I’m not really sure that this board is the right place to ask about this, but I need some help finding one that will fit my needs.
I’m looking for a cash register that has a barcode scanner. It also has to be programmable from a computer input; that is, I would like to be able to enter in the item names and taxes into a computer and then transfer that over to the cash register. It also has to be able to output to a computer. I don’t really care what format it outputs in - I just don’t want to have to do everything on the cash register. This is for a convenience store, so there are tons of different items, with some of the stock constantly changing. This is why manually inputting everything directly to the cash register is just not an option. Do you guys know if such a register exists and where I can find it?
Yup, there’s quite a few models that will do just that. Your best bet is going to be to go to a cash register store and tell them what you want and see what they say.
BTW you’ll be looking at about $8,000-$10,000 per register to get up and running (including programming and training).
$8000?! Okay, that’s a big chunk of change. I’ve also thought that maybe I can make one out of an old laptop and a drawer. I’d need some way to get the cash drawer to work though.
I’m sorry, I’m still choking over the $8000. Why is it so expensive? I can get a tablet PC, program that to take touch inputs like the grocery store, and it woudn’t cost even a quarter of that.
And make sure that your system saves its data in a clearly-defined externally-accessible format that doesn’t require one specific program to interpret it. I’ve heard more problems about businesses being stuck with unreadable proprietary-format archives when their equipment’s sole suppplier goes under… or chooses to discontinue support.
Some (maybe most!) computer magazines (PC Magazine and/or PC World, particularly) have an advertising section in back that tends to feature pages of companies selling POS terminals and cash register systems. Aside from the hardware, they’ve got software packages that can be readily tailored to the business. Just keep an eye on the max number of SKUs it can hande. A hair salon might have a dozen (perm, cut, tint, wash) whereas you’ll have hundreds or thousands.
I’m starting to rethink this cash register purchase. $8-10k is just way, way too much.
Here’s another question: what’s the best way to advertise for people to work the 8PM-2AM shift at a convenience store? Preferably non-shady people, because the ones who work there now are more than a little shady. Plus they’re terrible workers. It’s in a college town, but college students don’t seem to want to work that late.
SKU = Stock Control Unit, right? If so, where do they get the K from?
You could go with something like RadioShack uses for their cash drawer. It uses a finger operated mechanical “combination” to open. It’s not connected to the register system at all. It sits under a counter.
Then the computer + drawer would be relatively easy to pull off. I’d imagine that there are plenty of POS w/scanner PC based setups for you to use. My local home brew shop operates his POS system off a computer that’s connected to his network, and it’s nothing fancy.
That would be good, except that 95% of the transactions made at the convenience store are in cash, so having to constantly dial in that combination over and over would be a real pain. Plus, I’d like to have a record of every time the cash drawer was opened. I think I could rig one up by just outputting a trigger from the computer to the drawer, but I’d much rather have something professional.
IIRC, it isn’t a pain at RadioShack (they still use that mechanism???)
When you reach for the front of the drawer, you put your four fingers below the drawer and hook your fingers on a set of levers that are right there. The “combination” is simply which levers you should depress together to get the drawer to open, I guess allowing 16 combinations if there is one lever per finger. Its purpose is not to protect the cash against safecrackers; it is intended to keep some customer from reaching over and pulling the drawer open while the clerk is helping someone else in back. If you don’t depress the right levers, the action of yanking on the drawer rings a loud bell, like a desk bell.
I never actually saw the device, but my friend behind the counter described it as such.
Ah. Thank you!
Hmm… that’s interesting. I’m not sure if it’s quite what I’m looking for though, although it’s better than the combination lock I was imagining.
Where do I buy cash registers from? I googled for cash register in my area and there seem to be some office supply companies around - would that qualify as a cash register store?
Okay, I think I’ve decided on a plan of action. Thanks for all your help. If I do end up making a home made cash register, I’ll be sure to post pictures for your viewing entertainment. Hopefully it won’t come to that, though. Thanks again!
Ah… missed the type of retail establishment… sorry. I tried! 
Since you’re opening a (hopefully) high volume store, I’d say that the extra $ for a “proper” system might make sense in the long run. If I were setting up such a business, I’d find the register I wanted, then call the manufacturer and ask them for the most local dealer. I’d probably try to find out if there was a 2nd choice that you’d like to get too… I’d imagine that with cash register systems, you’d want a good support system in place (unless you’re a POS whiz, and a computer whiz). This is the one piece of equipment that will handle the most important parts of your business! THE SALE! & THE MONEY!
minor7flat5 perfect description… I never had a problem with it, but some folks are not so clever… :rolleyes: if you know what I mean… (5 years, 4 regular stores, at least 4 more as a “guest/fill-in salesman”) You could always tell the guys that were the local idiot… they couldn’t work the drawer of their own store.
d’oh, totally forgot about this, I have no idea at all what it’s capabilities are, but it’s something you may want to look into.
I should mention that my earlier number was based on one quote I had. I went to one place told them what I wanted and they quoted me something like $8,000 per register (we wanted 2) plus a few thousand for programming training etc… That number just about knocked me over and I didn’t get any more quotes from anyone, so it may be considerably less. We ended up just buying another set of $200 registers. But now that I think about it, maybe I’ll have to look into the Quicken registers, I compleatly forgot about them until now.
It cost us over $25K for two registers, scanners, cc/micr readers and the POS software to run a $1M store.