The short answer
Choose on five factors: transactions per hour at peak, number of staff needing separate logins, whether you sell online from the same inventory, which accounting and booking software you already run, and whether staff move around the floor. Everything else is secondary.
Features people overpay for
Advanced multi-warehouse inventory, marketing automation and analytics suites are commonly bundled and rarely used by single-location businesses. Pay for what you will use in month one, not what you might use in year three.
Processor lock-in is the real question
Some POS platforms only work with one processor. That is a pricing decision disguised as a technology decision, because it removes your ability to re-shop later. Ask before you buy, not after.
Key takeaways
- Spec from peak-hour throughput and staff count
- Check processor lock-in before buying
- Ignore features you will not use in the first month
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