Does your liquor store's checkout process seem more hassle than help?
Old, clunky POS systems make checkout tedious and cause inventory headaches worse than a hangover. But the right hardware can turn things around, giving you smooth, quick transactions, accurate stock tracking, and happier customers.
This blog will guide you through five essential POS hardware tools to help your liquor store run as smoothly as a nicely aged scotch. Let's dive in!
What Are Liquor Store POS Hardware Essentials?
Let’s not beat around the bush: the right point of sale hardware is critical to your business. But what is liquor store POS hardware, and what makes it essential?
POS hardware refers to the physical components that work with your POS software to facilitate transactions, manage inventory, and streamline your daily operations. These components are essential for ringing up sales, accepting payments, and keeping your business running like a well-oiled machine.
We’ll discuss some of the top providers of POS hardware you can partner with for your liquor store, but first, let’s explore the critical components every liquor store needs from their point of sale system.
1. Touch PC
Also known as a touchscreen POS, this hardware is a variation of a desktop computer with a touchscreen monitor. It lets you and your staff tap the screen to complete transactions and access POS features and back-office functionality. Touch PCs are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for your staff to navigate the system and process sales quickly.
2. Barcode scanner
This wired or wireless device reads the printed barcodes on your products. It helps you quickly and accurately ring up items and manage your inventory. Barcode scanners eliminate the need for manual entry, reducing the risk of human error and speeding up the checkout process.
3. Receipt printer
Your receipt printer is an integrated printer that gives customers a paper record of their completed purchases. This hardware is often available in various types, such as thermal or impact printers, to suit your specific needs.
4. Cash drawer
A cash drawer is, simply, a metal drawer used to secure your store’s cash. Even as technology advances, a cash drawer remains a staple component of POS hardware for many retailers. Cash drawers help you maintain organized and accurate cash management, reducing the risk of errors or theft.
5. Pinpad
Your pinpad allows you to accept credit or debit card payments in-store electronically. As the cash drawer is critical for processing cash payments, your pinpad is essential for processing non-cash transactions. PIN pads encrypt sensitive customer information, protecting your business and customers from fraud. They also let you accept a wider range of payment options, making it more convenient for your customers to make purchases.
Now that you know the five essential components of liquor store POS hardware, let's look at some of the best options available on the market.
Related Read: Get the Liquor Inventory Management Guide
BottlePOS
BottlePOS offers an all-in-one point of sale solution designed for liquor stores. Our POS terminals provide quick and accurate transactions, and our barcode scanners help you with smooth checkout and error-free inventory management. Every piece of hardware integrates to create a complete system that streamlines your workflow, making BottlePOS a smart, reliable choice for liquor stores.
We provide a comprehensive hardware bundle refined based on our extensive experience working exclusively with liquor store owners like you. This bundle includes all the essential components you need to run and scale your business.
BottlePOS also offers a range of popular add-on devices designed to further improve your store's operations.
These include:
- Label printers: Fulfill various labeling needs, such as creating customer barcodes for one-off inventory, printing shelf labels, and handling miscellaneous business requirements.
- Customer displays: Engage your customers with a customizable touchscreen that faces them during transactions, allowing for customer inputs, advertising, and transaction progress tracking.
- Wireless pinpad: A wireless pinpad allows you to accept payments anywhere in your store and offers the same capabilities as a traditional wired version.
- Surveillance camera: Enhance your store's security and monitor activity even when you're not present with a real-time surveillance camera feed.
Pricing: Get a custom quote for your perfect hardware and software bundle using our transparent build and price tool.
“... A POS system that’s just solely for a liquor store has been a godsend to me… Exploring Bottle POS was like ‘holy cow, this thing is so simple to use,’ it was a no-brainer.” –Bottle POS Customer
KORONA POS
KORONA POS offers robust hardware solutions tailored to retailers in various industries, including liquor stores. With intuitive touchscreen POS terminals, efficient barcode scanners, and high-speed receipt printers, KORONA POS ensures smooth transactions and accurate inventory management.
With full POS hardware integrations, KORONA POS software integrates with just about every hardware solution, giving you the option to keep any existing hardware or buy your own preferences.
KORONA POS provides a wide range of hardware options to suit your business needs:
- Tablets: Utilize mobile tablets to quickly open up new lanes during busy times, keeping your customers happy and minimizing wait times.
- Ticket scanners: Ensure speedy and accurate ticketing admissions or inventory counts with reliable handheld barcode scanners.
- Credit card readers: Securely accept various modern card payments from your customers through trustworthy credit card machines.
Pricing:
Contact KORONA POS sales for a customized quote based on your specific needs for hardware setup.
KORONA POS software subscriptions start at $59 per month, with various plans available to suit your business requirements.
“KORONA makes it so easy to manage my business remotely. I can easily update pricing, enter stock receipts, and view all my sales data from the website. All the POS features are customizable based on your business and the reporting is pretty endless.” –KORONA POS Customer
Square POS
Square POS provides various hardware solutions to simplify and enhance your retail operations. Their sleek, modern touchscreen terminals make transactions quick and accurate, while contactless card readers and barcode scanners ensure efficient and secure payment processing.
Related Read: Essential Payment Processing Hardware for Independent Retailers
Square offers a variety of hardware options to suit your business needs.
A few of their hardware packages and options include:
- Square Register: A complete point of sale system with two user-friendly displays, easy-to-use software options, and built-in payments.
- Square Stand: An easy-to-use iPad point of sale with an intuitive checkout flow, integrated chip, and contactless payments. It is compatible with USB-C iPads and other similar devices.
- Square Reader for contactless and chip: A popular choice for solopreneurs, the Square Reader offers a simple way to accept contactless and card payments with long battery life, enhanced connectivity, and security.
Pricing:
For liquor stores, Square offers a retail kit that starts at $1,959, which includes a complete POS system with hand-selected accessories for your business.
In terms of software subscription, Square POS offers a free plan and charges per transaction, making it an affordable option for businesses of all sizes.
“I like the ease of using Square to process all my transactions. It's safe and there are a lot of securities in place. I appreciate the reporting as well. It's nice to see month to month what my best sellers are and if my customers are repeat.” –Square Customer
Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed provides a point of sale system for enterprise-level retail and food service companies, and golf courses. Their liquor store solution offers software that integrates seamlessly with their hardware options, delivering powerful tools for managing sales, inventory, and customer relationships.
Lightspeed's POS system offers a range of features designed to help liquor stores succeed:
- Reporting and analytics: Use Lightspeed’s tools for performance-boosting insights so you know what to do next. Lightspeed’s software offers real-time reporting and visibility across your entire operation.
- Personalized support: Receive white-glove onboarding and support from industry experts who know what it takes to succeed in your market.
- Inventory management tools: Use Lightspeed’s hardware and software integrations to easily manage inventory.
Pricing:
Lightspeed's software subscription starts at $89 per month.
Lightspeed does not provide pricing details for its hardware components on its website. You'll need to contact their sales team to get a customized quote for your hardware setup.
“Great inventory management features such as min/max and seasonal inventory control. Lots of advanced features for retail operations such as custom menus available on the sales screen as well as custom menus available for service department operation.” –Lightspeed Customer
Epos Now POS
Epos Now offers a point of sale system that caters to retail and hospitality businesses like liquor stores. The cloud-based system integrates with its Epos Now hardware and offers real-time insights, empowering business owners to make data-driven decisions, improve customer satisfaction, and scale confidently.
Epos Now's POS system is designed specifically for liquor stores, offering a range of features to streamline operations and enhance customer experience.
Key features include:
- Simplified inventory management: You can track all bottles, cans, and other products directly from your liquor store POS.
- Security features: Use Epos Now to protect customer banking information, store business data on remote cloud servers, use age verification tools, assign staff login codes, and record all sales to identify theft.
- Built-in marketing: Use marketing integrations and rewards programs to build a personal connection with customers. Establish your digital presence with a responsive website builder, stay in touch with shoppers using email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, offer promotions and discounts, and create a loyalty program to reward regular customers.
Pricing:
Epos Now offers a hardware package starting from $349, which includes a POS terminal, built-in printer, and card machine.
You'll need to contact Epos Now directly to get a customized quote for your software subscription.
“I like the interface of Epos which makes it easy to navigate. I also like how it gives me a report of the information I want to get from it. It is a very reliable retail tool.” –Epos Now Customer
Get the Best Liquor Store POS Hardware for Your Store
The five solutions listed in this post all offer incredible hardware and software solutions for liquor stores. However, your hardware tools are only one factor to consider when selecting your liquor store POS hardware and software provider. The quality of the software and the level of service provided by your POS system are equally crucial aspects that can make or break your business.
That's where Bottle POS comes in.
When you choose Bottle POS, you're not just getting state-of-the-art hardware — you're equipping your business with a complete, streamlined system designed to drive efficiency, boost customer satisfaction, and grow your business the right way. With Bottle POS, you can spend less time worrying about the technicalities and more time focusing on what matters most: serving your customers.
Schedule a demo of Bottle POS now and see firsthand how our hardware can help you take your store to the next level.
