Point of sale system for the iPad

Hand Held Mobile POS Systems for the iPad

National Business Systems Inc. is one of the oldest POS dealers and cash register dealers in the Northwest. Our office is near the Sea Tac Airport centrally located between Seattle and Tacoma

If you are looking for a restaurant POS system in Seattle then we have a great system for you. Digital Dining offers a robust full featured system for all types of restaurants big or small. Our staff have been installing restaurant point of sale systems for over twenty years and can help you implement a system in a way to maximize the results.

One of our newest products is the iPad POS solution Silver from NCR. With Silver you can operate any where you would like with any iOS product like an iPhone, iPad, or iPod. Because Silver is cloud based the start up cost are much lower and you have access to your sales and data anywhere in the world. Silver also does a fantastic job of tracking and rewarding your customers bring them back time and again.

So if you are in the market for a cash register or POS system in Seattle then give us a call at 253-839-9636 or 1-800-863-2274

Buying a cash register

Cash Register

When you go to buy a cash register make sure you get what you need. Your best chance at ensuring a successful purchase that will serve you well is to visit or call a cash register dealer.

There are many cash registers on the market however there are two major divisions in most register companies. Often they will offer a consumer grade line via the mass merchandise markets like Office Depot, or Costco and then they will offer a commercial grade line through independent cash register dealers.

The consumer grade lines are typically smaller less heavy duty machines often with great features. They have their place in the world of course. The problem is in most cases they won't handle a  store that receives a lot of volume and lack security features. when you require support of programming changes you are at the mercy of a large corporations 800 number to a support abyss. Believe me we hear from people all the time telling us they were on hold for 30 minutes and received no help at all.

The commercial grade machines are sold by independent dealers like our company. The machines are heavy duty and lean to security and reporting features. You also will have access to people that know how to train you on them and program them. That training and programming may or may not be included in the price, you may have to pay for the support however it will be available.

So be careful and call around. Make sure the company you buy from knows what they are talking about. Do they know cash registers? Do they know how they work? Or are they just selling everything under the sun?

Need help picking out a cash register? Call us at 1-800-863-2274

Cash drawer insert for the SAM4s SPS-530F register

When SAM4s introduced the SPS-500 series they hit a home run. The only snag is after the register series had been out for awhile they changed the cash drawer insert. The original models came with a model 56 insert and it was very popular. Then for unknown reasons to us they switched to the 57 insert.

This had lead to some confusion when end-users attempt to order additional cash drawer inserts. One of the best ways to tell is located on the front left of the front of the cash drawer. You will see a large sticker that is a 56 or a 57 and then you know what type you have. Often that sticker has been removed so again you don't know.

The second way to identify the insert type is the insert itself. The original drawer model 56 has a two piece insert. The coin tray of the 56 will remove from the rest of the insert. The 57 insert is a one piece and the coin tray portion itself does not separate from the insert.

Below I have added some pictures with labels to help you identify which you have. Here is a link to where you can buy either insert for the SAM4s SPS-520R cash register.

                                                     Type 56 drawer (see label front left)

                                                    Type 57 drawer (see label front left)

                                                                    Type 57 Insert

 

 

                                                  Type 56 Insert with removable coin tray

Are the SAM4s ER-650 and Sharp ER-A320 still available?

What do the Sharp ER-A320 and the SAM4s ER-650 have in common? They were both the best selling cash registers for their brand and they have both been retired.

In the case of the SAM4s ER-650 it has been replaced by the SPS-300 series which is made up of the following

The SAM4s SPS-320 cash register with large flat keyboard and single station printer. Capable of credit card interface with Datacap Twin Tran

 

 

The SAM4s SPS-340 also features large flat keyboard with the addition of a receipt and journal printer. Also the ability to integrate credit card payments with a Datacap device

The SAM4s SPS-345 is the retail version of the SPS-300 series with a raised keyboard and receipt and journal (not picture shown is with the expanded keyboard not the standard 21) this register works great for liquor stores, hardware, gift stores, C-Stores and more. You can add value added options such as scanning and credit card interface.


Now returning back the Sharp ER-A320 cash register which we miss dearly, there really is no replacement. yes there are new models but not a comparable replacement. The problem is the A320 used bond paper and was capable of validating . Sharp currently DOES NOT make a cash register that can validate or used bond paper rolls instead of thermal. If you don't need to validate then the closest choice to replace in the Sharp line is:

The Sharp ER-A347 featuring a large 8 line LCD display, receipt and journal printers. This is a great machine and I think easy to program because of the 8 line LCD display however some find it cumbersome. I think you will need to be the judge on that!

If you need help selecting a register give us a call at 1-800-863-2274

Connecting your SAM4s cash register to a PC with a USB port

Most cash registers still utilize a serial port to communicate to a computer. Most computers no longer include a serial port. The solution is a tried and tested USB to serial adapter which we offer. There are many adapters on the market and the price ranges all over the place. We tested many adapters and settled on one that worked each time for us in the shop and now deployed all over North America. We also offer serial cables for SAM4s cash registers too as you will need both to connect to most computers.

SAM4s cash registers work with several different software packages that could require a USB to serial adapter. Most have the free PC utility that allows programming but no reporting. Then there are the SAM products that offer programming and reporting. The final and maybe best choice is PC Poll which works across many different makes and models. In house our staff uses PC Poll with great results.

Click here to find USB Adapter for SAM4s cash registers and also serial cables for the same.

Cash register ink ribbons and paper

It seems like cash register supplies are getting harder to find and I only noticed this because my company is shipping more 44mm bond paper rolls and IR-90/1 ink rollers all over the country.

We also sell keyboard covers for all the SAM4s cash registers and most of the Sharp register models too. 

Another type of paper we have been selling more of is 44mm thermal which is used in a few of the Sharp cash register models. Feel free to give us a call and see if we have supplies for your cash register, chances are good that if your register is commercial grade we do. 1-800-863-2274

Why should I interface my credit card machine and cash register?

I read a great article this morning about a customer being over charged by $1600.00 at a breakfast house restaurant. Of course the error was found and fixed after several days and with a lot of bad publicity.

If this restaurant would have had their cash register interfaced to the credit card machine this error probably would have never happened. When you integrate the two you eliminate the need to re-enter the sale into the credit card machine where so many errors occur.

Now in this case the error was found quickly because it was so large. Also when a customer is overcharged they are more likely to point it out maybe even days or weeks later when they receive their statements. What happens when they are undercharged? Most say nothing at all and you lose money! Don't let this happen any longer, interface your cash register to credit card payments!

There are two lines of cash registers that are also credit card machines and they are SAM4s and Sharp both making a wide variety of machines for every type of business.

Here is the story in the news, you should check it out yourself http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/oddnews/waffle-house-charges-man-over--1600-for-breakfast-194502721.html?soc_src=copy

Looking for support for your SAM4s cash register?

Over a week we receive numerous calls from people that have bought cash registers for a cheap price online maybe on Amazon or another online discounter. Of course we all want a great deal and value for our money but make sure you count in service or support into the equation. Like I mentioned we get calls every week from people looking for support for SAM4s Cash Registers or maybe a Sharp. They like the fact they can reach us, we answer the phone, we have an online chat support tool, and we know what we are doing. What they don't like is the fact that if you did not buy your cash register from us we have to charge for support. We do have quite a few of these calls turn into paying customers and we appreciate their business, however had they bought from us in the first place the support may have been free!

We hear from end-users that often do contact the people they bought their cash register from and they would like to help but they don't know how! Don't let this happen to you. You can still buy online for a discounted price but buy from cash register companies like us in the first place.

If it is too late and you have already bought a Sharp cash register or maybe a SAM4s model from someone that can't help you then call us. We can help you learn to use the register, program the register, take reports and more we just charge for our support. Please keep in mind that commercial grade Sharp registers and SAM4s machines are all sold by independent dealers and none of us are paid for support or service from the factory and of course can't help one another customers for free.

If you are interested in getting support for your cash register please give us a call at 1-800-863-2274 we are open Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm PST.

Please note we support commercial grade Sharp cash registers. We don't support models that begin with XE, sorry those are not commercial grade.

cash registers

SAM4s has a higher end line of cash registers known as the SPS-series. The SPS series is a commercial grade line up of high end cash registers. The SPS line consist of two base models the SPS-500 series and the SPS-300 series

The SPS-300 series was released to replace the popular 650 series. They made some great changes in the SPS-300 series that include the following

• SD card port
• Models with receipt and journal printers
• Black color
• Free programming software
• More flexibility with kitchen printing

The SPS-300 series comes in the following configurations and models

• SAM4s SPS-320 cash register with a flat keyboard receipt only

• SAM4s SPS-340 cash register with a flat keyboard and receipt and journal printers

• SAM4s SPS-345 cash register with a raised keyboard and receipt and journal printers

The SPS-500 series took over for the SER-7000 series which were great registers. Some cutting edge features were added making the 500 series the most sophisticated register system on the market in it's class.

Some of the unique features include

• 7" Touch Screen
• single printing station and double printing station configurations
• SD card port
• USB port
• Keyboard port
• IP Port

The 500 series come in four different configurations

• SAM4s SPS-520F with a flat keyboard and receipt and journal printers

• SAM4s SPS-520R with a raised keyboard and receipt and journal printers

• SAM4s SPS-530F with a flat keyboard and receipt printer only

• SAM4s SPS-530R with a raised keyboard receipt printer only

If you need help selecting which register would be the best fit for you or whether you need options like the credit card interface, kitchen printers, bar code scanners etc. please give us a call at 1-800-863-2274

2014 is the year to make the move to a casg register that takes credit cards directly

SAM4s SPS-530F with credit card interface

 

Make a new Year's resolution to stop throwing money away using a two part system of cash register and standalone credit card terminals. Modern cash registers can process credit cards directly without the need of a separate terminal.

SAM4s cash registers use an interface call Datacap which turns the cash register into a credit card terminal too. No longer will you have to ring up a sale and then move to a credit card terminal. This fact alone will save you time and more importantly force accuracy.

Do you have any idea how often a busy clerk will turn a sale for $19.99 into $9.99 when entering a sale into a credit card machine. I think you will be surprised if you take the time to audit between your cash register and credit card terminal.

Yes it cost a bit more to interface the two together but I think you will find the pay back to be very quick and you will soon start making more money as a result of the interface.

Back up your cash register before it is to late

It is a sad story we hear nearly every day, goes something like this "my old cash register blew up and we had 12,000 UPC's programmed into it, can you sell me a new cash register and restore the program. Sure we reply as long as you backed it up. Back up? How do you back up a cash register?

Well needless to say they don't have a back up and now they may be out 20 to 40 of hours re-programming thousands of items. There are ways to avoid this even with older cash registers. Most SAM4s and Sharp commercial grade cash registers can connect to a PC. You invest in the software connect to the register and save your data.

For software for the average cash register it will cost you about $650.00 to $1000.00 to accomplish this if an older machine. However it is still a small investment compared to re-doing years of work. Newer machines from SAM4s cash registers come with a free utility program that allow you to back up and maintain your UPC data. All you have to buy is a serial cable and a USB to Serial convertor if needed.

Don't set yourself up to make that call! Either buy a new cash register with the ability to back up on a on board SD card slot or a PC!. All of the newer SAM4s registers have a SD card port as well as the free software utility.

If you are trying to figure out which register is for you please call us at 1-800-863-2274

SAM4s cash register manuals and keyboard templates all for free

SAM4s cash registers

If you are looking for a site that offers SAM4s cash register manuals this is the site for you. These manuals will help you program sales tax rates or departments if you need to.

They also offer SAM4s cash register keyboard template as well. Everyone with a cash register should have their own template so you can edit and print your keyboards as needed.

Service and support for SAM4s cash registers

SAM4s Cash Registers

Whether you bought your SAM4s cash register from us or not we can help you solve your programming problems or reporting issues. We support SAM4s cash registers across North America all over the phone and/or email. With todays more modern machines we can even make program changes and send them to you on an SD card or email you the programming changes.

Rates and fee vary depending on what you need done but the average support call cost $50.00 If you would like us to help you program your SAM4s cash register give us a call at 1-800-863-2274