Is a POS system the same as a cash register?

Not quite. A cash register records sales and holds cash. A POS system does that, and also knows your products and stock, prints an itemised receipt, keeps each cashier's shift and reports on all of it. Most modern POS systems are software on a computer or tablet with the drawer and printer attached, rather than a single closed machine.

Can a POS system work without internet?

It depends on the system. A desktop POS keeps everything on the till computer and works offline, but sharing data between branches is harder. A cloud POS needs the internet for some tasks, and a good one keeps selling when the line drops. Ask what keeps working during an outage, how many sales it can hold, and what happens when the connection returns.

What is the difference between 58 mm and 80 mm receipt printers?

The paper width. An 80 mm roll fits more characters on each line, which helps with long product names, sizes, colours and Arabic text. A 58 mm printer is smaller and cheaper and suits a short receipt. Both are thermal printers that need no ink. Check that the POS supports your width, and that the printer has a Windows driver if you print in Arabic.

Does a POS system issue Egyptian e-receipts?

Some do and some do not, so ask directly. If the Egyptian Tax Authority requires your business to issue e-receipts, the POS has to send each receipt to the authority's system, or you need a separate system that does. PointLit does not issue ETA e-receipts yet, so shops that must issue them keep their current system for that.

POS basics

What is a POS system, and what does a shop need?

A POS (point of sale) system is the software and hardware a shop uses to ring up sales, take payment and print receipts. Modern POS software also tracks stock, shifts, customers and reports. The hardware is usually a computer or tablet, a receipt printer, a barcode scanner and a cash drawer, plus a scale or label printer when needed.

Last updated: October 19, 2026

What does a POS system do?

At the counter, a POS system builds the bill. The cashier scans or taps each item, the price and tax come from the product list, and the customer pays by cash, card or a mix of the two. The system prints or sends a receipt and takes the items out of stock in the same moment.

Behind the counter, it is the shop's record. It knows what is in stock at each branch, which cashier sold what on which shift, how much cash should be in the drawer, and which products earn money. That is the real difference from an old cash register, which only adds up and holds cash: a POS system keeps the history that lets you run the shop from numbers instead of memory.

What are the parts of a POS system?

Software: the program the cashier and the owner use. It holds the products and prices, rings the sales and keeps the records.
A till computer or tablet: a Windows computer at the counter is the most common, and a tablet suits a small counter or a second till.
Receipt printer: a thermal printer for 58 mm or 80 mm rolls. It needs no ink, only thermal paper.
Barcode scanner: most behave like a keyboard, so the code is typed into the screen in a fraction of a second.
Cash drawer: usually plugged into the receipt printer, which tells it when to open.
Scale: for shops that sell goods by weight.
Label printer: for printing your own price and barcode labels.
Card terminal: usually supplied by your bank and separate from the POS. The cashier takes the card on the terminal and records the payment on the till.

Cloud or desktop POS: what is the difference?

A desktop POS is installed on one computer and keeps its data there. It works without the internet, but the data is only as safe as that computer and its backups, and following a second branch or checking sales from home is hard.

A cloud POS keeps the data on the provider's servers. You can see every branch from anywhere, updates arrive without a technician, and a broken till computer loses nothing. The trade-off is the internet. Before you choose, ask exactly what happens when the line drops in the middle of a shift. A good cloud POS keeps selling and sends the sales when the connection returns; a weak one stops the queue at the counter.

A common middle ground is an app on the till computer that works with data kept online, combining a fast counter with branches you can follow from anywhere.

What should you look for in a POS in Egypt?

Arabic everywhere: screens, reports and the printed receipt. Ask to see an Arabic receipt printed on the printer you will use, because many receipt printers cannot draw Arabic letters when they are sent raw printer commands.
Internet drops: ask what keeps working during an outage, what waits for the connection, and what you should avoid doing until it returns.
E-receipts: if the Egyptian Tax Authority requires your business to issue e-receipts, ask whether the POS issues them today, not on a roadmap.
VAT at 14% and prices in EGP, shown correctly on the receipt and in the reports.
Sizes and colours if you sell clothing or shoes, and transfers between branches if you run more than one.
Support in Arabic through a channel you will actually use, and a clear answer on how your data is backed up and how you can take it out.
Hardware: which printers, scanners and drawers the provider has tested.

How much hardware do you need to start?

Less than many people expect. A small shop can start with a computer or tablet it already owns, a thermal receipt printer and a barcode scanner. Add a cash drawer if you take a lot of cash, a scale if you sell by weight, and a label printer when you want your own barcode labels. If your receipts will be in Arabic, choose a printer that comes with a Windows driver, and buy hardware after you have chosen the software, not before.

How do you move from a notebook or Excel to a POS?

Clean up the product list: one line per product, with sizes and colours written the same way every time.
Decide on barcodes: use the maker's barcodes where they exist, and print your own labels for the rest.
Decide whether your prices include VAT, and apply that to every product.
Count the stock on the day you start, so the opening balance is right.
Train the cashiers on a quiet day before the first busy one.

How PointLit handles this

PointLit is POS and inventory software for independent shops, in Arabic and English. The till runs in a web browser, including on a tablet, or in the PointLit Windows app, which also drives 58 mm and 80 mm receipt printers, a cash drawer and a scale. Keyboard-style barcode scanners work with no setup. If the internet drops during a shift, the till keeps ringing cash and card sales, holds them in a queue and sends them when the line returns, as long as it stays open. From version 0.8.0, the Windows app prints Arabic receipts as one picture on a receipt printer installed in Windows; in a web browser they print through the print dialog, using the printer's Windows driver.

Questions and answers

Is a POS system the same as a cash register?: Not quite. A cash register records sales and holds cash. A POS system does that, and also knows your products and stock, prints an itemised receipt, keeps each cashier's shift and reports on all of it. Most modern POS systems are software on a computer or tablet with the drawer and printer attached, rather than a single closed machine.
Can a POS system work without internet?: It depends on the system. A desktop POS keeps everything on the till computer and works offline, but sharing data between branches is harder. A cloud POS needs the internet for some tasks, and a good one keeps selling when the line drops. Ask what keeps working during an outage, how many sales it can hold, and what happens when the connection returns.
What is the difference between 58 mm and 80 mm receipt printers?: The paper width. An 80 mm roll fits more characters on each line, which helps with long product names, sizes, colours and Arabic text. A 58 mm printer is smaller and cheaper and suits a short receipt. Both are thermal printers that need no ink. Check that the POS supports your width, and that the printer has a Windows driver if you print in Arabic.
Does a POS system issue Egyptian e-receipts?: Some do and some do not, so ask directly. If the Egyptian Tax Authority requires your business to issue e-receipts, the POS has to send each receipt to the authority's system, or you need a separate system that does. PointLit does not issue ETA e-receipts yet, so shops that must issue them keep their current system for that.

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