Key questions to ask before buying a POS machine

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Whether for retail outlets, restaurants or luxury boutiques, an efficient and reliable POS terminal has become an essential tool for modern business operations. Yet faced with the vast array of POS options on the market, how can merchants make an informed decision? And what aspects should they evaluate when assessing POS performance and payment provider service quality?

This article outlines several critical questions merchants must ask before purchasing a POS machine (aka. Card reader) and provides corresponding answers to help businesses avoid selecting the wrong equipment. It also explains why Silkpay stands as the ideal choice for merchants.

1. What payment methods are supported?

Key question:

Does the payment gateway you choose offer all needed payment methods in their POS terminal? Can it accept mobile payments? Does it support not only Visa, Mastercard or AMEX but also WeChat Pay, Alipay+ and UnionPay?

Why choose Silkpay:

Silkpay’s PAX A920 Pro POS solution covers all major payment methods, supports credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard, alongside globally accepted mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

For customers from Asia, Silkpay also supports WeChat Pay, Alipay+ (that includes 20+ major Asian e-wallets), helping merchants access a 1 billion customer base. This diverse payment integration enables merchants to serve both domestic and international customers, which improves payment convenience and customer satisfaction while providing robust support for business growth and international market expansion.

2. Is the hardware suitable for your business?

Key question:

Does the POS device meet the specific requirements of your industry? For instance, restaurants or cafes may require portable POS terminals for table-side payments, while small businesses might prefer mPOS solutions to reduce costs.

Why choose Silkpay:

Silkpay offers an extensive range of solutions that fits all types of businesses and budgets, from portable POS terminals to smartphone POS apps. 

Whether using a POS terminal or the mobile POS app, each option is designed to help merchants in their daily sales operations. 

Silkpay offers more than just traditional POS terminals, for merchants with lower budgets or those seeking flexible payment options, Silkpay provides several solutions:

• Silkpay app: No extra hardware is required. Merchants can use their mobile phone to accept payments from Alipay+, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay QR code.

• Printed QR Code: Merchants can display printed or digital Silkpay QR codes, which customers can scan using Alipay+, WeChat Pay, or other e-wallets to complete their payments.

3. Can it accommodate remote payment collection?

Key question:

Does the POS terminal support remote payment collection? Should the business expand into online operations, can the POS provide effective support to integrate online and offline payments?

Why choose Silkpay:

Silkpay's POS machine not only supports in-store payments but also enables remote collection features, such as sending payment links (PaybyLink) to customers regardless of their location. 

This allows merchants to expand their online operations without additional complex payment setups. Concurrently, Silkpay provides merchants with a unified backend system to manage both online and offline transactions, which improves merchants’ payment management efficiency.

4. Are customer service and technical support reliable?

Key question:

Is the POS terminal's technical configuration robust? Can timely, professional support be obtained when encountering technical issues or operational queries?

Why choose Silkpay:

Silkpay provides fully configured devices and an out-of-the-box POS solution, so merchants can commence operations without complex setup. We also provide comprehensive user guides, operation manuals, and video tutorials, and help with staff training so your team can learn to use the system quickly. 

Silkpay also offers customer support through online chat, phone and email. Our skilled technical team is always ready to quickly handle any problems, ensuring your business runs smoothly without interruptions or issues that affect your customers’ experience.

5. Does it offer business insights?

Key question:

Do the POS terminal and merchant backoffice provide transactions data or features such as order refund management ? Can merchants send PayByLink payment links directly to customers through the backend?

Why choose Silkpay:

Silkpay is not merely a payment tool but your intelligent business assistant. Through the Silkpay merchant backend, you can view and manage all orders in real time. Whether processing partial or full refunds, these can be completed directly via the POS terminal or backend.

Furthermore, the Silkpay backend supports multi-store management. Merchants can also process order refunds and send payment links to customers. 

6. Are the contract terms flexible?

Key question:

What is the contract duration? Is flexible upgrading or early termination permitted based on business needs? Can the contract terms adapt to changes in business development?

Why choose Silkpay:

Silkpay offers a flexible contract option, merchants can rent or purchase POS terminals without mandatory long-term commitments. This enables merchants to adjust service plans according to their business growth. 

As your operations expand, you can easily upgrade or change service packages to meet evolving needs. Whether opening new outlets, adding payment integration methods, or scaling services, Silkpay provides support for operational freedom and flexibility. This allows you to focus on business growth without contractual constraints.

Conclusion

Choosing the right POS terminal is an important step to improve how your business runs. By looking at the key points above, you can better find a POS solution that fits your business needs after checking payment options and technical support.

Silkpay not only offers POS machines that support a wide range of payment methods but also provides fast and comprehensive technical support for European merchants. Whether it’s handling omnichannel payments, managing multiple stores, or offering a variety of payment hardware options, Silkpay helps merchants improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experience, and drive steady business growth.

About the author: Silkpay

Based in Paris, Silkpay provides omnichannel and secure payment solutions to help physical stores and e-commerce in Europe and the Americas accept more than 30 of the world's most popular payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, CB, UnionPay, Alipay+, WeChat Pay as well as Asia-Pacific’s major e-wallets.

Silkpay is a winner of the LVMH Innovation Award. The company was also selected as a finalist for the "Money 20/20" Best Startup and in the "MPE Berlin” Startup Awards. Silkpay also won the "Best Fintech" awards from Capgemini and BPCE.

Silkpay helps merchants deliver the smoothest payment experience to their customers. We are a talented and international team driven by a single goal: to improve the customer experience and make payments simple and secure.