Point-of sale (POS) is the location where a transaction takes place. It also refers to the immediate capture of transactions and customer payment information when goods and services are purchased. This data can be obtained using many different devices such as a computer, cash register, barcode scanner, PIN pads, and magnetic card readers.
There are many different reasons why a POS system is indispensable for retail businesses. It helps the retail establishment manage and automate inventory functions, record sales transactions, handle and track special offers (such as discounts, coupons, and special promotions), and improve the efficiency of staff by allowing them to spend more time interacting with customers. The system also provides accurate and relevant reports, tracks volume and performance, uses customer data to help the organisation generate more business, allows a proprietor of the retail establishment to maintain control in absentia, and much more.
A POS system consists of a number of different components, including computer hardware, a computer operating system, checkout hardware, and checkout software. A key part is the POS software. The purpose of this article is to identify Linux software that forms part of the checkout system. With the current economic climate, open source POS software has the obvious advantage of helping a business to lower costs.
Linux has a good range of open source Point-of-Sale software which can help retailers make considerable cost savings, not simply due to the lack of licensing and upgrade fees.
To provide an insight into the open source software that is available, we have compiled a compilation of 8 of our favorite Point-of-Sale software. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who needs to track sales and inventory as they occur. Here’s our recommendations.
Let’s explore the 8 Point-of-Sale tools at hand. For each application we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, screenshots, together with links to relevant resources.
| Point-of-Sale Software | |
|---|---|
| Openbravo POS | Web-based application for retail and hospitality businesses |
| Odoo | ERP and CRM software |
| uniCenta | Commercial-grade POS |
| Chromis POS | Feature rich commercial-grade POS |
| WallacePOS | Intuitive and modern web based POS & business management system |
| Floreant POS | Point-of-Sale targeted at restaurants |
| POSper | Designed for small businesses |
| Barcode4J | Flexible barcode generation package |
 Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. |