What Is a Hospitality POS System?

Modern hospitality POS systems do more than process payments. They connect customer ordering, kitchens, stock, reporting and business management.

What do POS and EPOS mean?

POS stands for Point of Sale, while EPOS stands for Electronic Point of Sale. In modern hospitality, the terms POS and EPOS are often used interchangeably to describe technology that processes transactions and supports wider business operations.

How does a hospitality POS system work?

A hospitality POS system captures an order or sale and processes the payment. It then shares the transaction information with connected parts of the business.

When a team member enters a restaurant order, the POS system can send the relevant items directly to the kitchen. It can also update stock records and save the sale within its reporting software.

Orders can also come from self-service kiosks, handheld devices, online ordering platforms or order-at-table solutions. An integrated hospitality POS system brings these ordering channels together. This helps teams manage service and business information through one connected platform.

What is hospitality POS software used for?

Hospitality POS software manages transactions and connects the processes used to serve customers. Features vary between providers and system configurations. A modern hospitality POS system can support:

• Order and payment processing across tills, handheld devices and digital ordering channels.
• Menu and product management, including prices, promotions and allergen information.
• Kitchen communication through connected printers or kitchen display systems.
• Stock control and inventory updates based on recorded sales.
• Real-time reporting across sales, products, staff and locations.
• Customer loyalty, gift cards, vouchers and targeted promotions.
• Multi-site management through centralised back-office software.

What are the benefits of a hospitality POS system?

A hospitality POS system can improve service speed, order accuracy and visibility across the business. It does this by connecting orders, payments and business data. A connected system also reduces the need to enter the same information on separate platforms. This helps teams work efficiently and make decisions using accurate, up-to-date information.

Hospitality POS systems can also support business growth. A scalable platform can add new locations, ordering channels, integrations and customer-facing technology. This means an operator does not need to replace the entire system as its requirements change.

What should a hospitality business look for in a POS system?

A hospitality business should choose a POS system that matches its service model, needs and plans for growth. The system should support daily trading reliably. It should also be straightforward for staff to use.

• The POS system should match the business’s service model. This may include counter service, table service, takeaway or delivery.
• Reliable hardware and offline features should help the business keep trading during problems.
• The system should be easy for new and existing staff to use.
• Useful integrations should connect payments, accounting, loyalty, delivery and other essential tools.
• Reports should provide clear, timely information about sales, stock and performance.
• Multi-site features should provide central control and consistent information across locations.
• Training and support should be available during the business’s operating hours.
• Pricing should clearly cover software, hardware, support, installation and extra fees.

How does WRS support hospitality businesses?

WRS provides connected POS systems for hospitality businesses ranging from individual venues to national, multi-site operators. The WRS platform can connect point of sale, payments, kitchen technology, customer ordering, stock control, reporting and third-party integrations within one operational system.

WRS also provides implementation, staff training and UK-based support seven days a week. Hospitality operators including Costa Coffee, itsu, Dunkin’ and Cornish Bakery use WRS technology across their businesses.