Many convenience stores have used a traditional cash register since opening up shop. You don’t want to overcomplicate your store with confusing (and expensive) technology… but is a simple cash register enough for today’s convenience stores?
Modern businesses need modern convenience store registers to manage various functions like inventory management, transaction processing, and employee time management. But how can you find a register and point of sale (POS) system that accomplishes all of this without breaking the bank?
This article compares five top convenience store registers, their functions, and how each might be a specific fit for your convenience store, so you can choose the best option to support your business needs.
5 Top Convenience Store Registers
A solid transaction system like a cash register is the backbone of any convenience store. From ringing up sales to verifying ages for restricted items, your point of sale solution handles some of your business's most essential tasks. As you upgrade, consider traditional cash registers and advanced POS systems.
So, what’s the difference between a cash register and a complete point of sale system? Basic cash registers record transactions, store cash, and print receipts. This approach works for small stores, but as your business and inventory needs grow, you may struggle to manage your store without the help of modern technology like advanced inventory management and analytics tools. A modern POS system edges out old-school registers with features like tighter inventory oversight, detailed sales data, and built-in loyalty programs.
Related Read: Convenience Store Buyer’s Guide
When evaluating registers and POS systems, there are a few features you should keep an eye on — like robust reporting and inventory management. You need visibility into what products sell best to optimize stock levels. Built-in payment processing is essential, too. Think beyond cash payments and select a solution that allows you to select credit, debit, and mobile payments like Apple Pay.
Though a POS system costs more than a basic cash register up front, the features and capabilities can end up saving you a lot more money in the long run. Strong analytics can help drive better decision-making, customer loyalty programs will help win repeat business, and automated dual pricing can help offset your credit card processing fees.
With these insights in mind, let’s explore our list of the five top options for point of sale hardware like convenience store registers!
1. Clover
Clover Station Solo is an all-in-one point of sale solution designed to handle payments, operations, and management. While not explicitly made for convenience stores, Clover Station Solo offers solid hardware and software for managing transactions, inventory, staffing, and more. Its monthly fees are only available via custom quote though, so it's an excellent fully-integrated option if you want sleek hardware and need those management capabilities.
Key features:
- Sales, promotions, inventory management, and reporting
- Chip and swipe payments
- Receipt printer and cash drawer
- Staff management and communication
- Security features like end-to-end encryption
Pricing: The Station Duo register starts at $1,649.
2. Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed Retail is a robust POS system focused on inventory management, omnichannel sales, and advanced reporting. Since Lightspeed Retail has a heavy emphasis on online stores and omnichannel capabilities, it may not be the best choice for convenience stores without an e-commerce presence. However, the inventory tools and loyalty features could still prove useful for convenience stores looking to track stock across locations.
Key features:
- Age verification
- Special order tracking
- Inventory management across locations
- Automated reordering
- Customer loyalty programs
- Strong e-commerce integration
Pricing: Lightspeed charges between $79 and $239 per register per month, depending on your specific needs.
3. National Retail Solutions
National Retail Solutions (NRS) offers a point of sale system tailored to small businesses like convenience stores. Independent convenience stores or small chains may consider NRS as an affordable POS system with useful features like promotions, quick checkout, label printing, and vendor tracking — but large chains may need a more full-featured system.
Key features:
- Customized promotions
- Quick checkout buttons
- Vendor management
- Custom label printing
- Annual hardware rental model
- Additional monthly software fee
Pricing: NRS charges a $699 annual hardware rental, plus $29.95 per month for software.
4. POS Nation
POS Nation offers POS solutions tailored to small businesses including liquor stores, grocery shops and markets, and convenience stores. Flexible pricing makes their systems accessible for most store budgets. With commercial-grade hardware, specialized software, training, support, and processing all in one bundle, POS Nation’s solution gives you everything you need to run your c-store smoothly.
Key features:
- Lottery ticket sales
- Age verification
- Various payment types like mobile and EBT
- Dual pricing options
- Scan data reporting
- Employee management tools
Pricing: You can get a custom quote online using POS Nation’s pricing tool.
5. C-Store POS
C-Store POS offers specialized convenience store POS solutions made for small businesses like yours. Since C-Store POS focuses directly on the needs of small convenience stores, our solution offers all the features you need to run your store smoothly. The ability to handle lottery sales, age-restricted sales, case break inventory, and different payment types makes our system an ideal solution for c-stores.
Key features:
- Specializes in small convenience stores
- Lottery ticket sales
- Age verification
- Payment options like mobile and EBT
- Dual pricing capabilities
- Case break inventory
- Unlimited product database
- Scan data reporting
- Employee management
- Support for high-risk retail
Pricing: Get a custom quote online using our transparent build and price tool!
Choosing the Right Convenience Store Register for Your Store
An upgraded register and POS solution can revolutionize operations in your convenience store and help you keep customers happy, turn more profits, and grow your business. The five solutions listed in this post all offer features and functionality that can benefit your business.
However, no solution is the right fit for every store.
If you want a point of sale solution designed specifically for convenience stores, C-Store POS might be your solution.
C-Store POS offers key features like flexible payments, integrated dual pricing, and advanced inventory management, giving you everything you need to run your convenience store more efficiently. Schedule a demo of C-Store POS today.
