point of sale software buyer's guide
POS Buyer's Guide: Registers, Checkout, CRM & Scheduling Integrations
How to evaluate point-of-sale software — register sessions, carts, tenders, invoices, CRM sale webhooks, and scheduling collect-payment without shared databases.
POS Buyer's Guide: Registers, Checkout, CRM & Scheduling Integrations
Front-of-house teams need register → cart → tender → sale → invoice with session discipline — and they need completed sales to show up on the CRM timeline without re-keying.
Tekvers ships POS as a standalone NestJS + Next.js product that notifies CRM on sale completed and accepts scheduling collect-payment webhooks — linked through Suite Platform, not shared tables.
Product: /products/pos · CRM: /products/crm · Platform: /products/platform
Related articles: POS use cases · CRM + scheduling webhooks · CRM pipeline
Who needs this POS?
- Retail and salon cashiers at daily checkout
- Store managers opening/closing registers and reconciling tenders
- Clinic retail selling products alongside appointment services
- Operators who want POS entitled without a full ERP monolith
- Suite buyers linking POS to CRM and scheduling
If you only need a marketing site, see web development. If you need register sessions with CRM webhooks, evaluate POS.
Core capabilities checklist
| Capability | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Register sessions | Float tracking, open/close audit, multiple registers |
| Product catalog | Pricing, categories, customer lookup at checkout |
| Carts & hold | Serve multiple clients; recall held carts |
| Tenders | Cash, card, and configured payment types |
| Sales history | Full audit for reconciliation |
| Invoices | Generated from completed sales in-portal |
| CRM webhook | Sale-completed notifies customer timeline |
| Scheduling webhook | Collect-payment from appointments |
Pain points this POS addresses
Register and CRM do not sync
Walk-in sales never appear on the customer timeline.
Appointment payments are manual
Scheduling collects a deposit; front desk re-keys at checkout.
Sloppy session management
Open registers without close procedures create cash discrepancies.
Disconnected catalog
Stale stock when inventory lives elsewhere without links.
Invoicing as afterthought
Sales at register; invoicing is a separate afternoon task.
Solution moments
Morning register open. Manager counts float, opens Register 1, staff see active session.
Mid-day retail sale. Cart → tender → complete. CRM webhook updates contact activity.
Appointment deposit. Scheduling collect-payment webhook records payment without re-keying.
Hold cart. Client steps away; cashier serves next customer, recalls held cart later.
End-of-day close. Reconcile tenders, review sales and invoices, close session.
Checkout flow
Register open → Session → Cart (+ hold) → Tender → Sale → Invoice → Session close
Integrations (no shared DB)
| Sibling | Direction | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | Outbound webhook | Sale completed → contact activity |
| Scheduling | Inbound webhook | Collect-payment from appointments |
| Inventory | Read/link | Stock view; full reservation when Inventory entitled |
| Suite Platform | Service links | Entitlements, handoff |
POS does not replace Stripe or billing inside AI Receptionist — that product has its own payment hooks.
Build vs buy vs suite module
| Path | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Square / Shopify POS | Commodity retail, no sibling CRM |
| Salon SaaS POS | Vertical scheduling + retail bundle |
| Suite POS module | CRM + scheduling already in roadmap |
| Custom greenfield | Unique tender rules, full IP |
Implementation phases
- Registers & catalog — Locations, products, pricing
- Session workflow — Open float, train cashiers
- Sales & invoices — Cart, hold, tender, complete
- Link siblings — CRM sale webhook, scheduling collect-payment
FAQs
Can POS run without CRM? Yes. CRM notifications are optional.
Multi-location? Multiple registers supported; multi-location patterns depend on tenant config.
Inventory reservation? Full reservation from POS depends on Inventory being entitled and linked.
Next steps
- Map tender types and session close procedure today
- List which CRM fields should update on sale completed
- Decide if scheduling collect-payment is v1 or phase two