We’ve all seen at least one cash register if we don’t use it. Cash registers are an integral part of retail businesses and most cannot operate without one. Invented by James Ritty after the Civil War out of necessity for the operation of his salon. His main goal was to prevent employees from stealing money and he came up with the idea after seeing a tool that counted the revolutions of steamship propellers. Patented in 1883, the cash register soon took on a life of its own and, after being sold several times, it finally settled into what it is today.

Today, the cash register does not require a nail to break while pressing huge buttons that were known to get stuck and cause all kinds of problems. There are no longer number tabs popping up to show you how much is being dialed, instead most of the records are computerized. Computer cash registers are available in many forms today and can consist of a simple program that runs on your desktop computer that uses an interface like a normal cash register for full point systems that come complete with code readers. bars, a receipt printer. POS registers are what most of us are familiar with today as all the big retailers use them.

Computer cash registers or pos cash registers are very advanced and will do everything from recording customer purchases to doing their taxes. Many of the systems will come with a program that keeps track of your inventory, saving you time and money by streamlining the process and not having to do a physical inventory. Don’t forget options like barcode scanners and laser receipt printers to help keep your business running smoothly.

Touchscreen cash registers are the first choice among restaurants and grocery stores. These logs will display menu options and options that will make ordering faster with just a tap of the screen. Restaurant cash registers are designed so that the kitchen receives the order when the waiters enter it into the computer so they can start preparing right away. This makes for a much more efficient restaurant. Many of these point of sale systems also come with age verification software that is useful for those in the bar business. These registries also allow unique user identifications that keep track of each person using the registry, their orders, and their sales. Most can download their business for that day or week into tax programs like Quick-books.

The importance of cash register tape may seem small, but it is an important addition to any system and should be considered before purchase. Today, most registration systems and credit card machines use thermal paper for receipts. This paper requires special thermal printers that burn the image onto the paper. Laser printers are also used and they also have their own special kind of receipt paper. These types of printers do not require ink, which is less expensive because in the long run the ink will cost you a fortune, but they are much more expensive from the beginning than the usual paper receipt printers.

Below is a list of records and prices you can expect to pay:

• Standard 8 department electronic cash register (recommended for small businesses) starting at around $ 100 – These cash registers are very basic, but for the small retailer they are perfect – They use standard paper for receipt printing
• Standard 40-99 department electronic cash register (recommended for small and medium businesses) $ 200- $ 350 – same considerations as above register
• Touchscreen Cash Register (varies by size and packages / options, recommended for restaurants and bars) $ 500- $ 2500 – These cash registers will almost always be used with thermal or laser receipt printers
• POS Systems (varies by size and options) $ 1500- $ 3200 – Most often used with laser or thermal printers.