A cash register in a cafeteria

What is part of a modern cash register system? Your checklist 2022

You would like to upgrade your POS system and are looking for a modern alternative for your canteen? The flood of information can possibly overwhelm you and cause you to quickly lose perspective. But don't worry: Here you can find out what really matters for your new system, which questions are worth asking and which trends you can already look out for.

The Basics: Legal Principles - TSE and KassenSichV

The installation of a TSE is now standard for every cash register system. Only a few individual cases still manage to circumvent the TSE cash register obligation, but from the end of 2022 it will apply to every business without exception. The TSE obligation was introduced in 2017 with the Cash Register Security Ordinance (KassenSichV).

But what exactly is the TSE?

The TSE is a technical security device. It guarantees that entered data cannot be manipulated afterwards. The TSE can be installed either via a physical medium, for example a data card, or cloud based. The advantage of cloud solutions is that they are less maintenance-intensive and the risk of losing data is minimized. In addition, it is usually more cost-effective than upgrading the hardware.

Behind the scenes: Technical requirements

For you as a user, the user interface and the convenience of your system are of primary importance. However, do not underestimate the relevance of the technical requirements placed on your POS system. The IT department will thank you!

Particularities of canteens

Canteens have some peculiarities that need to be considered. For example, your POS system must allow different price categories so that it can distinguish between employees and external guests with the help of the card used for payment. This should be done automatically so that no cashier has to manually check the status of the guest. In addition, many systems have to go hand in hand here. Whether the gate at the parking lot, the booking system for the meeting rooms or the payment in the canteen. All of this should work with the same card. Make sure that your POS system can be integrated well here. In the best case, it is already in use with the same partners, or everything is distributed from one source.

Your POS system creates opportunities for you

The POS system is the linchpin of your point of sales. This is where you decide how many and which additional systems and applications you can integrate and how you want to design your payment process.
The more open your system is, the more flexibility you will have in your daily operations and when adding additional systems. During the initial consultation, ask which interfaces the POS system offers and which systems the POS manufacturer cooperates with. The possibilities are already vast and are constantly growing. For example, there are systems that specialize in reducing your food waste with the help of artificial intelligence. If you are still looking for inspiration for this, feel free to refer to our blog entry on the topic of “Digitalization in the catering industry“.

You already know which system you would like to use but it is not yet compatible with your POS system? Talk to the cash register manufacturer about it. The probability that the system can be integrated is high!

Online or offline? That is the question!

In recent years, our entire usage behavior has changed profoundly. The trend is moving away from owning to renting. In the private sphere, we know examples such as Netflix and Spotify, which have banished CD and DVD collections from living rooms. Or the leased car, which is preferred to the car we own. We can also observe the same trend with cash register systems. As in all the other examples mentioned: Both systems have their advantages.

Online systems usually make it much easier to carry out updates. This keeps the system up-to-date and directly includes the latest features. In addition, cloud-based systems usually have lower set-up costs, as the fees are paid monthly. On the other hand, your cash register must be connected to the internet at least once a day, usually via the company network.

This is not the case with offline cash register systems. They function entirely without an internet connection and are therefore unaffected by possible internet failures. In addition, with a local system you are basically less dependent on the functionality of external partners. On the other hand, you have to take care of the maintenance of the servers yourself. Another disadvantage of local systems: They quickly become outdated, as updates have to be bought separately and then installed manually.

The hardware

Furthermore, you should pay attention to the quality and speed of the POS system, including components such as the card reader or the receipt printer. For example, instead of a receipt printer, modern POS systems allow you to open and save the payment receipt as a QR code directly on your smartphone. This is fast and you also save natural resources. Another important component is the card reader.

Make sure you choose a fast device! Otherwise, you run the risk of the payment process stalling unnecessarily and, in the worst case, your turnover suffering as a result.

The heart of your checkout system:
the payment methods - cash, card, or PayPal?

In puncto Bezahlung ist das Feld deutlich individueller, als bei den technischen Anforderungen modernen Kassensysteme. Gerade in den letzten Jahren haben sich etliche Möglichkeiten entwickelt, die für Sie von Interesse sein können.

Card payment

Payment by debit or credit card is becoming more and more standard. Even in canteens, it is now often possible to pay not only with the employee card, but also with a debit or credit card. Your POS system should be able to handle all these options so that you are happy with it in the long term. In the best case, the card reader supports NFC (Near Field Communication). This means that you only have to place the card and not insert it into the reader or swipe it.

QR code payment

As a new trend, payment by QR code is now establishing itself as a real alternative to the debit card. The advantages are obvious: customers only have to scan the QR code, and they can pay quickly and easily by smartphone. And for you as a caterer, the QR code also makes handling easier: you no longer need to worry about issuing ID cards, loading credit or lost cards. Some POS systems offer this solution themselves, but it can also be operated by providers from outside the industry, such as PayPal or Bluecode. Here you can score points with your customers with user-friendliness.

Cash is king?

Sie möchten nicht auf Bargeld verzichten und trotzdem höchste Hygienestandards einhalten? Moderne Bargeldautomaten haben nicht mehr viel mit alten Parkuhren oder Ticketautomaten gemein. An Ihnen kann Geld aufgeladen werden, um anschließend im kompletten Betriebsrestaurant berührungslos mit der Karte zu bezahlen.

A woman is paying at the visioncheckout - the autonomous self-checkout

Always a step ahead:
User-friendly, autonomous, and fast

The point of sale is the last instance before your guests can enjoy their delicious lunch. Any disruptive factor they encounter here will be taken straight to the table in the form of a bad mood.

So, make sure that the payment process goes as quickly and smoothly as possible. An essential requirement for this is short waiting times (in the best case, none). You can achieve this quite easily and, above all, without extensive reconstructions: If you support the process with autonomous self-service checkouts and thus speed up the checkout. The system is flexibly adaptable to your needs: whether as a fast lane or the only checkout, AI-based self-checkouts like the visioncheckout can speed up the entire payment process in your company restaurant. In under 0.5 seconds, your guests’ trays are scanned and booked into the POS system. Without a single click, payment can then be made.
Find out more about how it works here.

Your checklist for 2022

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