5 Things to Learn from an Online Cashier Application

Historical changing times exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the way that business is conducted radically change, elevating the trading system, particularly in sales transactions. Previously  sales were mostly conducted offline, however, today businesses need to adapt and sell their products online to take advantage of the emergent technology, such as cashier applications.

However, because business owners have yet to take advantage of this new digital technology, they need to learn how to adapt them into their businesses, due to needing faster transaction speeds, which require more complex processes that ensure products reach their customers in perfect condition. Furthermore, beyond the shift to online sales, many merchants have struggled with inadequate record-keeping systems, which limits their business potential.

Which begs the question, What should be learned from online cashier applications?

Today there are a variety of business applications that assist merchants and maximize their operations. The online cashier, or point-of-sale (POS) system is one such feature that is available to them. 

The following highlights key attributes of the online, POS application systems: 

1. Understanding the various types of application systems and how they work;
2. Identifying what the most suitable application is based on needs;
3. Learning about the variety of payment methods;
4. Utilizing application report analysis for business advancement and development; and 
5. Understanding the security level of using the application.

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‍1. Understanding the Types of Application Systems and How They Work‍

Firdtly, online cashier applications are an integral part of today’s sales system which is commonly referred to as a POS (Point-of-Sale) application. With the online cashier application included in the software, a POS application system combines hardware and software that enables sellers to receive and process incoming payments. 

So, how does the POS system work?

The POS system guides the customer  through a series of steps, culminating in a purchase, however, the type of POS system embedded in the online cashier applications software depends on the kind of products being sold. 

These are the following steps that the customer takes: 

Firstly, the customer selects an item;

Secondly, the POS system provides the price;

Thirdly, the customer makes the payment, and fourthly, the POS system completes the transaction.

The following highlights some of the different kinds of POS systems available to the customer:

• The Restaurant POS System

The most important factors to consider when choosing a restaurant POS system are its speed and ease of use. A Restaurant POS system with an intuitive and simple user interface helps expedite orders, ensuring accuracy while minimizing errors. For restaurant businesses, having the right combination of hardware and software is crucial, because it allows chefs, managers, and waitstaff to interactively and synergistically provide customers’ feedback. Additionally, a Restaurant POS system provides analysis that can be used to create product information, improve inventory management, and sales analysis based on employee shifts; 

• The Retail POS System

The advantage of an online cashier, Retail POS system for retailing is the features ease in creating product catalogs, whether using barcodes or manually, facilitating inventory management, and simplifying product searches for specific items and their prices;

• The Mobile POS (mPOS)

The Mobile POS systems solutions have embedded solutions that allows you to conduct business anywhere, anytime, from any device, whether laptop, Smartphone, or tablet to process payments; and the .

•  Grocery Store & Convenience Store POS System

Grocery and Convenience store POS system that is typically used for the daily sales of perishable products like groceries, which provides easy stock management that helps to prevent product spoilage or waste.

Read Also: 5 Tips for Successfully Starting a Home Business

2. Identifying the Most Suitable Applications for Your Needs

Secondly, before deciding on a the most suitable application that suits your business’s needs, there are three fundamental questions that sellers should ask themselves: 

• Firstly, are you starting a new business? If you are then an easy-to-use and simple application that enhances  do aa sso, a simple and easy-to-use application that enhances its efficiency will suffice; secondly,  
• Are you upgrading from an old cash register? If the previous system for payments and product searches has been inadequate, consider adding extra features. 

For example, as well as the smart features of Youtap’s application, you can integrate a fully           cashless system as well as QRIS payments. You also need to ask yourself whether the application matches cashier reports, tracks sales, and reconciles bank balances. And finally, 

• Are you switching from a different POS system? It is important that you think about what hasn’t worked for your current situation, and whether a newer system could be the  solution that helps you issues. 

To get started, sellers need to fully understand their business needs, and the following four steps help you to move forward:

• Determine Your Needs

Firstly, it is important that you determine your business needs, as this is critical to its framework. You need to carefully consider, specify, and understand the exact requirements of your business, because a seller needs to be able to comprehend their operational style, and its specific hardware and software requirements, which in turn helps to anticipate any future needs. 

In this it is important to note that the POS industry is rapidly evolving  and specify the exact requirements for your business. A seller needs to comprehend their operational style, and specific hardware and software requirements, which will help a, with new features being regularly added; 

• Compare POS Solutions

Secondly, while most POS systems may appear to be similar on the surface,they are not. Some systems focus on enhanced payment integration, while others offer more precise inventory management;

• Take Advantage of Demos or Free Trials

Thirdly, the only way to know whether a seller can use the POS application system daily, is by demonstration and trial. This is a critical juncture in the POS process, and sellers should determine if their chosen solution aligns with their goals. However, it must be noted that demonstrations and trials can be time-consuming, so it’s essential to commit to the application, and not abandon the process midway through its trial; and 

• Negotiate and Choose the Best Solution

Finally, there are certain considerations regarding application usage that should be discussed with staff or, in small businesses like Warungs, with family members who are involved in the business, because the most important factor amongst all considerations, is that the application must be user-friendly. 

3. Understanding Payment Methods

Thirdly, one of the most important factors to consider when using an online cashier application is whether or not the payment system uses QRIS, because sales  can be processed using a barcode, which in seconds can input item codes.

For example, the Youtap application supports global standard barcode IDs such as UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, RSS-14, CODE-39, CODE-93, CODE-128, ITF, CODABAR, DATA-MATRIX, and PDF-417.

Moreover, when selecting an online cashier application for your business, sellers must ensure that the application is equipped with the latest technology and accepts all forms of payment—debit and credit cards, chip cards, and magnetic stripe cards, as well as UPI, QR codes, et al. 

Additionally, other important considerations with online cashier applications are  as follows:

Firstly, the costs associated with it, including security, particularly regarding customer data;

Secondly, the speed of the application, not only during the payment process but also when creating or sending payment receipts - whether they are digital or physical;

And finally, the essential establishments of partnerships with any banks or online payment networks. 

Youtap’s POS application offers a variety of features, such as its classic cashier function, which includes a fully cashless system, a digital calculator, one-tap receipt printing  QRIS payments, and transaction history. 

Furthermore, as well as sales reporting, Youtap can also handle price adjustments and taxes, while its more advanced features provide custom receipt provision, and open billing, adding more  variations with product add-ons. 

Read Also: 4 Types of Cashless Payment Tools for MSME‍

4. Learning to Utilize Application Report Analysis for Business Advancement‍

Fourthly, record-keeping and sales reporting are some of the weaknesses of trading businesses, especially home-based ones, which can be addressed with an online cashier application.

Some advantages of online cashier applications are as follows:

• Storage of Financial Reports

One of the primary reasons sellers should use an online cashier application is to simplify the creation of financial reports. 

Historically, before applications, cashiers had to manually upload sales report files, whereas today, with an online cashier application, sales report files can be directly uploaded to cloud storage, making it easier to quickly back up financial reports; 

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• More Accurate Sales Bookkeeping

Accuracy is essential in running a business, especially if it is of considerable scale. Immaterial of a business’s size, even minor errors in  bookkeeping can lead to significant losses. With an online cashier application, these reports can be processed in real-time, minimizing unnecessary errors that unfortunately occur during the bookkeeping and sales recording processes; and

• Automatic Stock Recording

When you choose to use an online cashier application, transactions that involve incoming and outgoing funds,as well as warehouse stock recording, can be done accurately, automatically, and quickly, while business management can be conducted remotely.

In the negative, some traders without accurate sales records may inadvertently mix personal and business finances, while manual recording errors can lead to cash mismanagement and unnecessary expenses, however, having an online cashier application greatly helps address these issues.

‍Read Also: Free Cashier Programs: What Are the Pros and Cons‍

 5. Understanding the Security Level of Application Use

Fifthly, the goal of POS security is to create a safe environment for customers to complete their purchases and transactions, because application security when using the app greatly impacts the users’ trust in its application provider.

As such, providers are required to prevent unauthorized access to electronic payment systems by individuals who typically seek to steal personal customer data such as their credit card information. 

Furthermore, when cybercriminals and hackers do infiltrate a POS system, they install malware that spreads, accessing the system's memory to collect desired data. 

However, developers can take the following measures to enhance their security, such as: 

• Encrypting all POS data during transmission and decrypting the information only when reaching the payment processor. Additionally, always use complex and secure passwords, and two-factor authentication;
• Implementing a whitelist of applications, that allows only the very necessary applications to run on the POS system. Email, web-browsers, and any other applications that could increase risk are to be blocked to prevent malware infections through these channels; 
• Updating POS software by installing updates often contains critical security patches resulting from newly discovered vulnerabilities. Because of this Patch Management is crucial for maintaining a secure POS system; and 
• Conducting regular vulnerability testing to identify any system weaknesses, as well as continuously monitoring activity within the system. Moreover, it is essential to continuously run antivirus software and periodically scan the system for harmful files enhances the systems overall security. 
  

POS is one of digital bookkeeping FinTechs, and PT Mitra Digital Sukses, Youtap Indonesia, have developed payment gateways that provide services to 150, 000 businesses across Indonesia. 

This substantial number reflects the trust that users have placed on the POS application because of its service features and level of security.

The advantages of using Youtap’s POS Business application include automatic transaction recording, the ability to analyze sales data, facilitating payments via QRIS, and determining future marketing and sales strategies. 

So, use Youtap to ensure that your business enjoys smooth payments and seamless business operations.