An exciting offshoot of the trend towards computerized point of sale (POS) systems is the development of wireless POS systems that let your staff conduct transactions wherever they are. The most popular use for wireless POS terminals is in restaurants, but they’re also used in large lot retail stores and seasonal businesses that don’t have permanent installations.

Wireless POS devices are essentially handheld computers or PDAs. Often, they use the same touch-screen technology found in standard POS stations. Some vendors now offer “write-on” wireless POS devices: instead of trying to compress a touch-screen interface onto a tiny PDA screen, these devices allow your servers to simply write the orders down. Handwriting recognition software parses the order then sends it on to the kitchen and bar as needed.

No matter how the information is entered, each wireless POS terminal transmits orders back to a base station as they’re entered. This provides a distinct advantage for restaurants: they increase the amount of time your servers spend on the floor taking orders and interacting with customers, because they never have to go back to a terminal. Wireless POS systems also provide real-time information on inventory and availability of specials – without repeated trips back to a POS terminal.

For other types of retail businesses, the wireless POS device can be extremely powerful when combined with a wireless credit card terminal. An employee armed with these tools can complete an entire transaction from anywhere they happen to be.

Wireless POS terminals are understandably more expensive than traditional touch-screen terminals. However, in restaurants, they can make up for the cost by allowing your servers to spend more time upselling more desserts and drinks. When evaluating handheld wireless POS terminals, make sure you ask about the “drop test” – units are rated for toughness according to how much of a fall they can survive.

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