cash register for small businesses.
While this POS-driven register requires users to purchase a cash drawer separately, it also gives small business owners access to Square’s full suite of business tools. If you’re unsure about diving into a POS-driven cash register, you can try Square for free on hardware you already own.
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