Microsoft Point of Sale (POS) solutions enable small and mid-sized retailers to level the playing field in today's competitive retail environment. With unsurpassed ease-of-use, affordability and reliability, Microsoft Point of Sale is designed for retailers in dozens of verticals to help manage inventory, control cash, reduce costs and improve customer service. Microsoft Point of Sale solutions work with Microsoft Office and financial solutions such as QuickBooks and Microsoft Great Plains.

You offer customers something they can't get anywhere else: personalized service and unique products. But you still struggle to find the right balance of inventory, staffing, customer information, and business control to make your store as competitive as it should be. Microsoft Point of Sale helps you level the playing field in today's competitive retail environment by letting you easily automate point of sale, inventory management, reporting, and gain powerful insights to help you deliver superior customer service.

Overview
FAQ
Top 10 reasons to buy Microsoft POS
Success Stories
Compare with Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS)

OVERVIEW

WHAT IS MICROSOFT DYNAMICS POINT OF SALE?
Designed specifically for independent, single-store retailers, Microsoft Dynamics – Point of Sale streamlines inventory management and reporting, automates transaction processing start-to-finish, and makes it easy to track customer information and maintain detailed customer histories.

CONNECT RETAIL AND ACCOUNTING PROCESSES WITH AN END-TO-END SOLUTION
Manage both your front-office retail operations and back-office accounting with a true solution suite:
 

WORK EASILY WITH THE MICROSOFT OFFICE SYSTEM AND OTHER SOLUTIONS
Manage information efficiently across applications and formats.
 

AUTOMATE TRANSACTION PROCESSING START-TO-FINISH
Speed checkout processes and help ensure accuracy at the POS.

	Process transactions quickly with bar code scanning, custom POS buttons, and an easy-to-use cashier touch screen.
	Give sales associates an easy and quick way to check prices, inventory availability, and stock location.
	Quickly tailor screens to provide convenient shortcuts to the function keys or department keys that cashiers use most frequently. You can even personalize screen location for left-handed or right-handed cashiers.
	Help ensure fast, worry-free card payment transactions: Point of Sale gives you the flexibility to maintain your existing banking relationships or select a new one from a wide range of supported banks.
	Verify check payments real-time at POS with support from Mercury, a leading merchant services provider.

MANAGE AND TRACK INVENTORY EFFICIENTLY
Replenish top-selling items efficiently and get rid of slow-moving items so you can merchandise more effectively.
 

	View real-time inventory status such as quantity sold, on hand, on order, and more.
	Track serial-numbered items.
	Eliminate time-consuming, paper-based tracking and help reduce errors for records management.
	Set reorder points and restocking levels to help eliminate out-of-stocks and overstocks.
	Identify your best suppliers, negotiate the prices you want, and manage purchasing more efficiently with up-to-date vendor histories, detailed product information, and automated purchase orders.
	Receive inventory shipments at the register or in the back office.
	Track and pay bills for partial shipments with Microsoft Office Accounting or Intuit QuickBooks.
	Easily import existing inventory information from files.
	Create and print bar-code labels with a built-in designer.
	Export reports and purchase orders to Microsoft Office Excel, text, HTML, XML, or email messages.
	Use multiple employee security levels to track and control access and minimize shrinkage.

DELIVER PROFESSIONAL, PERSONALIZED SERVICE
Improve customer satisfaction, market more effectively, and expand your sales reach.
 

	Reduce customer wait time at the register by processing transactions quickly using bar-code scanning, custom buttons, and touch screen-ready controls.
	Provide customers with what they want through better insights into buying patterns, fast checkouts, and flexible payment options.
	Utilize multiple pricing structures for markups and discounts.
	Provide customer-specific pricing and special discounts for frequent shoppers with automatic pricing tools.
	Process credit and debit cards faster without card payment terminals and high transaction fees.
	Acquire new customers and build loyalty by offering gift cards through support from Mercury.
	Help ensure your store is "top of mind" for customers with custom receipts and bar-code labels displaying logos and promotional messages.
	Expand your reach into online sales by connecting Point of Sale with your website.
	Target customer preferences and create customer mailings based on buying preferences and purchase histories.
	Remind cashiers about up-sells and cross-sells so they can mention them during transactions.

ANALYZE DATA WITH FLEXIBLE REPORTING OPTIONS
Make confident decisions based on accurate insight.
 

MAINTAIN TIGHT CONTROL OVER INFORMATION AND IMPROVE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT
Help protect sensitive information, reduce shrinkage and fraud, and manage employees more effectively.

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FAQ

Q. I currently use a cash register to track my sales and store cash. Does Point of Sale work with my cash register or would I need to replace it?

Q. Other than the software, what additional equipment will I need to purchase?

Q. I have a PC that runs the Microsoft Office system and my accounting software. Can I use this computer, and will Point of Sale work with my software?

Q. How long will it take me to learn to use Point of Sale and to teach my employees to use it?

Q. How long will it take me to load my store information into Point of Sale?

Q. I have multiple registers in my store. Do I need to enter my inventory information once for each register?

Q. Can I customize the application?

Q. What types of reports are available within the application?

Q. What types of transactions can I perform at the POS?

Q. Can I integrate my current credit card processing system with Point of Sale?

Q. Do I have to accept credit or debit cards to use Point of Sale?

Q. I'd like to offer gift cards to my customers. Does Point of Sale support gift card programs?

Q. Can I verify checks using Point of Sale?

Q. Can the system automatically create purchase orders?

Q. Is there a limit to the number of items, customers, suppliers, and other data that I can input?

Q. How is the software licensed?

Q. What type of security is offered in Point of Sale?

Q. What kind of inventory tracking does Point of Sale feature?

Q. Will my customers notice anything different at the register?

Q. I want to improve our store's marketing campaigns. Can Point of Sale help?

Q: I currently use a cash register to track my sales and store cash. Does Point of Sale work with my cash register or would I need to replace it?

A: Point of Sale does not run on traditional cash registers. The application is installed on a Windows-based computer with point-of-sale peripherals attached via the available ports on the computer. (It does not run on Apple computers.) Cashiers or sales associates ring up orders and tender sales with Point of Sale, but the solution also does much more. Point of Sale helps you automate inventory and purchasing management, track and maintain detailed customer information, analyze sales information, connect with accounting…and that’s just the start!

Q: Other than the software, what additional equipment will I need to purchase?

A: Minimum requirements include a PC with a Pentium lll 1.2 GHz or faster processor, as well as a standard keyboard, mouse, monitor, and CD-ROM drive. Most point-of-sale (POS) registers using Point of Sale also have a standard 40-column receipt printer, a scanner to read barcodes, a cash drawer to store cash and various tenders, and a pole display to let the customers view and verify the item prices and transaction total.

Other hardware available for use with Point of Sale include full-page printers, magnetic stripe readers, magnetic ink character recognition readers, signature capture device, personal identification number (PIN) pads for accepting debit cards, touch screen monitors, and dual display monitors.

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Q: I have a PC that runs the Microsoft Office system and my accounting software. Can I use this computer, and will Point of Sale work with my other software?

A: Yes on both counts. Point of Sale integrates with Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Office Excel. For example, you can export working reports into Office Excel for further data analysis, or use Office Word to do a mail merge of customer information stored in your Point of Sale database for targeted marketing campaigns. You can also exchange sales and inventory information with Intuit QuickBooks if you are currently using it for accounting processes.

Q: How long will it take me to learn to use Point of Sale and to teach my employees to use it?

A: Based on reports from customers and Microsoft partners, it generally takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to train cashiers and employees. If they need to learn all the features of Point of Sale, it could take a day or two of working with the system to get a good feel for it. Point of Sale includes online tutorials and a "practice mode" option designed to help first-time users learn the system quickly.

Training time may also depend on whether you've used a POS system before. For example, if you are stepping up from using a manual cash register and paper ledgers, then it may take a little longer.

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Q: How long will it take me to load my store information into Point of Sale?

A: If you already have your inventory information in either Office Excel or an accounting package, you simply need to export that to an Office Excel compatible format and then import it into Point of Sale. If you currently store your information manually, then you will need to enter it, but you can do that either all at one time or as needed on an item by item basis.

Q: I have multiple registers in my store. Do I need to enter my inventory information once for each register?

A: No. You can have multiple registers connected and sharing the same data. A very typical configuration is to have the Point of Sale software running on each cash register and then have the Manager software running on a back office computer—all networked together using the same data.

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Q: Can I customize the application?

A: Yes. You can add custom buttons and images to the POS screen, display your store name and logo, and choose the graphics, fonts, and colors that work best for your business. You can also customize receipts and bar code labels to meet your individual requirements.

Q: What types of reports are available within the application?

A: Point of Sale offers customizable reports for sales, customers, taxes, orders, and more. Reports can be filtered, grouped, and sorted by any field in the report window. Also, columns can be hidden or displayed so that users see only the data that matters to them. Reports can be exported to Office Excel, email messages, HTML, XML, and other formats, too.

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Q: What types of transactions can I perform at the POS?

A: The POS application supports returns, voids, and regular sales.

Q: Can I integrate my current credit card processing system with Point of Sale?

A: In most cases, yes. Point of Sale gives you the flexibility to maintain your existing banking relationships or select a new one from a wide range of supported banks. Learn more about our merchant services.

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Q: Do I have to accept credit or debit cards to use Point of Sale?

A: No. Point of Sale also works with cash or check tenders and still provides full inventory tracking.

Q: I'd like to offer gift cards to my customers. Does Point of Sale support gift card programs?

A: Yes. If you choose Mercury as a merchant services provider, you can quickly enable gift card processing, set up a personalized program, and then issue, track, and redeem cards while working within Point of Sale. Learn more about our merchant processing services.

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Q: Can I verify checks using Point of Sale?

A: Yes. If you choose Mercury as a merchant services provider, you can verify checks at the point of sale using a magnetic ink check reader (MICR) and accept them as payment within Point of Sale. Learn more about our merchant processing services.

Q: Can the system automatically create purchase orders?

A: Point of Sale can automatically create purchase orders at a user's request based on reorder information or sales history. Users can also build their own purchase orders for specific departments, categories, suppliers, and other purposes.

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Q: Is there a limit to the number of items, customers, suppliers, and other data that I can input?

A: Point of Sale does not impose any limits on the number of items, customers, and other data entries. Provided there is enough disk space on the server, Point of Sale can support an unlimited number of data entries.

Q: How is the software licensed?

A: Point of Sale is licensed by number of active POS registers. Therefore, if a client has five computers in a store, with only three being used as active POS registers, only three licenses are required.

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Q: What type of security is offered in Point of Sale?

A: Point of Sale offers RoleTailored security. There are seven different levels of security that allow you to customize the security settings of your store. This RoleTailored security functionality allows you to control your cash, employees, and business better. For example, only those with Owner or Manager roles are able to log on and run the Point of Sale Manager program.

Q: What kind of inventory tracking does Point of Sale feature?

A: Among many other powerful features, Point of Sale uses automated inventory tracking. You can simplify manual stock counts with automated inventory tracking for both standard and serialized inventory types. You can also quickly and accurately calculate how much inventory you need to replenish.

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Q: Will my customers notice anything different at the register?

A: Yes. Your customers will be impressed with the level of detail and speed of check-out you'll now be able to provide them through Point of Sale. They'll get immediate access to detailed product information, personalized information about their previous purchases and payments, and account information.

With quick information about customers' buying histories at your fingertips, you'll be able to generate copies of old receipts and suggest relevant up-sells, sale items, and volume discounts. Plus, by providing all of your employees with standardized POS tools that offer the immediate access to detailed product information, you give your customers consistent and personalized information.

Q: I want to improve our store's marketing campaigns. Can Point of Sale help?

A: Yes. You can use Point of Sale to provide customer-specific pricing and special discounts for frequent shoppers. Use the data in Point of Sale to build a mail merge in Microsoft Office Word or Microsoft Office Excel for customer mailings and advertisements. Track your customers' purchase histories to learn their buying habits and deliver personalized service that will keep them coming back for more.

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TOP 10 REASONS TO BUY MICROSOFT POS

Single-store retailers, face the challenge of competing not only with big-box competitors, but also with other retailers who are already benefiting from store automation. At the same time, stepping up to a point of sale (POS) solution can seem just as daunting a challenge. Microsoft Dynamics – Point of Sale offers the best of both worlds—software that equips you to keep pace with the competition, designed to make the process of replacing your cash register and manual processes easy and affordable. Here are 10 ways Point of Sale can help single-store retailers transform the way they do business.

1. YOU CAN BEGIN SAVING VALUABLE TIME FROM THE START
For small retailers, ease of use is a must—you can't afford interruptions to daily business operations. Point of Sale is designed to help you run a more efficient store from the start, with intuitive, wizard-based installation, automatic installation for hardware devices, and easy import and setup for your sales and inventory data. You and your sales associates can learn to use the familiar, Microsoft Office-like interface in minutes. Even if you're new to using a POS system, you can simplify and speed training with online tutorials and the practice mode option. And with thirty days of unlimited free support and rich ongoing support options, you'll have the assurance that you'll get fast answers to questions and support that helps ensure your system runs smoothly.

2. YOU'LL REPLACE MANUAL, ERROR-PRONE INVENTORY AND PURCHASING TASKS WITH AUTOMATION THAT HELPS SAVE TIME AND MONEY, REDUCE SHRINKAGE, AND ENSURE EFFICIENT REPLENISHMENT
Effortlessly track inventory, view real-time inventory status, and set reorder points and restocking levels. Inventory shipments can be received at the register or in the back office, and you can track and pay bills for partial shipments with Intuit QuickBooks. You'll also have the power to manage purchasing more efficiently using up-to-date vendor histories, detailed product information, and automated purchase orders. As a result, you'll save time, reduce shrinkage, and make better decisions in ordering, buying, and pricing.

3. THE CUSTOMER CHECKOUT EXPERIENCE IS FAST, SMOOTH, AND PROFESSIONAL-INCREASING YOUR STORE'S PRODUCTIVITY AND YOUR CUSTOMERS' SATISFACTION
By replacing your cash register with automated transaction processing, you can deliver service that keeps pace with the competition. Cashiers work with a customizable touch screens with quick access to prices, inventory availability, and stock location. You'll be able to offer customers the flexible payment options they want through support from leading merchant services providers such as Mercury Payment Systems for debit and credit card processing, check payments that can be verified at the POS, and gift card programs. Every transaction can reflect a professional, personalized identity, with your store's name and logo displayed on screens and receipts.

4. YOUR FRONT AND BACK OFFICES WORK TOGETHER WITH A TRUE SOLUTION SUITE
Point of Sale can integrate with Intuit QuickBooks, making it easy to connect sales, inventory, and purchasing information with your back office accounting processes. Data entered once flows automatically across both solutions, saving you time and ensuring that all your business information is current and accurate. Without juggling applications, you can use Intuit QuickBooks to manage profitability with sales and financial reports, easily track and pay bills for partial shipments, create consolidated balance sheet and profit and loss statements, drill down to detailed inventory and sales information—and much more. Additional benefits include payment processing through PayPal, online invoicing, and eBay Marketplace support.

5. YOU CAN REACH MORE CUSTOMERS THROUGH ONLINE SALES CHANNELS
When you use Point of Sale with Intuit QuickBooks, you can reach a huge audience of potential customers by selling your products and services online through marketplaces such as eBay. You can conveniently list items, check listing status, download orders, and receive payments in real time. After an item sells, all transaction records, including commissions and fees, are downloaded directly into Intuit QuickBooks, making both accounting and order processing more efficient. You can also connect Point of Sale with your own website through third-party add-ons to provide online ordering for customers.

6. YOU CAN EXTEND THE REACH OF BUSINESS INFORMATION TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY
Put information to work—and take full advantage of the applications you already know and use—by exchanging information with Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office Outlook, including sales, purchase orders, and vendor information. Take the pain out of business communications by sharing reporting information with your customers, your accountants, and your suppliers in formats that include Office Excel, text, HTML, XML, or email. Point of Sale also works with Intuit QuickBooks to enable easy exchange of sales data and inventory receipts.

7. BY BETTER UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOU CAN DELIVER SERVICE THAT INCREASE SALES AND BUILD LOYALTY
Point of Sale helps ensure that you'll "know your customer" by empowering you to track and maintain detailed histories that cashiers can quickly access at the POS. You'll be able to offer customer-specific pricing and special discounts for frequent shoppers, as well as mention relevant cross-sells and up-sells during sales transactions.

8. DECISIONS ARE BUILT ON ACCURATE, REAL-TIME INFORMATION, RATER THAN ON GUT INSTINCT
Point of Sale gives you a complete view of your business with more than 30 interactive real-time reports, including best-selling items; most productive employees; and detailed sales history by cashier, department category, or supplier. Equipped with the right information, you can take action on sales trends, build wining campaigns and promotions, make smart decisions based on accurate evaluation of operations and financials, track results from sales and ad campaigns, and set and monitor business policies.

9. YOU CAN LEAVE THE STORE SITE KNOWING THAT YOU'RE STILL IN CHARGE
Point of Sale offers an accurate, real-time record of all sales transactions and inventory movement, so that you can track returns efficiently and help reduce shrinkage, false returns, credit card fraud, and unauthorized discounts. With user-based roles and tight security features, you can protect sensitive information and ensure employees work with the tasks and information appropriate to their job. An integrated time clock helps you track employee actions and hours at the POS. The result? Control that gives you peace of mind and reduces your need to be on site at all times.

10. POINT OF SALE IS DESIGNED TO BE AFFORDABLE
Point of Sale works with your existing computers and a wide range of OPOS (OLE for POS) peripherals, helping you minimize cost and effort. If you need both hardware and software, it's also easy to get up and running quickly with a total solution that includes a
retail-ready PC, POS peripherals, and Point of Sale.

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