Does a POS need the internet to keep selling?
4 min read · by the BetterRetailer team
Updated
The short answer
An offline-first POS keeps a full copy of your products, prices and staff on each till, so it keeps scanning and taking payments with no internet and uploads the sales when the connection returns. Card payments depend on your EFTPOS terminal's own connection.
Cloud POS vs offline-first POS
A cloud-only POS looks up products and records sales on a server over the internet. When the connection drops, it slows down or stops. An offline-first POS does the work on the till itself and treats the internet as a way to sync, not a requirement to sell.
What keeps working offline?
With an offline-first till: scanning, weighing, promotions, cash sales, receipts, refunds with a manager PIN, and shift reports. Sales queue on the till with a count you can see, and upload by themselves later.
What about card payments?
Card payments go through your EFTPOS terminal, which needs its own connection to the bank (many terminals have a 4G backup). Ask your payment provider about backup connectivity and offline card limits.
What to ask a POS vendor
Ask them to unplug the internet during the demo and complete a sale. Then ask how long the till can stay offline, how price changes catch up, and what happens if two tills were offline at once.