Everyone loves to get a deal, especially when you’re a business owner. Money you’re not spending is money that goes back into your business. However, some deals are too good to be true. Always be wary of “free” as it’s rarely true. For example, the true cost of “free wifi“. Free POS systems come at a price too. Here are four ways that “free” isn’t actually the case.
From an article by Business2Community:
- System Components that are not Free:Make sure you look at what exactly you are getting for free. You could be asked to buy hardware and then get the cloud-based app software for free. Of you could be asked to sign an agreement where you pay for the software, payment processing, support, and service but you get the POS hardware for free. Look at what it includes and make sure you are getting everything you need for your budget. If you are not careful, you may have to purchase additional software with the functionality that your business requires after the fact. Educating yourself on the whole costs that are associated with the various offers will help you in the end to have a clear picture of what your contract will include.
- Cancellation Fees:Cancellation fees are another cost that is absolutely necessary to look into when you’re researching a “free” POS option. Say for instance your business needs to grow, you want to add a new location, or your business is closing and the “free” POS does not meet your needs any longer, you may have to cancel it. It is important to know whether there are penalties associated with canceling.
- Processing Limits and Account Holds:A good thing to look for in a company that is offering a “free” POS is if they verify credit histories prior to the account approval. If they do not, find out how they handle fraud. A company may have processing limits, put holds on funds after certain amounts for a period of time, or deny a transaction once you have reached your processing limit.
- Service and System Downtime:Good technical repair and service is hard to find, especially at any given moment when anything can go wrong. If a POS system needs servicing or goes down, know what service is included and if it will cost extra. When purchasing hardware and dealing with a company that provides an app through the internet, support and service could be two totally different things than what perhaps a local POS reseller may provide. Since service and support are so important, especially to a busy business owner, it is important to know exactly how much of that is included and what else will go out of pocket. If the support and service is limited, it is worth calculating what any period of downtime would cost and how long your business could go with all systems down.
No Matter What POS System You Use, We Can Maintain or Repair It.
If your POS system goes down, your business comes to a screeching halt. Great Lakes Computer offers POS System repair and maintenance. We can conduct preventative maintenance to prevent downtime. We can also get you back online quickly in the event of an issue. Our service is unmatched.
