How To Connect A Cash Register To a Webshop

Online retail is rapidly growing. So, it’s no surprise that more and more people are getting into this industry as they see the potential for success. Therefore, in this age of digital commerce, a cash register connected to a webshop is crucial for retail businesses. It enables you to work in one system and transfer orders and customer information realtime. In this way you can save time and boost sales of your retail store.

Furthermore, many retailers find out that managing a webshop is not easy. Especially if you prefer to focus on the physical store instead of online sales. That is why in this blog post we look at the possibilities of linking the cash register system to a webshop.

In short, how to connect a cash register to a webshop? You make a connection between the cash register and the webshop by evaluating the current system and listing the needs. You can then switch to a total solution or have technical customization carried out.

Online is an indispensable part of your customer delight strategy . Customers alternate online and offline to make the right decisions during the customer journey. Therefore, a webshop is an integral part of any retail business because it helps to make the customer experience more seamless and efficient. Still, point of sale systems are the backbone of any retail business. They provide a plethora of features that help retailers manage their businesses more efficiently.

Connect cash register to webshop is important to evaporate work. It can help you get rid of the need for a separate inventory system. It also means that you will have all of the data about your customers at your fingertips , which can help you improve customer service and make more informed decisions about the products that you sell.

So linking your systems make it possible for retail shops to run their operations smoothly. It helps to automate processes and streamline workflows. This reduces the risk of errors and eliminates the need for manual data entry. Retailers can also track their inventory in realtime and make sure that they are not running out of stock.

The process of connecting a cash register to a webshop is not complicated, but in some cases require some technical know-how. The best solution is very dependent on the current POS system and the needs of the retail store. We can distinguish three solutions:

Many retail stores use industry specific functions. That is why they are dependent on industry-specific software. For example, if you are a bike shop, you need a repair program. If you are a jeweler, you work with fluctuating gold prices. And as a shoemaker you also work more on the basis of orders and you sell services. This requires a specific POS system. However, most of these do not have a standard link with a webshop.

Therefore, one of the most popular solutions for POS integration is to have a custom connection built between the webshop and the POS system. This solution has many advantages , such as:

Of course this solution also has some disadvantages :

So who is this option for? Do you have a system that runs on a local server and is there no system in your industry that works in the cloud (is accessible through the browser)? Then in most cases you are dependent on customization. To start as simple and cheap as possible, it is wise to only link the product information and stock level. If you only save the product number and the stock in the cash register, you can also update only these two datafields automatically. You can then manually complete the product information in the webshop. Ideally, however, you would also like to have this automated, because looking up photos and uploading them takes a lot of time. That is why a link with suppliers is also interesting for the best retail webshop .

The second option is to use a third party service that will help you connect your POS system to your webshop and make sure that they are in sync. This may be an interesting alternative to option 1, if you would like to link with multiple systems and sales channels. Think for example of Amazon, eBay and various Social Media channels. Keep in mind that these standard links can be quite pricey and charge a monthly recurring rate.

There are different types of solutions that may be of interest to your retail business. For instance Channelengine and Channable are good parties and relatively affordable. Companies such as Airtable , Akeneo and Accumula offer a similar solution, but focus more on sharing product information. This software integrates your POS system into your webshop. It is a third-party service that helps you connect the two systems and makes it easier for you to manage both (and even more sales channels). These platforms also provide an API to link to connect other systems we discussed in option 1.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

The third solution is to switch to a cloud POS system that offers a cash register and webshop in one. A cloud POS system is a software that can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. It offers the possibility to manage your inventory and sales across multiple locations and through different sales channels. The first benefit of this type of system is that it saves on time and money. The second one is that it reduces human error. And last but not least, it offers the possibility to track all customer data in one place.

Cloud systems are much more popular than they were in the past. They are extremely reliable and easy to use too. If you’re currently using an outdated POS system, this could be an interesting replacement. They may also have more advantages than the current system offers, such as sending the receipt by e-mail and easily recording customer information. Of course, you may need an alternative for industry specific functions.

Advantages:

Disadvantages :

POS systems have evolved from being one-dimensional to provide an omnichannel experience for retailers and their customers. Let’s look at the a few most popular solutions.

Shopify is a Canadian company that provides an eCommerce platform to small and medium-sized businesses. It includes features like a point-of-sale system, an ecommerce store, and social media integration. Shopify was founded in 2004 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake after experiencing the challenges of running their own online snowboard store. The company has grown tremendously since then, now powering more than 1 million online stores with over $100 billion in gross merchandise volume processed on the Shopify platform each year.

Lightspeed POS is a complete point-of-sale system for retail, restaurant and hospitality. The cash register connects with your website to provide a seamless customer experience. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with popular ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and WooCommerce. The system has many features that make it easy to use and convenient for both customers and retailers.

Connect cash register to webshop with Vend POS. Vend is a cloud-based point of sale software for businesses of all sizes. Vend’s powerful features help retailers optimize their inventory , customers, and orders in one place. They have thousands of customers in many different countries. As a result, there are many possibilities to link, such as with the above two companies. You can read more on the Vend website.

As you may know, I work on PrismaNote together with a team. This is an omnichannel system for jewelers in which they have a cash register and webshop in one. With MegaFlow we also want to roll this out for other industries. With this we link various systems to one central database and everyone can manage their own webshop.

Are you looking for a simple, affordable checkout that is easy to integrate with webshops? Then a solution such as Square is also interesting.

There are different types of cash register to webshop links that are possible. We can distinguish the two most important:

A REST API is an application programming interface that lets you transfer data to and from a system. The biggest advantage of this is that the stock (and other data) can be updated in real time. So if a product is sold in the store, it immediately disappears from the webshop.

Another form of connection is by sending a file back and forth. This is often a CSV file containing the new data. This is usually possible for older POS systems that run on a local server. This means that the data is not updated in real time, but for example once a day. Also, often no customer information is included and no specific functions (such as gift cards and loyalty points) can be shared between different systems.

With a cloud software solution that has a cash register and webshop in one, you do not need any technical knowledge of a link. These companies have already established a secure connection between both systems. Another option is to use third party software. It shares your information directly with multiple platforms and sales channels. Finally, you can opt for a custom solution. This way you can realize unique wishes. However, this also comes with a price tag. Did you the right software choice ? Check out these 10 tips for a new software implementation .