EPOS and POS glossary
Plain-English explanations of the words you'll come across when choosing a till, a kiosk or a card machine.
B
- Barcode scanner
- A device that reads product barcodes at the till, for fast, accurate checkouts with fewer errors. Popular with retailers. Learn more about Barcode scanner
C
- Caller ID
- A feature that fills in the caller's phone number on your till as the phone rings. With OnePlusTwo, repeat customers' names and addresses appear too. It works with VoIP phone lines and the Artech VR1 caller ID box. Learn more about Caller ID
- Chip & PIN
- A way of paying by card where the customer inserts their card and enters a PIN on the card machine. Learn more about Chip & PIN
- Cloud POS
- A point of sale system that stores your sales, menus and reports online rather than on one machine, so you can change menus and check sales from anywhere. Learn more about Cloud POS
- Collection display screen
- A screen that shows customers when their order is being prepared and when it's ready to collect, so they wait calmly instead of crowding the counter. Learn more about Collection display screen
- Contactless payment
- Paying by tapping a card, phone or watch on a card reader, without entering a PIN for most amounts. Learn more about Contactless payment
- Customer display screen
- A second screen facing the customer, so they can check their order as it's rung through. Learn more about Customer display screen
D
- Delivery app integration
- A connection that sends orders from delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat straight into your till and kitchen, so nothing needs re-typing. Learn more about Delivery app integration
- Digital signage
- Screens that show your menu, offers and specials, and are easy to update. Also called menu screens. Learn more about Digital signage
- Driver collection screen
- A screen that shows delivery drivers and couriers which orders are being prepared and which are ready to collect, so they don't crowd the counter. Learn more about Driver collection screen
E
- EPOS
- Short for electronic point of sale. Software and hardware that replace an old-style cash register, taking payments, tracking sales and stock, and keeping your data in one place in real time. Learn more about EPOS
H
- Handheld POS
- A portable till that staff carry around the venue, so they can take orders and payments at the table or in a queue. Learn more about Handheld POS
I
- Integrated card machine
- A card machine linked to your till, so the total is sent automatically and there's nothing to type in. OnePlusTwo works with Dojo, Viva.com, DNA Payments and Paynt. Learn more about Integrated card machine
K
- Kitchen display screen (KDS)
- A screen in the kitchen that shows orders in real time instead of printed tickets, sent to the right station, with changes and cancellations showing up instantly. Learn more about Kitchen display screen (KDS)
L
- Loyalty scheme
- A way to reward regular customers through your till, without paper stamp cards. Included in OnePlusTwo Essentials and Premium. Learn more about Loyalty scheme
M
O
- Online ordering website
- Your own branded website where customers order for collection or delivery and pay online, with orders going straight to your till and kitchen. Learn more about Online ordering website
P
- Pay by link
- Taking payment for a phone order by texting the customer a secure payment link, which they open and pay on their own phone. Included in OnePlusTwo Essentials and Premium. Learn more about Pay by link
- Point of sale (POS)
- The place, and the system, where a customer pays. In hospitality, a POS system also takes orders and sends them to the kitchen. Learn more about Point of sale (POS)
Q
- QR code table ordering
- Customers scan a QR code at their table to see the menu, order and pay on their own phone. Learn more about QR code table ordering
S
- Self-service kiosk
- A touchscreen where customers browse the menu, order and pay on their own, cutting queues and freeing up staff. Learn more about Self-service kiosk
- Split bill
- Dividing one bill between guests, by item or by guest, at the till. Learn more about Split bill
- Stock control
- Tracking stock levels as items sell, with alerts when it's time to reorder. Learn more about Stock control
T
- Table bookings
- Online reservations where guests choose a date, time, table area and table, with table status shown live from your restaurant. Learn more about Table bookings
- Tap to Pay via NFC
- Taking contactless payments using the till or tablet itself as the card reader, with no separate card machine. The Sunmi V3 Mix works this way. Learn more about Tap to Pay via NFC
- Thermal printer
- A fast printer that uses heat-sensitive paper for customer receipts and kitchen tickets. Most POS systems use 80mm paper rolls. Learn more about Thermal printer
- Till kit
- A complete set of POS hardware: the till, a receipt printer, a cash drawer and an integrated card machine. Learn more about Till kit
V
- VoIP
- Short for Voice over Internet Protocol. A phone line that runs over the internet instead of a traditional landline. OnePlusTwo caller ID works with VoIP lines. Learn more about VoIP
Still not sure what you need?
Book a free demo and we'll explain everything in plain English, with the setup we'd recommend.