Choosing a POS in 2026: Eight Questions That Actually Matter

Most POS demos look identical: a tidy grid of buttons, a fast checkout, a friendly sales engineer. The differences that will cost or save you money only show up later: at month three, when the contract is signed and the busy season starts. So ask the awkward questions first.

1. What happens when the internet goes down?

Not "does it have offline mode." Everyone says yes. Ask what exactly keeps working: can you take orders, print to the kitchen, take card payments? And what happens to those sales when the connection returns?

2. What does the price look like in year two?

Hardware bundles, "free" tablets and introductory rates have a way of becoming expensive after the first renewal. A flat, published subscription is easier to budget than a quote that changes when your revenue does.

3. Do I have to buy their hardware?

If the software only runs on proprietary terminals, you are not buying software; you are renting a relationship. A POS that runs on the tablets and PCs you already own keeps the exit door open, which tends to keep the vendor honest.

4. How do online orders get in?

This is the one that decides your evenings. If online orders arrive on a separate tablet and someone re-types them into the till, you will pay for that twice: once in labour, once in mistakes. Online ordering and the till should share one menu and one kitchen flow. (This is, frankly, why we built RestApp EPOS and online ordering as one platform rather than two products with an integration between them.)

5. Who changes the menu, and how fast?

If a price change means calling support or finding the one manager who knows the admin panel, your menu will always lag your costs. Menu edits should be a two-minute job from a phone.

6. What do the reports look like on a Tuesday morning?

Ask to see the owner's view, not the cashier's. Can you see yesterday's sales, by hour and by product, without exporting anything? Can you see it from home? You will look at these numbers more than any other screen.

7. How long does staff training take?

Hospitality runs on new starters. If the answer is measured in days rather than one shift, the cost compounds with every hire.

8. Can I leave?

Ask how you would export your products, customers and sales history. A vendor confident in their product answers this quickly. A vendor relying on your inertia changes the subject.

None of these questions appear on a feature-comparison chart, and all of them matter more than whether the buttons are round or square. Take the list to every demo, including ours. We will happily answer all eight; the 15-day trial is the ninth answer.