What is the difference between a traditional till and a POS system?

The traditional till or cash register is a sort of big calculator with a keyboard, a price display, a receipt printer and a cash drawer. It may compute VAT or retailer’s codes, but that’s about it in terms of features. However, the efficiency and simplicity of this piece of equipment perfectly meets the basic needs of small shops. 

A POS system or Point of Sale System is more advanced.
The keyboard is divided into three parts used for:

• Manually entering products,
• Selecting different checkout modes,
• Setting up special operations like discounts, differential pricing or sales reports.

Note that software cannot be upgraded for either of traditional tills or traditional POS systems – strictly speaking, you’d need an e-POS system or electronic POS for greater software flexibility- so it’s important to make a wise choice from the beginning and seek advice from an expert adviser.