Happy New Year 2013

The cash register guys wish you a Happy New Year in 2013 We hope your business grows and you will need to buy a lot of cash registers from us!

If you do need a register in 2013 we carry the best in the world which are the SAM4s cash registers and the work horse tough commercial grade Sharp cash registers. Whether you need a simple machine or a cash register with a credit card reader we have you covered.

Happy New Year

Pin pads and cash registers

Many cash registers process credit cards directly rather than the old school method of having a standalone credit card terminal next to the register. Processing credit card directly on your cash register makes a lot of sense and can help you make more money for many reasons. The question I'm addressing however in this post is do you also want to take pin based debit cards through your cash register or even if you should take them at all?

What we have seen over the course of installing hundreds of merchants cash registers and credit card machines is it is all about the average ticket size in regards to whether you should take pin based debit or not.

Let's first clear up what "Pin based debit" is. Most debit cards carry the Visa or MasterCard logo and as far as the POS equipment knows they are a Visa or MasterCard however these same cards have the ability to work as a debit card when the user enters their pin at POS on a pin pad and the register treat them differently as does your merchant services.

It is the Fee's associated with a Pin Based Debit cards that are the problem for you the merchant. Almost all cash registers that take credit card can in fact have a pin pad added enabling you to accept Pin Based Debit transactions as well, and there are times when you will want to. Most merchant services will tell you there is a $0.10 to $0.25 fee per debit card transaction however they fail to mention there are also debit network fees with each one as well that can be another $0.20 to $0.60 each making a grand total of $0.30 to $0.85 per transaction. Does not sound like a lot of  money does it? However lets look at a $10.00 transaction and compare the cost between a credit card and a debit card

$10.00 sale fees for a credit card (average) $0.21 transaction fee plus discount fee of 1.8% which is $0.18 for a total of $0.39 leaving you with $9.61 of the original $10.00 sale. Now lets look at the same $10.00 sale using pin based debit with average Debit card fees $0.20 for the merchant services fee plus $0.40 for the debit network fee leaving you with $9.40 from the original $10.00 sale and it could be worse it might cost you $0.80 to $0.85 for that transaction!

If your average ticket is $25.00 or less than stay away from pin based debit as you can see over time that small difference adds up. If you save $0.20 on 4000 transactions over the year than you have saved $800.00 and if you are really busy maybe you would save double or triple that amount.

Now on the other hand if your average transaction is $25.00 and up it may make much more sense to take pin based debit. If you have a $100.00 transaction it is much cheaper to take a pin based debit than a standard Visa/MasterCard!

The average cost to add a pin pad to your SAM4s cash register is about $200.00 maybe more if looking for a fancy one that is also a swipe and pin pad

New year new taxes for your cash register?

The New Year is often accompanied by new sales taxes in many states or counties so make sure you are prepared to program your cash register if that is the case. We are also seeing an increase in many areas where there are now multiple tax rates for example a general retail sales tax and maybe another separate higher one for food and beverage? If your area is moving to multiple sales taxes make sure you know how to program your cash register for one. Almost all newer Sharp cash registers and all of the current SAM4s cash registers can handle up to four tax rates.

When programming your cash register for a second rate don't forget you not only need to set the rate but also make the items or departments taxable by the new rate. None of the tax programming will affect your cash register and credit card interface if you have one.

Make sure you know how to do all this before the day you need to start. Don't forget cash register companies do charge for support for this service even if over the phone. If you require help programming your cash register call us at 1-800-863-2274

The SPS-500 series cash registers by SAM4s

The SAM4s SPS-500 series cash register is the most advanced register on the market today and is made up of several models

The entire series is made up of 4 different models and they break down as follows

1. SAM4s SPS-520FT (dual printer, flat keyboard)
2. SAM4s SPS-520RT (dual printer raised keyboard)
3. SAM4s SPS-530FT (single printer flat keyboard)
4. SAM4s SPS-530RT (single printer raised keyboard)

Any of the four models has optional credit card interface, kitchen printer, computer, coin changer, DVR and many other options. These machines feature an SD card port for back up, program transfer and ROM upgrade. The CF slot allows for very cost effective memory upgrades and the keyboard port makes this machin easy to program and don't forget the crown jewel the 7" color touch screen!

Very affordable and scalable. Don't buy a register until you have looked at this series.

SAM4s SPS-520F Cash Register

Best cash registers for 2013

In 2013 I don't see much of a change from the state of things today in the cash register business. I project SAM4s will still be the best selling commercial cash register on the market beating out Sharp cash registers.

Both make great commercial grade cash registers but it seem clear that SAM4s is leading the way in the industry today as they have for the last few years. SAM4s has come out with a slew of new machines with features that really are game changers. For example SAM4s makes several entry level cash registers with SD card ports and make the same models with one printer and two so you can make the best choice for your needs. The newer models that include some of these great features are:

• SAM4s ER-920
• SAM4s ER-925
• SAM4s ER-940
• SAM4s ER-945
• SAM4s SPS-320
• SAM4s SPS-340
• SAM4s SPS-345

All of the above cash registers have SD card ports for reporting, programming and upgrading. They all can interface to credit card payments with the Datacap Twin Tran, interface to computers and come with free software and have models with receipt and journal or receipt only.

So let's not forget about Sharp completely as I'm not writing them off. They have made some great moves this year too. They came out with two new models that are great machines with some leading edge features. The machines are:

• Sharp ER-A247
• Sharp ER-A347

Both of these machines have features that SAM4s cash registers do not have. First both of these machine interface to a standard credit card terminal from Hypercom which is very unique (not as complete a system as the Datacap Interface). They both also have a programming Software that interfaces to the cash register with an SD card instead of a direct connection to the PC, however the big feature that has to long in coming for any register company is that these two machines have a Quick Books Transfer tool that allows you to take the sales from the register and import into your Quick Books accounting software.

I can't wait to see the new models if any that will be released from SAM4s or Sharp in 2013 and beyond. If you have any questions about which cash register you should buy call us at 1-800-863-2274

HAppy Holidays from the Cash Register Guys

Wishing you and you family happy holidays. If you find yourself needing a new cash register in 2013 let us know if we can help. Whether you need a simple machine or a cash register with credit card reader we can help you.

Let's all hope that in 2013 business is so good we all need to double our cash registers and staff!

supplies for Sharp cash registers

There are a couple good places to find supplies for Sharp cash registers where you can find keyboard covers, receipt paper and ink ribbons, cash tills and even replacement keys. If you need support they can also help with that. Here is a list of three of the best

1. Cash Register Guys
2. National Business Systems, Inc
3. POS and Cash Registers

SAM4s cash register support and service

There are three great places to get support for your SAM4s cash register. These places can help via phone or worst case you can ship your register to them for repair if needed. They can help with very simple tax changes or advanced features like cash registers with credit card.

Please keep in mind service is not free! If it was free they would not be around to help!

1. Cash Register Guys
2. POS and Cash Registers
3. National Business Systems, Inc.

Programming Cash Registers for the New Year

So as the new year approaches plan ahead if you have to do any programming changes to your cash registers. Is your sales tax going up the first of the year? Maybe a new tax rate being applied so you will now have two rates? Does the date on your cash register roll over to the new year or do you have to program it?

The new year should not affect anything to do with cash registers interfaced with credit card or gift cards so should be good there. The new year may be bring new PCI concerns so check with your processor.

Make sure you can locate your programming manual and programming keys in case you do need to make some changes. Most cash register companies do charge a support fee when you call up to make tax programming changes or related items so don't be surprised.

Our company can support all SAM4s cash registers , all the commercial grade Sharp registers and you can call us at 1-800-863-2274 and if you bought your register from us we may be able to help you for free (for very simple quick changes sometimes) if not we will help but we do charge for support.

Cash registers with built in credit card readers

Several SAM4s and Sharp have quite a few models of cash registers with credit card reader. However please keep in mind with a cash register with a credit card reader won't process credit cards all by itself. The card reader simply reads a card but does process it. The card reader needs to hand off the information to a device that processes the data. What most cash registers need is a Datacap Twin Tran device to complete the system. With a Datacap you can process credit cards and many brands of gift cards directly on your SAM4s or Sharp cash register.

Need some help sorting out what to buy you can call us at 1-800-863-2274 if you already own a cash register and datacap and need to have it re-programmed we can help with that too just keep in mind that is a service we charge for.

Cash registers with bar code scanner

We receive many questions from our blog and live support chat about setting up a bar code scanner with a cash register. Perfect example happened today where the end-user bought the cheapest scanner he could find, did not pay attention to the interface or the cable.

Does not matter if it is a Sharp Cash Register or one of the SAM4s Cash Register models you can't just buy the cheapest scanner you see online and plug it in.

1. Most cash registers require specific makes and models of scanners. Don't just buy something because it is cheap and looks cool
2. ALL cash registers require a specific interface. Cash registers are not cutting edge like computers and are a few years behind the curve in most cases, maybe even a decade!
3. Almost every cash register must be programmed to accept a scanner, no such thing as plug n play with a cash register
4. Some registers require very specific special order cables to connect scanners.

What should you do to make sure you get a scanner that works? Call cash register people like us at 1-800-863-2274 we know what works with Sharp (except XE models) and SAM4s cash registers, we know how to program the scanners and the cash registers! Don't call us after you have bought from a scanner company that knows nothing about cash registers!

Get your Sharp ER-A320 before they are gone

There are two sites that still have some Sharp ER-A320 Cash Registers. If you have not heard Sharp stopped making them because Epson stopped making the printer used in them. Quite a shame because they were great registers. If these are the registers you use buy a back up or buy registers you need for future projects now while they are still around.

Here is a link where you can find the A320 Cash Register

Datacap credit card interfaces to cash registers

Datacap Systems who make the Datacap Twin Tran that is the most popular method of interfacing your cash register and credit card payments make several models. Datacap Products:

• Datacap Dial Tran SL
• Datacap Dial Tran ML
• Datacap IP Tran SL
• Datacap IP Tran ML
• Datacap Twin Tran SL
• Datacap Twin Tran ML

Also keep in mind each version listed about also can come with built in MSR in most cases. In order to interface SAM4s cash registers to credit card you must have a Datacap device, Almost all Sharp registers also require a Datacap as well with the exception of the ER-A247 and ER-A347 registers that can use a certain Hypercom terminal

Sharp ER-A320 won't be around much longer

The Sharp ER-A320 won't be around much longer which is a real shame. this cash register was a work horse and easy to use. However there are still some available however if you need one you should act quickly as I don't think they will last long.



Sharp ER-A320 Cash Register

Programming more than one cash register

This topic comes up often whenever people are shopping for cash registers and are trying to get the cheapest one they can. OK none of us wants to spend more money than needed right? Well before doing that figure out what is needed!

Perfect example of how this affects a business happened this morning at my office. A customer had called a couple weeks a go looking for five registers. The customer was very sure of the make and model they wanted and just wanted a price. Nothing more just price, price, and price! The customer was really sure this was the best machine for them and there was not going to be an opportunity to discuss anything else.

They bought the 5 registers and took delivery of them. This week the customer called for support to get started programming the registers, no problem we do that all the time. In discussing programming and set up with the end-user I quickly determined it was going to take 3 to 4 hours to program each machine. It take a very long time to enter the names of hundreds of items, prices for hundreds of items, make the custom keyboard etc etc. That is a lot of time 3 to 4 hours times 5 registers so now looking at 15 to 20 hours of your time programming cash registers.

If the time had been taken to discuss the other options we would have steered them to a register that has an SD card port so after programming one register the data could be transferred to another register within a matter of minutes! So now it would still be 4 to 4 hours programming the first register and maybe 30 minutes each for the other 4 including taking them out of the box as you can quickly replicate them rather than re-doing all the work!

So when buying more than one register where the program will be the same make sure you buy one with and SD card port, or an IRC feature, or PC software all of these features would allow you to clone the first programmed register. Also if you decided to use a Datacap Twin Tran to accomplish credit card interface with your cash registers IRC would allow you to share one interface rather than needing one per register.

Very few Sharp cash registers come with a SD card port or PC interface. Many more SAM4s cash registers have free utility software for programming and SD card ports in almost all newer models.

So if you save $50.00 a register is it worth 20 hours of your time? I doubt it is. Consult with us before you pull the trigger on buying your cash register to make certain you are at least presented with your choices and make an informed decision. 1-800-863-2274

Support for cash registers

Here is a blog that offers cash register support. They have post regarding SAM4s Cash Registers and Sharp cash registers too. They cover topics like cash registers that process credit cards and other more advanced features.

Sharp Cash Register Support

This site has Sharp cash registers and all the supplies for them. They also have the cash register credit card interface and provide support for all the Sharp models except the consumer grdae models that begin with XE

Samsung or SAM4s who is who?

We still have people calling or emailing looking for Samsung cash registers which of course no longer exist. I guess it played out something like this. Samsung cash registers used to be sold world wide by the company we are all familiar with "Samsung".  From what I understand Samsung never actually made the cash registers they were OEM'd by another company whose name I don't recall.

So at a certain point years a go Samsung for whatever reason decided to exit the cash register business. I understand that the company who also made them for Samsung decided to make them on their own and with a new brand name. The name they went with is SAM4s Cash Registers and they have been doing very well. They quickly surpassed Sharp as the most cutting edge cash register brand in the US and I would imagine the world.

So Samsungs are now SAM4s which in this case has been a good thing. Samsung is a great company however we have found SAM4s to be more responsive to the industry and really willing to forge ahead of others with some great features and fair prices.

So not sure if I'm 100% correct here but that is the story as we know it!

Are there electronic cash register that comes with integrated credit card processing

Sharp and SAM4s both make several models of an electronic cash register that comes with integrated credit card processing. Sharp even make two registers that interface with a Hypercom credit card terminal although most interface with a Datacap Twin Tran interface as all the interfacing SAM4s registers require.

Some of the larger Sharp and SAM4s registers can share the Datacap between them while the smaller ones require one TwinTran per register.

When you interface the register and credit card payments you will have a more efficient check out at the register with fewer errors and much less fraud regardless of Sharp or SAM4s we reccomend interfacing every time.

Right now The Cash Register Guys are offering a $200.00 rebate for purchasing a cash register and setting up merchant services with Mercury Payment Systems who will supply a no up front cost Datacap Twin Tran you can call them at 1-800-863-2274

Which cash register can you plug a standard keyboard into?

This is one of the unique features of the SAM4s SPS-500 series cash registers is that you can connect a windows keyboard to the cash register for programming. This little feature can save you a lot of time when you start programming your registers ALPHA for UPC's or menu items.

Also you can use the keyboard to enter customer names when using the delivery feature of the SPS-500 series, which is made up of the following models

• SAM4s SPS-520FT features receipt and journal flat keyboard for restaurants
• SAM4s SPS-520RT features receipt and journal with raised keyboard for retail
• SAM4s SPS-530FT features receipt only with flat keyboard for restaurants
• SAM4s SPS-530RT features receipt only with raised keyboard for retail

Any of the registers can also interface to a computer if you would rather program that way with optional software. These really are the most complete cash registers on the market today with capabilities for credit card interface with the Datacap Twin Tran, bar code scanning interface, kitchen printer interface, inter register communications, DVR interface, massive memory upgrade option, graphic rear display option, interfaced scale option and more.

SAM4s cash register keyboard templates

If you have a template to make keyboards you have a great deal more flexibility to program and change your cash register when ever you would like. Most of the templates I have seen are just word documents and are very easy to use. Here are a few links to keyboard templates

• SAM4s ER-265 and 285M keyboard Template (same keyboard)
• SAM4s ER-650 keyboard template
• SAM4s SPS-1000 template
• SAM4s ER-5200M keyboard template. The 5200M keyboard is a very common keyboard for many Samsung and SAM4s cashregisters. It is the same size keyboard as the SER-7000, ER-5100, ER-4900, ER-5200, SER-6500, SER-6500II and maybe a few more.

Always before you take the time to fill out a template print one out and cut to size and check it for fit on your cash register. You don't want to spend an hour on the template just to find it does not print the correct size!

Cash register with credit card

A large number of the SAM4s cash registers have the abilty to interface with credit card. Any of the SAM4s registers require a Datacap Twin Tran or similar model as do most of the Sharp cash registers. The models that interface are

• SAM4s ER-285M
• SAM4s ER-380M
• SAM4s ER-390M
• SAM4s ER-650
• SAM4s ER-650R
• SAM4s SPS-320
• SAM4s SPS-340
• SAM4s SPS-345
• SAM4s SPS-520R
• SAM4s SPS-520F
• SAM4s SPS-530R
• SAM4s SPS-530F
• SAM4s ER-920
• SAM4s ER-925
• SAM4s ER-940
• SAM4s ER-945
• SAM4s ER-5200M
• SAM4s ER-5215M
• SAM4s ER-5240M
• SAM4s SPS-2000

I may have left out a few of them. They by far have more than anyone else.

Cash registers that can process credit cards

More and more people are looking for cash registers that process credit cards and they are very smart to do so. Ten years ago no one did this but now it is the new normal. When you interface a cash register to credit card payments you speed up your lines, improve accuarcy, reduce fraud and make more profit!

SAM4s and Sharp cash registers can interface with credit card and gift card payments. The SAM4s and most of the Sharp registers use the Datacap Twin Tran and a few Sharp models can use a specific Hypercom terminal. You should be able to use any processor you want but many use Mercury Payment Systems because they will provide the Datacap at no up front cost and also provide a free gift card system for you to offer your own gift card system.

Check it out you won't be sorry.

The SAM4s ER-650 and ER-650R have been retired

Well we knew it was coming for quite some time but it was still a shock when the factory told us they were pulling the plug on one of the most popular and successful cash registers they ever made the ER-650 and the version with raised keyboard the ER-650R

The good news is they will have parts and support available for awhile and we have quite a few of the ER-650 and ER-650R models available so get your while they last which won't be long.

The ER-650 series was the first cash register to come out with the multi line LCD display which was the big game changer in regards to programming and using simple registers. They followed up by making this a cash register that can process credit cards using the Datacap Twin Tran that also allows gift card transactions as well.

Users also appreciated the fact that the SAMs 4 650 series also interfaced to DVR systems, kitchen printers, scales, computers and coin changers.

The ER650 series has been replaced by the SPS-300 series that includes the SPS-320, SPS-340 and SPS-345 all with some unique features of their own. One great improvement with the SPS300 series is that it includes a SD card port and available with a single station printer as well as a dual station version with a receipt and journal.

Few more names for SAM4s Cash Registers

Last couple days I have seen a few more miss spellings of SAM4s. However you spell it they make the best cash registers in the world! Yesterday we saw SAM 4s Cash Registers and from another person sam4 and the last was much like the first sam4s

Long as you get the right thing at the end of your search guess it does not matter what you call it but for the record it is SAM4s.

New Cash Register Blog

My co-worker here has also started a cash register information blog. She calls herself the cashregistergal. Wonder where she came up with that.

So long Sharp ER-A330 Cash Register

The Sharp ER-A330 is meeting the same fate as the ER-A320 Both of these models have been work horses of the Sharp Cash Register line however the printer they use is no longer made by Epson so Sharp has to pull the plug. Parts will be available for years and years and should become an issue for quite awhile.

Sharp has not released a replacement for these two models. The did release the ER-A247 and the ER-A347 which are great registers however they both use thermal paper and have quite a few more features than either the A320 or A330



Sharp ER-A330 Cash Register

SAM4s SPS-2000 cash register or computer?

The SAM4s SPS-2000 is often confused for a computer POS terminal when it is really a sleek ROM based modular POS cash register system!

The SPS-2000 is a completely touch screen cash register. The SPS-2000 does not require additional software to run it is already built in. With the SPS-2000 you get the best of both the POS worlds and the cash register world. The cash register aspect of the machine brings you durability, stability, lower cost of ownership, not subject to viruses, not subject to employee playing video games on it and almost in every case will last much longer then a PC based system. From the POS world you get the ease of use of a touch screen, the training ability of a touch screen and the order accuracy of ordering with a touch screen.

The SPS-2000 does have optional back office software available however it really is an option and not required. The SPS-2000 has some great options that will speed up your staff and provide greater accuracy and less fraud like credit card interface with the Datacap Twin Tran, gift card interface, bar code scanning, cashier cards, interfaced scale, easy programming compared to other cash registers, kitchen video interface and many more.

Combine the SPS-2000 system with Mercury Payment System's high speed credit card and gift card interface and make more money than every before offering your own private label gift card program!

Before you buy an expensive touch scree POS system look at the SAM4s SPS-2000 system



SAM4s SPS-2000 Bundled with Cash Drawer and Printer

Is it goodbye for the Sharp ER-A320 Cash Register

For a very long time the Sharp ER-A320 cash register has been one of the best selling cash registers on the market. The A320 has been a workhorse and easy to use, takes abuse and keeps coming back for more.

Well all good things must come to an end as is the case with the Sharp ER-A320 cash register  In this case it is not Sharp's fault as Epson who makes the printer for this model stopped making the printer and Sharp had no choice but to end the A320's life. There will still be parts for a very long time and I would not hesitate to buy this machine because of this news. As a matter of fact if this is a model your business uses on a regular basis I would buy a few while they are available.

Sharp has not released any news about a replacement with a bond printer. They did release a couple new models that are great but they both have thermal printers. These new machines the ER-A247 and ER-A347 include many features not found in the A320 like computer interface, SD card port, credit card terminal interface, quickbook interface and a multi-line LCD display.



Sharp ER-A320 Cash Register

Is it SAM4s or SAM4s?

I'm not a huge fan of their name but I'm a huge fan of their cash registers which are the most advanced cutting edge registers on the market today. The name is SAM4s and it has a meaning which I forget at the moment. Here are a few of the names we have heard it called.

• SAMs Cash Registers
• SAMs45 Cash Registers
• SAMs4 Cash Registers
• SAM4s Cash Registers
• SAM's 4s Cash Registers

Whatever you call them you won't find a register with as many features at a great price or in some cases any price!

Cash Registers with Touch Screens

There are at least three cash registers on the market with a touch screen that I'm aware of. There is the SAM4s SPS-500 series which consist of the

• SAM4s SPS-520FT
• SAM4s SPS-520RT
• SAM4s SPS-530FT
• SAM4s SPS-530RT

Of course there is also the SAM4s SPS-2000 which is all touch screen and no keyboard. The 2000 is a modular system unlike the turnkey SPS-500 series

In the Sharp Cash Register family you have the UP-800 series which includes:

• Sharp UP-820F
• Sharp UP-820N

All of these cash registers are very powerful and will do most of what a touch screen POS system will do at a fraction of the cost.

Which brand of cash register is the best one?

In my opinion the SAM4s Cash Register line is the best brand of cash registers being sold in the US and Canada right now. The reasons for my conclusion is based on my being in the business for a very long time. SAM4s is coming out with new models every year with cutting edge features (for cash registers). They are aggressive with their marketing and dealers services. SAM4s is very active in integrating with third party vendors like the Datacap Twin Tran and Mercury Payment Systems for credit card and gift card interface.

SAM4s has models in their line for any type of retail business or restaurants. Almost all their models can interface to PC and even include free programming software and optional reporting software. Before you buy your next cash register make sure you look twice at them.

Cash register credit card interface

Sharp cash registers are one of the first on the market to release a commercial grade cash register that  interfaces to a traditional credit card terminal made by Hypercom. Although It is only one specific model of Hypercom it is a step in the right direction. The registers that can do this are the ER-A347 and the ER-A247 from Sharp. I do not beleive gift cards have been introduced to this interface yet.

The interface with the standalone credit card terminal is good, however I don't think it is as fast or secure as the old standby of interfacing cash registers to credit card payments with a Datacap. When you interface with the Datacap product such as the TwinTran it really turns your cash register into a credit card terminal as well. Most SAM4s Cash Registers and Sharp Registers interface with Datacap and also allow Gift Card interface as well.

There are several credit card merchant services compaines that specialize in cash register to credit card interfaces and the unique aspects of this interface. The company I have worked with the most and with the higest rate of success for everyone involved is Mercury Payment Systems. They will offer you a no upfront cost Twin Tran, a no cost gift card program (you do buy the cards, but never a discount fee or transaction fee for gift cards), they pay me to manage and support  your register and cash register interface.

We have not even talked about if you should interface or not. After doing this now for over ten years I can assure you interfacing your cash register or POS system directly to credit card payments will make you more money. How can I be so sure you might ask? I have seen first hand with my own eyes store owners we have installed going through thier receipts before and after interfacing. Before interfacing reconciling credit card payments on the register to the actual charges on the credit card terminal are drasiclty different. After they match penny for penny! Before interface entry mistakes were common where a cashier might turn a $19.99 sale into $1.99 on the credit card terminal. Fraud also is reduced greatly when you interface the two.

Best place to buy cash register keyboard covers

Keyboard covers are a great way to protect the investment you have made in your cash register. Here is a great place to buy your covers listed here for both Sharp and SAM4s machines

• Sharp Cash Register Keyboard Covers
• SAM4s Cash Register Keyboard Covers

If they don't have you model listed you may want to give them a call. I know they have the popular Sharp models such as

• Sharp ER-A320
• Sharp ER-A330
• Sharp ER-A247
• Sharp ER-A347
• Sharp ER-A420
• Sharp UP-700
• Many more Sharp registers as well

And they have even more for Samsung and SAM4s cash registers, following is just a few models they carry covers for

• SAM4s ER-650
• SAM4s ER-650R
• SAM4s ER-5200
• SAM4s ER-5200M
• SAM4s SER-7000
• SAM4s SER-7040
• SAM4s SPS-520
• SAM4s SPS-530
• Many more SAM4s registers as well

Don't forget to change your keyboard covers which will protect your register and probably easier to see through!

Are you protecting your cash register's keyboard?

Should I install a keyboard cover on my cash register. In almost every case that would be yes. Keyboard covers can protect your cash register from spills and also help keep dust and other airborne substances from out of your cash register. It won't stop everything but they help for sure.

Does every business need to have a keyboard cover? For example maybe a hardware store where there is never any liquid near the machines (don't forget cashiers soda pops or coffee) and you do a lot of 10 key maybe you could get away without it. I would still install one as they cost about $25.00 in most cases and can protect a $1000.00 cash register from being ruined!

Here are a couple links for keyboard covers. Sharp Cash Register Keyboard Covers or SAM4s Cash Register Keyboard Covers and don't forget the restaurant style registers all have keyboard covers that can be replaced. Don't live with a worn cover you can no longer see through when again they cost $25.00 to $35.00 on average.

Question number 10 of 10 things to ask yourself when buying a cash register

Number ten in our series of the top ten questions to ask yourself before buying a new cash register is "Do I want to track inventory or just sales?"

This is a simple yet complex question for several different reasons. Many people get confused and think sales reports are the same as inventory control reports. Many people also confuse a cash registers stock keeping feature as being the same as true inventory control.

Let's look at true inventory control based on how we would define that from a point of sale system (POS) perspective. A POS system would within a matter of a few minutes be able to tell you item by item , what you have in stock, how many you have sold, how many you need to re-order and some systems even more. A true POS system will be able to tell you based on sales you need to order a case of blue widgets from ACME at a cost of $30.00 per case because last week you started with 10 blue widgets and sold 5 and have a threshold stock of 10 and must buy by the case. The system would then print a PO and when the items came in you could quickly receive into the system which would add the new ones to inventory, update your cost if it had changed and of course your cost of goods sold and profit per blue widget.

Now lets look at what a cash register is REALLY GOOD AT which is sales reporting. Lets for arguments sake say you have a 1000 UPC items programmed into your cash register. Each of those UPC's is programmed to a department for reporting. The cash register will allow you to take a UPC or PLU report based on a range of UPC/PLU numbers, UPC/PLU linked to a department, and a few other ways (different cash registers allow more or less reports) A cash register report will tell you that you have sold X amount of Blue Widgets from the last time you "Z'd" the report. The cash register does not know month to date, year to date, months, weeks, days etc. It knows from the last time you took the report until right now! Even if the register has monthly reports also known as "Z2" reports the Z2 reports are still based on from last taken to right now and the register has no idea what a month is or what month it is regardless of the fact it prints the date. A cash register counts sales and reports very well. It is your job to manage the dates to take the reports to get the most benefit of the reports. Most cash registers have many different daily and monthly reports.

So now you want to keep inventory on a cash register. You want your cash register to tell you that you started with 100 Blue Widgets and sold 75 and have 25 in stock and need to order more. Cash Registers with stock keeping can do most of that, however it would not tell you how many to buy, just how many you have left. The system seems to fall apart however when the store owner buys more blue widgets the end-user must go into programming and tell the cash register now instead of 25 widgets you have 125 although a few registers allow you to program plus 100 instead of entering the new number. Now envision you have 1000 UPC's and do you still want to do this? I would sell to you with a disclaimer that you should buy a software based POS system not cash register or a cash register and a inventory program to interface into.

My boss and I have about 65 years combined experience with cash registers and we know for a fact that people keeping inventory with a cash register seldom ever turns out well. We also know that there are salespeople across the country that tell people what they want to hear "YES it can do it" and than they end up calling us and we have to give them the bad news. The good news is if you have under 100 items and you are dedicated to 2 to 4 hours per week managing the stock control a cash register will make a pretty good limited inventory system.

A computer based POS has built in many time saving features that allow you to manage thousands of items with more detail in the same time a register can track limited info for 50 items. If someone tells you otherwise make them show you how to add inventory to stock. How long did it take? Was it easy? Was it one item at a time? I could go on and on on this topic. We feel passionate enough about it we wish cash register manufactures would remove the stock control features so people are not even tempted!

Not convinced? Call us or go somewhere and take a demo of managing inventory in both a computer POS system and a cash register!

SAM4s and Sharp both make cash registers with stock control features. The SPS-500 series is the first one on the market that have streamlined a little of the process to make it more manageable.

Please take away from this if nothing else that yes many cash registers can run a limited inventory control/stock keeping system however look hard at it and make sure it is for you!

Question number 9 of 10 to ask when buying a new cash register

Number nine of our series is "Do I need a commercial grade cash register or a consumer grade register?"

First lets look at this question in more detail. Two of the three major cash register companies in the US sell both commercial grade and consumer grade registers. Commercial grade machines are found only through cash register dealers and never through big box stores. Consumer grade registers are sold through big box stores however you will find the rare dealer that sells a few as well.

The biggest problem with a consumer grade cash register is lack of support. If support is not that important to you than maybe that is not an issue. What you should know is every day my office gets calls from people who own consumer grade cash registers looking for support or more importantly looking for free support. When I say every day I literally mean every day without fail we will receive numerous calls from people looking for support for consumer grade registers. The consumer grade registers are most often very inexpensive and some have some great features you may not even find in a commercial grade register. If you are a high volume retail outlet or restaurant it is unlikely a consumer grade machine will hold up to the stress or you will be replacing them every 12 to 24 months. A good commercial grade register in our experience have a work life of 5 to 7 years and often much longer. Sure some don't last that long and the care and environment make a huge difference in lifespan.

Were we see a tremendous amount of frustration is the owner of a consumer grade register that needs to change the sales tax rate on their register. Before you call us you should also know that the commercial grade dealer like we are does not receive factory support from the manufactures of the consumer grade registers which is one reason we elect not to even attempt to support them any longer. Another huge sticking point is replacement parts. In most cases we are unable to get parts for the consumer grade registers and when we do they are outrageously over priced and I mean BAD! This just leads to very angry people yelling at our staff over pricing for a part for a machine that we had nothing to do with so of course we no longer even attempt to look up a part.

Where does a consumer grade register work? Well if you store/restaurant is owner operated, lower volume, not as much security requirements, no need to integrate with options like scanning, software, credit card etc! But most important they are for the person that will be a "Do it yourselfer"

A commercial grade register is for the person that does a little more business, needs interfaces to credit card, gift card, DVR etc. These registers are for people that need more security, or help with understanding the security features built into a machine. They are for people that when the tax changes want to be able to reach out to someone and get support. Commercial registers in most cases are scalable meaning they can grow and adapt with your business.

So really weigh the differences before you buy any register. If you are looking cheap cheap cheap than consumer grade is for you. If you need stability and support than maybe you should look at commercial grade. And please don't get me wrong there are some very successful stores and restaurants operating on consumer grade registers but there are far more using commercial grade.

Remember all of your return on investment from you business is coming back to you via the register or POS system. If used properly a commercial grade or consumer grade register can help you maximise the return!

Part 8 of our "how do I know which cash register to buy?"

When you buy a cash register you need to ask yourself this very important question "Do I want to program on my own or have it done?"

Well do you? Regardless of whether you buy a SAM4s or Sharp Cash Register it is going to need some level of programming. Some registers require a great deal of programming depending on what application you will be using it in. Restaurants require more programming in most cases however a retail store that wants to bar code scan can also require many hours of work.

In my humble opinion if you are cost conscience as most of us are than you should do as much of the programming as possible. Doing your own programming will save you money now as well as in the long run. However keep in mind we cash register guys charge for programming because it can take a lot of time! Do you have the time to program the register yourself? Here are a couple of estimates based on my experience for an average end user to program a cash register.

• Simple 10 department machine with alpha, 2 tax rates, discount and text logo = 2 to 3 hours
• 20 departments with alpha, 2 tax rates, 2 discount keys, 4 payment keys, graphic logo, macro key and a few misc items = 4 to 5 hours
• 20 departments with alpha, 300 PLU / UPC's (without software and import file), 2 tax rates, 2 discount keys, 4 payment keys, graphic logo, macro key and a few misc items = 7 to 9 hours
• 20 departments with alpha, 3000 PLU / UPC's, (with software and import file) 2 tax rates, 2 discount keys, 4 payment keys, graphic logo, macro key and a few misc items = 5 to 6 hours
• 100 menu item fast food register with no kitchen printer = 3 to 5 hours
• 300 menu item fast food register with no kitchen printer = 5 to 7 hours
• 100 menu item fast food register with with kitchen printer requiring modifiers  = 8 to 10 hours
• 100 menu item table service register with kitchen printer requiring modifiers = 12 to 15 hours

You get the picture, it takes lots of time to get a cash register ready. Some of the items being programmed are specific to cash registers and you would probably never have encountered any of these items before but a lot of it is just the time consuming work of plugging in hundreds of names, prices, status, etc.

A cash register with a large multi-line display is almost always faster to program. You can accomplish more line of data in one program job opposed to a register with a one or two line display it is one program for name, another for price, another for status, another for link, etc etc.

So one way or another you are going to pay for programming either with your time or with you money! Cash register dealers have to charge for their time or they won't be around long. No one would expect a professional CPA to install Quick Books for a couple hundred bucks just because quick books is cheap!

Part seven of how do I buy the right cash register for my business

Here is my question seven of ten from our series "Help me pick the right cash register for my business" Question number seven is"Do I need integrated credit card / gift card?"

In my humble opinion in almost 100% of the case if you take credit card and/or gift card in your business you should interface your cash register with the credit card payments. Why you may be asking since it can be expensive? There are three huge reasons why you want to interface and each one can and should make you more money.

1. Speed, your cashiers have fewer buttons to press and no waiting for a terminal to dial out or another cashier using the credit card machine
2. Reduced errors. Because the cash register and credit card are fully integrated the cashier does not have to re-enter the amount of the sale. They simply press the credit card button, swipe the card and the register gets the auth at high speed. No longer does the cashier have to get a subtotal from the register, move to the credit card terminal and key in the total and swipe the card. More often then you think a cashier will enter a $19.75 dollar sale in as $9.75 or $1.97 etc etc. The customer never seems to notice when it is in their favor. The cashier is not stealing they are just trying to be quick and make mistakes.When interfaced even if the cashier over-ride the amount the cash register will error until the entire amount is satisfied.
3. Reduced Theft. Cashiers will often not ring a credit card sale into the cash register and take out the cash from the register from another sale of the same amount that they did ring in. When interfaced the ONLY way to get an auth on a card is to have a sale rang in. Many merchants are being stolen from like this right now and they have no idea because your register will still balance if a thief is good and believe me some of them are that good!

Integrating a private label gift card is just as important. Most good merchant services companies will offer you a free gift card program when you process with them. That allows you to sell your own private label gift card instead of paper gift certificates. People us gift cards as real gifts far more often than paper certificates, they come in and spend more than the card quite often and often they don't use them and the beauty is YOU HOLD ALL THE MONEY not a credit card company!

So should you buy a cash register that has the ability to interface credit card and gift card YES you should!

Selecting a cash register question #6

So question number six that you should ask yourself when buying a new cash register is simple but very important. Do I need more than one machine in the store? It is simple of course however the answer drastically changes which machines you should be looking at. I'm approaching these answers as yes you need two registers or more in your store and what features you should be looking for in a register.

The number one feature you should be looking for in a cash register when you are going to have more than one register in your store is Inter-Register Communications otherwise known as IRC. With IRC you will be able to network your cash registers together for the purpose of a single program and consolidated reports.

A single program allows you to change prices once on one register and download it to the other machines in the network, which can save you a ton of time and possible errors. If you have a register system with IRC and computer interface you can change items/prices etc on the PC and the registers will distribute those changes via the IRC. If you use kitchen printers the registers will share the kitchen printer via IRC (with a few exceptions in lower end models). If you use interfaced credit card payments most registers will share the interface via the IRC.

Reports are made much easier with IRC as well. When you run reports on a register system with IRC you can do all your reporting at one register and it will use the IRC to collect data from the other registers and produce a consolidated sales report of all the registers as well as individual reports for each register again saving you a lot of time.

So when buying more than one register for a single store you will want to investigate IRC which most advanced SAM4s cash registers as well as mid level and advanced level Sharp cash registers include.

In the case where you can't cable for IRC in your space the feature that might be most important to you would be whether the register has a SD card port. Many newer registers include a SD card port that will allow you to back up, store, and transfer programming databases in most cases. Many of the registers with SD card ports will also allow you to download reports to the SD card and transfer to a PC. Another very important function is many machines with an SD card will allow you to upgrade the firmware of the register to the newest version!

To wrap this question up you should answer the following questions when buying multiple registers for the same store.

Question: Are my registers going to be programmed the same? Is it a medium to large program?

Answer is Yes: You should select a register with the IRC feature or SD card as a minimum.

Answer in No: Than IRC maybe not be useful to you at all unless you want to consolidate reports still?

Question: I'm I going to be sharing and peripheral devices like kitchen printer, kitchen video, or maybe credit card interface?

Answer is Yes: You will be much happier with your system if you get a system with IRC. In some of the options listed in this question you will have to have a register with IRC.

Answer is No: IRC maybe overkill unless you are looking at the programming/reporting issues addressed in the first question

Think it over before you make the purchase. If not having IRC cost you even 10 minutes a day than having IRC could save you an hour and ten minutes a week, four hours forty minutes a month or fifty six hours a year!

Help me find a cash register answer #5

This should be an easy question to tackle today. When selecting a cash register you will have a choice of keyboards. There are only two types of standard keyboards available for Sharp Cash Registers and SAM4s Cash Registers and they are the raised keyboard or the flat keyboard.

The raised keyboard is made of individual buttons also known as tactile keys much like a computer keyboard or most desk top calculators or desk phone. Where this keyboard is crucial is in an environment where you will be entering lots of characters whether prices, PLU numbers, UPC numbers etc. Raised keyboards are hands down FASTER when keying in numbers such as a price or 12 digit UPC number. If you are hand entering prices and you do any volume at all never buy a machine with a flat keyboard even if you are a food service outlet or retail. So simple rule, entering prices and/or UPC/PLU numbers raised keyboard EVERY TIME!

The flat keyboard also know as the restaurant style keyboard is a great keyboard for any scenario where you are using preset prices. A preset price is a button or location on a cash register keyboard that is pre-programmed to sell a specific item. This is the most popular method for restaurants with cash registers. For example maybe you have a row of buttons that you program for your hamburgers. Button one being Hamburger, button two is Cheese Burger, button three is Bacon Cheese Burger, etc etc. When the clerk wants to sell a cheese burger you press that button and it registers that item, instead of you entering $3.49 than the food button. No two ways about it this is far faster and you will have fewer errors. Want to tighten it up even further than add a kitchen printer but that is a topic for another post.

Slecting the right cash register question number 4 out of 10

Number four on my list of top ten questions to answer when looking at your next cash register is "Do I need a bar code scanner?"

Of the  top ten questions this is one of the easiest to answer. If you run a C-Store or Grocery store it's a no brainer yes you want to bar code scan. If you don't need to bar code scan read no further and just skip to question number five. If you are going to employ bar code scanning pay attention to the following list of additional questions or concerns

1. Make sure the register you are buying has enough standard memory or optional memory for your UPC file. Remember a UPC file can grow to 2000+ quickly. I have sent machines out the door with 20K UPC's so understand your needs and match it to the register plus an error factor.
2. How many expansion ports does your new register need? A bar code scanner takes a port, a credit card interface takes a port as does a scale, PC interface, coin changer, DVR interface etc etc. Standard registers only have 1 to 2 ports. Again understand your needs and match to a register
3. Do you plan to manage your UPC file directly on the register or via back office software. Hands down managing the UPC file from a PC in most every case is far easier than at the register. Some registers are easier than others but hard to compete with the PC interface. If PC interface what type? Directly via rs232? Ethernet? Internet? How many machines? This option opens the door to many challenges that must be overcome. Don't skip this over lightly and talk to someone about it that knows what they are doing.
4. What type of scanner do you want? Single line laser, cheap CCD single line? Laser Omni Directional? Hand Held or In Counter. Take the time to look at the options and understand what will work for you.
5. Back up plan. How will you back up your UPC file? If PC interface then that might be taken care of. What do you do if you manage UPC file directly on the register? Easy answer make sure you buy a register that has an on board port for backing up like SD card port or CF Port. All cash registers are not created equally.
6. Will you have multiple cash registers in the same store with the same UPC file requirements? If so you will want a register system with IRC (inter-register communications) or at least a SD of CF port so you can transfer program if not interfacing to a PC.
7. Remember if multiple registers and you interface to a PC the interface is between the PC and one register and the registers talk via IRC. It is rare that you would connect one PC directly to separate registers in the same store. Seek a pro here to make sure you get the right equipment.

OK the overall theme here, match your requirements to the equipment. Do not try to buy a tiny cheap register and want all the above requirements IT WON'T WORK!

You will find the higher end Sharp Cash Registers and many of the SAM4s Cash Registers will handle even the most challanging requirments.

Selecting the right cash register question number 3 out of 10

The third important question you need to answer in order to find the correct cash register for your business is "How many sales tax rates to I need to charge/track?"

Maybe it has not affected your local area yet however many cities, counties or States have multiple sales tax rates. In the county I work in we have one sales tax rate for retail goods and a higher sales tax rate for restaurants and bars. So in the case of the restaurant or bar that sells shirts or hats they must have a register that calculates two tax rates in the same sale. Grocery stores face the same task as ready to eat prepared food from the deli is one rate, taxable non-grocery is another and than of course the non-taxable grocery items and in my counties case it also differs on whether or not your business is on a public bus route. So first check with your local/State department of revenue regarding your sales tax rates.

Most SAM4s cash registers and Sharp models can handle 4 sales tax rates and we have not yet encountered a taxing problem we could not solve with one of those two cash register lines. I know there are many smaller consumer grade registers on the market that can only calculate one or two rates so be aware of your needs and the features of the register you are looking at.

We will be blogging more tomorrow about selecting the correct register for your business.

Help me pick a cash register question number two

OK still going into more detail regarding the top ten questions you need to answer when you buy a new cash register. Today I'm addressing question #2 "How many departments do I need?"

I often find many people I'm speaking to about buying a cash register have no idea what a department is much less how many they need. So first I think we should talk about what a department is and how are they used.

The primary function of the department is sales reporting. Also we need to look at groups and for the sake of this blog Departments and Groups are the same thing. There are cases where they are not but in this case they are! Sharp cash registers still use the term Department however SAM4s refers to them as groups. Department is the older cash register term and is still used in our shop.

On smaller cash registers where the cashier enters the amount of the item and presses a button on the register to make that sale that is entering the sale directly into the department. All cash registers have to have at least 1 department period! So on the smaller cash register we normally have the department buttons on the keyboard and cashiers make sales directly into them. Lets look at a small c-store that does not use bar code scanning and their departments may be as simple as the following

1. Taxable Grocery
2. Non Taxable Grocery
3. Cigs
4. Milk
5. Beer
6. Wine
7. Candy
8. Deli
9. Lotto
10. Misc

That is an example we see all the time. The cashier enters the amount of each item and presses one of the buttons to register the sale. That is selling directly into what is known as "Open Departments" Most cash registers can have 10 to 20 departments and some are capable of 99. Not all departments need to be physical buttons on the keyboard but we will cover that in bit. Departments almost always can be programmed with the following:

• Taxable or Non Taxable
• Open, Pre-set or both
• Name
• Sale or non sale item (means counts towards toward sales not ON SALE.)
• several other items not often used.

We also can use departments in more complex method which we normally run into when people are bar code scanning or a restaurant register with lots of pre-set menu items on the keyboard. Most people using their cash registers in any of these methods on a daily basis want to know their total sales per day, not that they sold 5 cheese burgers, 15 double cheese burgers etc etc. or for retail sold 25 snickers, 35 butter fingers etc etc what they want to see is how much Candy did they sell today, or how much in burgers did they sell. So in this case you will have menu items on the keyboard or PLU list or UPC's in the case of retail. Remember earlier I said every cash register must have at least one department? Here is where this all ties together. Every UPC or Menu item must be linked to a department. Yes even if you don't care about departments nor want them 99.9% of all cash registers require a department be linked to every UPC or menu item (PLU). In this case more often than not the department IS NOT ON THE KEYBOARD.

If we look a a fast food restaurant as an example. Lets say they have 120 menu items including burgers, sandwiches, drinks, ice cream etc. Lets say they have 12 different burgers but at the end of the day they don't want a report of 120 items. Each Burger PLU is linked to a department so in this example you may have the following departments

1. Burgers
2. Sandwiches
3. Sides
4. Drinks
5. Desert
6. Misc.

So every burger PLU is linked to the burger department and every time one is sold the burger department sales increase by that amount and quantity. Example today we sold 55 Hamburgers at $2.00 each,  75 cheese burgers for $3.00 each, 50 double cheese burgers for $4.00 each. Our sales report at the end of the day for burgers would be Quantity of 180 sales for $535.00 So see how that works? That is not to say you can't find out how many individual menu items were sold as you can but that is a different report and most places want that info once a week or month and some never!

So that is what a department is and yes you must have one. Sometimes people tell me I don't need any departments I only need a taxable button and a non-taxable button! What they need is two departments one taxable open, one non-taxable open!

Hope that helps!

Finding the right cash register question number one

Yesterday I blogged about ten important questions you need to answer in selecting a cash register for your business. Now we are going to go deeper into the questions and answers starting with question number one. Do I need a cash register with a receipt and journal?

Many people buying a cash register today have no idea what the journal is so lets address that. Back in the day all cash registers came with a two station printer or could use two ply paper. The two stations are made up by the receipt and the journal printers. The receipt of course is printed and fed to the exterior or the register for you to tear off and give to the customer. The journal is the second tape that also prints all the details of the sale but is rolled up inside the cash register and must be removed and stored time to time. Why does it do that you may be asking? Well a Journal Tape is also known as an audit tape allowing the owner/manager to audit the transactions one at a time if needed. That is not the same thing as a sales report. A sales report (X or Z) are totals for the entire day NOT a transaction by transaction audit of sales. The journal/audit tape does not really have anything to do with sales reporting but all about auditing. Why is that important you may be asking now? Well for a couple reasons is can be nice to have an audit tape. Let's say as the manager you are closing the register for the day, you take an X report and notice the report indicated you have about a thousand dollars more than normal in sales and you know that can't be the case. With the audit tape you could begin to investigate what happened at the register sale by sale until maybe you find a cashier made a sale for 100 items @ 10.00 each when they meant to be 10 @ $1.00 and rather than fix the mistake they just cashed out and started another transaction. With the audit tape you can find that and make the changes on your register before  "Z'ing" out! That is just one example of a journal tape use but I'm sure you can now see the possibilities. In my opinon I would always buy a machine with a journal printer in most cases. A journal or audit tape may seldom be used however when you do need one they are worth their weight in gold! They help you run your business with more security, make it faster to correct mistakes and possible to rebuild records after a catastrophic failure.

Modern machines will either have a receipt and journal or they will have a receipt and Electronic Journal (E/J) which is a topic for another day. An E/J is a very close substitute for a real journal but falls a little short in some cases.

In my 20+ years experience I have never come across a city or state law requiring you to have a journal, receipt yes journal no but always check your local laws and regs!

Selecting a Cash Register

When selecting a cash register there are a a minimum of ten important questions you should answer before beginning your search.

1. Do I need a receipt and journal?
2. How many departments do I need?
3. How many sales tax rates to I need to charge/track?
4. Do I want to use a bar code scanner?
5. What style keyboard do I want? Restaurant style flat or retail style raised?
6. Do I need one register or multiple?
7. Do I need integrated credit card / gift card?
8. Do I want to program on my own or have it done?
9. Do I need a commercial grade cash register or a consumer grade register?
10. Do I want to track inventory or just sales?

There are of course many more questions but answering the above will get you started in selecting the correct type of register. We will try to address each of these questions over the next couple weeks on the blog.

SAM4s SPS-500 series cash registers

The SAM4s SPS-500 series consist of 4 different models however the biggest difference is the keyboard. here is a list of the four models

• SAM4s SPS-520RT
• SAM4s SPS-520FT
• SAM4s SPS-530RT
• SAM4s SPS-530FT

All of the RT models feature Raised Keyboards designed for retail. The FT models feature flat restaurant style keyboard. The other difference is that the 520 line (520RT and 520FT) have a receipt and journal printer and the 530 line (530RT and 530FT) has just a single receipt printer.



SAM4s SPS-530RT Cash Register



SAM4s SPS-530FT Cash Register



SAM4s SPS-520FT Cash Register

 

SAM4s SPS-520RT Cash Register

 

Which is the best cash register make and model?

Are you looking for a cash register? Wondering who makes the best one? There are really only two good cash register makes in the United States now in the commercial grade category. They are the following

1. SAM4s Cash Registers
2. Sharp Cash Registers

Sharp can be a bit confusing because they offer both commercial grade registers and consumer grade models. I'm only talking about the commercial grade so please don't mistake my endorsement as favoring the XE models that Sharp makes. And consumer grade machine should be avoided unless you are a tiny store with very little volume and always owner operated!

Both SAM4s and Sharp make models that interface to credit card payments and gift cards. Both make bar code scanning machines and models with kitchen printers and touch screens.

Right now for the entry level cash register I think Sharp has a clear advantage with the ER-A247 and the ER-A347 models. Both have a unique PC interface as well as an interface tool to Quick Books that is included in the price. However in the higher end models I don't think anything can compare to the SAM4s SPS-530FT Cash Register right now which features a touch screen and a flat keyboard at a great price.

SAM4s SR-900 Series ash Registers

The SAM4s ER-900 series are all on sale at the cash register guys. Optional programming is available as well. Series includes the following models

• SAM4s ER-920 Cash Register
• SAM4s ER-925
• SAM4s ER-940 Register
• SAM4s ER-945

The 900 series is a versatile line up of registers. With flat keyboard or raised, single station printer or dual station printers for those that prefer a receipt and journal.

The Cash Register Guys can help you decide which model would be the best for you and whether you should add options like credit card interface or bar code scanning

Cash Register Credit Card Interface

Interfacing your credit card payments and your cash register is a hot topic however for some a confusing topic. The idea is simple and in fact the practice is simple. A few things to take into account is as of 2012 there is only one major player in making interfaces between cash registers and credit card payments. Please note I'm saying cash register payments NOT credit card terminals. This is one of the most often encountered stumbling blocks. With the exception of two models of registers the rest CAN NOT interface to traditional credit card terminals, however most modern models do interface to payments. Most modern commercial  grade registers use a device called a Datacap Twin Tran to basically turn the cash register into a credit card terminal. After the Datacap is installed all of the credit card task are done at the register, the swiping, the draft printing and the settlement. The process works great and it is fast and efficient.

Most people that contact us wish to connect their existing register to their existing standalone credit card terminal which in 99.9999% of the time is impossible. Having said that there are two cash registers from Sharp that do interface to a Hypercom Terminal breaking creating the first register to standalone terminal interface. This interface uses both units and passes the sales amount to the terminal and does require the user to use both machines to complete a transaction.

There are pros and cons with both methods however I think the Datacap has more pros. Here is a list as I see it.

Datacap Twin Tran

• Ease of use and fewest keystrokes = PRO eliminates double entry.
• Cost = CON The Datacap does cost more than a standalone terminal however often can be shared across many registers reducing the cost per register.
• Speed of transaction = PRO
• Scalable = PRO (not in every case but most)
• Secure = PRO

Standalone Terminal

• Ease of use and fewest keystrokes = CON requires using both machines
• Cost = PRO standalone terminal is less expensive.
• Speed of transaction = CON I think slower that the alternative.
• Scalable = CON (one to one in every case)
• Secure = PRO

Once you interface credit card payments with your cash register you will be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner. You will save time, have fewer errors and greatly reduce fraud. The Cash Register Guys are the Nation's experts at integrated payments call them at 1-800-863-2274 to see what your options are.

Best Price for the SAM4s SPS-520

The SAM4s SPS-530 cash register is the most advanced registers ever made. Here is a link for the Best Price on the SAM4s SPS-520 Cash Register from an autherized service and sales dealer. Buy from the pro's and you will not be sorry!

SAM4s SPS-520F Cash Register

Cash Register Help

There are several sites with free Cash Register help but sometimes you do need to face facts and reach out to the pros that can help you within a matter of minutes. Yes it is going to cost you a few bucks but also save you a lot of time and like most people I'm sure your time is valuable. One of the best places to call is the Cash Register Guys at 1-800-8633-2744 they have sold and supported cash registers all over the world.

Free SAM4s Cash Register

That's right  a free cash register is available from the Cash Register Guys. How does it work you may ask? Well pretty simple in fact. When you sign up for a merchant services account with Mercury Payment Systems and buy or rent the Datacap Twin Tran you will receive a free cash register. You only pay for the shipping. If you would like a complete turnkey system they offer the same deal but with complete custom programming and unlimited support. This plan cost $20.00 a month and includes a 3 year warranty as well! Check them out.

Cash Register Technology

If you are looking for a cash register you have a lot of great choices from SAM4s and Sharp. Both have models for retail stores, restaurants, bars, clubs and more. Whether you need bar code scanning or kitchen printing you will find several models in every price range. With todays modern technology you can also interface your cash register with a credit card terminal.

Sharp has released a register that also has a quick books transfer tool. Ten years ago it was nearly impossible and impractical to do something like that. Although cash registers still are not as advanced as computers they are evolving into incorporating more high ende features than ever seen before.

Sharp ER-A347 cash register interfaces with credit card terminal



Sharp ER-A347
interfaces with a
Hypercom Credit Card
Terminal

The Sharp ER-A347 cash register is the first I know of that can connect and interface with a standalone credit card terminal! Yes you read that correctly a standard credit card terminal. More specificly the Hypercom T4220 credit card terminal.

This secure interface will make you money because you will greatly reduce errors, speed up lines and more. Cash Register users have been looking for this feature for a very long time and Sharp is the first to do it. Not to mention this register is cutting edge and should be a great seller for years to come.

Process credit cards directly on your cash register

Interfacing a SAM4s or Sharp  cash register with credit card payments in most cases will require a Datacap TwinTran which connects to your cash register's serial port and to your Internet connect and optional phone line (for back up)

This turns your cash register into a credit card terminal reducing fraud and errors. Another advantage as if reducing errors and fraud were not enough it also speeds up your customer lines! It is a win win for the business owner, the cashier and the customer!



Datacap Twin Tran

The Datacap Twin Tran also processes Gift Cards as well. You can run your own private label gift card system like the big boys!

The Sharp ER-A420 cash register is an under-rated cash register. Simple and powerful while being very cost effective. This durable cash register has been a work horse of the Sharp line up for several years. If you want a tough machine designed for food service that won't let you down during the lunch rush than the ER-A420 is worth a another look.



Sharp ER-A420 Cash Register

Cash registers with interfaced credit card

Certain models of both Sharp and SAM4s cash registers can interface with credit card payments making your cash register much more secure. Cash Register Credit Card interface does require a 3rd party device call a Datacap TwinTran Credit Card interface. Some end users purchase the Datacap device and others receive it at not up front cost and a low monthly cost when they process credit card with Mercury Payment Systems who also offer a free gift card program to their customers. However you do it interfacing your cash register and credit card payments makes sense and makes you more money by eliminating many errors and reducing or eliminating fraud.

The SAM4s SPS-320 Cash Register now shipping

We have now installed several of each of the SAM4s SPS-300 series which consist of the following cash register models.

• SAM4s SPS-320
• SAM4s SPS-340
• SAM4s SPS-345

We have had great success with each install and they are all going very well. We will be deploying more this week and next. Pretty sure these registers are going to be a huge hit for SAM4s line up of cash registers.

The two new Sharp Cash Registers both are Cash Registers that interface to Quickbooks software. Yes they really do. Sharp has released them with what they call a Quickbook Transfer Tool. The register communicates to a computer with an SD card and from there into a programming/reporting tool that can be transferred to quickbooks. The two models are the ER-A247 and the ER-A347.



Sharp ER-A247 Cash Register