What is a point of sale (POS)?
Updated: October 13, 2026
A point of sale (POS) is the system where you record every sale, take payment and close the day's register. A modern POS usually goes further: it deducts inventory and issues the electronic document with Hacienda.
What a POS is, in plain words
A POS is the system you use to take payment and record every sale in the business. That is where the counter, the day's register and the record of what you sold live.
POS comes from point of sale. It can run on a computer, a tablet or a phone — from the browser, with nothing to install. What matters is not the device, but that every sale is recorded where it belongs.
What a POS solves in your business
A POS brings order to the counter's day: you take payment the way you want, the register squares with its count and stock stays up to date.
- Payments: cash, card, SINPE Móvil, transfer and digital payments with ONVO — combined in a single sale.
- Register: opening with a starting float, the day's movements and closing with a count: the system compares what was counted with what was expected.
- Inventory: every sale deducts stock instantly and a refund adds it back.
- Electronic document: every sale issues its document with Hacienda, with no separate system.
- Receipts: reprintable and numbered; if one is lost, it comes out the same from the sale's history.
- Reports: sales for the day, the month and the year, closings by branch and by person, and the products that move the most.
When do you need one?
You need a POS when taking payment stops fitting in your head and in the notebook: several people take payment, stock does not add up or you want to know how the day is going without adding it up by hand.
Signs that it is time:
- Two or more people take payment and at the end of the day nobody knows how much should be in the register.
- Sales are written down by hand and the count is done with a calculator.
- The system's stock does not match what is on the shelf.
- You want to accept SINPE Móvil, card or dollars — with no calculator and no change mistakes.
- You want to issue e-invoices with no separate system.
- You have more than one branch and cannot compare how each one is doing.
What to look at when choosing a POS
When choosing a POS, look at what you will use every day: payments, register, inventory and invoicing — and that it works with the devices you already have.
- Payment methods: that it accepts the ones you use and that they can be combined in a single sale.
- Register: opening, movements and closing with a count, with history.
- Inventory: automatic deduction per sale and refunds that add it back.
- Invoicing: electronic documents straight from the sale, with status verification.
- Printing: connection to a thermal printer (ESC/POS, USB or network) — and a browser fallback if you would rather not install the agent.
- Dollars: exchange rate referenced to the BCCR and change calculated.
- Branches: one account with each branch's register, stock and reports.
- Support: someone who answers you in Spanish when you need it.
In short
A POS is where you record every sale, take payment and close the register. Chosen well, it also keeps your inventory up to date and your e-invoicing with no separate system. If your operation asks for more pieces — clients, appointments, logistics — a complete POS adds them when you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Is a POS the same as a cash register?
No: a cash register is a device to hold the money and print tickets. A POS is the system that records every sale, calculates change, deducts inventory and leaves the day's closing.
Do I need to install anything?
No: you go in from the browser. To print with your thermal printer, the print agent is installed on the register’s computer — and if you would rather not install it, the browser prints the receipt just the same.
Does it work if my business sells services?
Yes: whether you sell products, services or both, Fluidty adapts to your operation. You turn on the pieces you use and add the rest when you need them.
Ready to see it working with your data? Request your demo · Point of sale