Business Systems · 6 min read · 15 October 2026
Buying a POS System for Your Business: A Practical Checklist
Licences, hardware, offline mode, M-Pesa integration, stock control — the eight questions to ask before signing anything.
Start with your operation, not the software
Count your daily transactions, number of tills, number of stock-keeping units, and whether you operate in one site or several. A minimart, a pharmacy and a restaurant all need different things from a POS. Any supplier who does not ask these questions first is selling, not solving.
The eight questions to ask
1) Does it work fully offline, and how does it sync when connectivity returns? 2) Is M-Pesa integration native or bolted on? 3) Who owns the data, and can you export it? 4) What does hardware cost — till, scanner, receipt printer, cash drawer, UPS? 5) What are the recurring licence fees, and what happens if you stop paying? 6) How are upgrades handled and by whom? 7) What training is included for your staff? 8) What happens on day two when the receipt printer jams mid-rush?
Red flags
Possession of your data held hostage behind licence fees; no local support contact; hardware sold as a bundle you cannot open up; refusal to provide a written scope. A good supplier will happily put answers in writing and will care about your staff's competence, not just the install.
ASDO Editorial. This article is general guidance, not project-specific advice; every engagement starts with a proper survey and a written scope. Engineering work described here is subject to the regulated-work notice in our footer and on each service page.