At the heart of any retail or hospitality business is its Point of Sale (POS) System, its main hub for transactions, inventory management, accounting, and so much more. But while many previously paper-based processes have been integrated and digitised within your POS system, many more still rely on paper-based POS consumables.
Businesses use POS consumables for anything from printing receipts to marking products as on sale in a supermarket or recording a customer's order for its kitchen staff. These are often vital processes for ensuring the business meets the needs of its customers.
What Are POS Consumables?
POS Consumables are the regularly used and replaced items consumed during the operation of a POS system. These items are often essential to the functioning of a business's POS system and generally include items such as receipt paper, label paper, printer ribbons and ink cassettes or rollers.
In a broader context, this could include items such as tickets or paper wristbands used as proof of purchase at many events or festivals. They remain essential to how these businesses operate and are involved in the transaction process.
Types of POS Consumables
While there are a variety of different POS consumables available, the most common can largely be grouped into three main categories.
POS Paper Rolls: Most often used for printing receipts or order tickets, POS systems often make use of a variety of paper rolls depending on their printing needs. These may include thermal paper rolls, bond paper or label papers at several lengths and widths, such as 57 X 30 EFTPOS Thermal Rolls for a Tyro mobile EFTPOS machine or 76 x 76 Kitchen Bond Paper Rolls for a kitchen printer.
Printer Ribbons or Ink Cartridges: Depending on whether a business is using a thermal printer (for thermal paper rolls), dot matrix printer (bond paper rolls) or alternative, they will require a consumable such as printer ribbon or ink cartridge to print text onto its associated paper.
Maintenance Kits: POS equipment may require maintenance over time. Printers and card readers may require cleaning to ensure continued use, and some portable devices may require batteries.
Items like paper wristbands or tickets at festivals largely fit into the paper and printer dynamic.
While there may be other consumables businesses use as part of their point-of-sale-related processes, they are often less fundamental to the POS system itself.
If you have any questions regarding what POS consumables your retail or hospitality business may need, how to source them or alternatives such as kitchen display systems, then contact Perth's POS specialists at 21st Century Business Equipment today!