How to choose POS software in Pakistan: 12 questions to ask
There are many POS products on the Pakistani market, and most demos look similar. The differences show up later — on a busy Saturday, at the first stock count, or when an employee leaves. These twelve questions help you find them before you sign up.
About selling
- 1. How fast is a sale at a busy counter? Ask to scan five items, take a split payment and print a receipt during the demo. Count the clicks.
- 2. Does it handle my products properly? Sizes and colours for clothing and shoes, weight and daily rates for jewellery, serial numbers for phones — whatever your trade needs.
- 3. What happens when the internet drops? Unplug the router during the demo and make a sale. Then plug it back in and check the sale arrives.
- 4. Which payments can I record? Cash, card, bank transfer, JazzCash and Easypaisa in the same sale, plus credit sales with limits.
About stock and money
- 5. Does stock update with every sale, return and purchase? If you have to update stock separately, it will drift.
- 6. Can I move stock between branches and count it by scanning? Look for transfers that the receiving branch confirms and counts that produce a discrepancy report.
- 7. Are accounts part of the system? Cash drawers, expenses, supplier balances and profit and loss should come from the same data as sales, with posted entries that cannot be quietly edited.
About control
- 8. Can I control what each employee can do? Discounts, refunds, cost prices and deletions should be permission-based, with an activity log.
- 9. Can I see every branch from my phone? And does the system tell you about problems — a short cash drawer, low stock, overdue customers — without you checking?
- 10. Is it FBR-ready? If you are, or may become, a Tier-1 retailer, the POS must report sales to FBR and print the FBR invoice number and QR code.
About the vendor
- 11. Who owns my data, and can I export it? You should be able to export your products, customers and history at any time, and know what happens to your data if you leave.
- 12. What does it really cost? Compare the monthly or yearly subscription, setup or installation fees, limits on products, staff and branches, and what costs extra. Prices should be in writing.
Make the decision with your own data
The best test is a trial with your own products and a real day of sales. Ask the vendor to set up a handful of your best-selling products, with their sizes, colours and prices, and have your cashier use it. The software your team finds easiest at the counter, and that gives you the clearest picture afterwards, is usually the right one.