EPOS: Picking the gem among Epos suppliers
There is definitely a great number of qualified, reliable Epos suppliers in the UK these days. Most of them provide excellent service, and prices don’t vary much. However, depending on your exact business needs, some will represent a better choice for you than others. Before listing the most popular and respected Epos suppliers, here is what you need to know before moving on to pick the gem which will be the best match for your business.
What to look at when selecting Epos suppliers
All Epos providers have their trump cards and weak spots, depending on your needs. How do these needs translate into features? Here is what you need to know in order to make the right choice.
Questions to ask oneself for choosing the right Epos
These will help you define your needs:
- Keep in mind which business sector you are in. Epos software are often tailor-made to match the needs of either the retail, hospitality, restaurant or beauty sectors, for example;
- How much can you spend and how do you want to spend it? An Epos system can either be purchased outright, rented or leased.
- What precise components do you need? Sometimes you just need the display, the software, the PDQ terminal, the till... or a combination of these;
- How big is your business? More precisely, how many customer transactions do you need to do on a daily basis? How many staff members are likely to use a PDQ terminal at the same time? Do you need access levels?
Common discriminating features
Epos systems and plans, depending on models and suppliers, may or may not have the following features:
- Bundled system, with tied-in software, or free to choose;
- Industry-specific features;
- Included support;
- Included training.
Major UK Epos suppliers
These Epos suppliers can be grouped in two categories: integrated systems and hardware manufacturers.
Integrated Epos suppliers
These are able to provide the whole system, including all components, from end to end:
- Epos now is a fast-growing start-up launched in Norwich, in 2011. Many packaged deals are on offer, tailor-made for various industries. All the necessary equipment is included, and they develop the Epos software themselves.
- WorldPay is a payment processing specialist which has become one of the most popular Epos suppliers, providing all the hardware needed, with the expected advantage of advanced and diverse payment acceptance features.
- Wasp Barcode Technologies has followed the same course, after starting out as a barcode scanner manufacturer. However, Wasp does not force its customers into buying the whole package, and can sell each and every part of an Epos system separately.
Popular Epos hardware and software manufacturers
The following companies are more reputed for the specific Epos hardware or software they produce, and can be considered if you’re thinking about building up your Epos system yourself, out of its several parts:
- Honeywell invented the barcode scanner, and is therefore still a strong name in this field;
- J2 Retail systems is specialised in touchscreen terminals;
- IBM, Sharp, Toshiba, Casio or Samsung are well-known manufacturers of tills and Epos terminals;
- Zebra is specialised in Epos printers;
- Magento is a popular e-commerce platform;
- Sage and Vend develop leading Epos software.