Openpos - WooCommerce Point Of Sale(POS)

A restaurant is not a shop, and that is where almost every point of sale fails

OpenPOS presents itself for retail shops, restaurants, cafes and salons, and that list deserves an explanation, because the first two cases work very differently.

In a shop the sale is instantaneous: the customer arrives, the items get scanned, payment is taken and it closes. One transaction, one moment.

In a restaurant the sale stays open for an hour and a half. Table four orders drinks, then starters, then somebody adds a dessert, then one more diner arrives, and at the end the bill gets split across three cards. None of that fits a system designed for scanning barcodes.

What to check before buying is whether the system understands the concept of an open order per table: adding lines to a bill that is still live, splitting it at payment, and sending each dish to the kitchen when it is ordered rather than when it is paid.

What OpenPOS is

• A complete point of sale for WooCommerce, with a till screen separate from the admin.
• Shared inventory between the counter and the online shop.
• A versatile approach: retail, hospitality, cafes and salons.
• Its own add-ons, extending the system according to what you need.

Being versatile reads both ways

In favour: a system used across many sectors has more people behind it, more problems already solved and more add-ons available. In a program your daily takings depend on, that is worth money.

Against: versatile is rarely optimal. A system built only for hospitality brings a floor plan, per-shift waiter management and kitchen-station printing out of the box. Here that has to be built or solved with add-ons.

The test that settles the doubt is not reading features: it is timing a real sale with your hardware, your catalogue and your way of taking payment. If a three-course, two-drink order takes longer to enter than in the system you already have, no feature list compensates.

Requirements

It needs WordPress, WooCommerce and a stable connection at the premises. The hardware (scanner, receipt printer, drawer, card terminal) has to be tested with the specific equipment, because it is the usual reason these projects get stuck.

And the warning that applies to every point of sale: issuing receipts and invoices is regulated. In several countries the invoicing software must meet requirements on unalterable records and retention, and the penalty falls on the shop. Worth confirming with your accountant before replacing the till.

Alternatives in the catalogue

On the same ground, Vitepos Pro is the catalogue's most used option, MultiPOS is designed from the start for several shops with several assistants, and Point of Sale System covers the retail case with an agent assigned per premises.

Within OpenPOS's own ecosystem there are two pieces that change the outcome considerably: the TeraWallet integration adds a wallet and customer balance, and Points and Rewards brings loyalty to the counter, which is where a points card actually gets used.

And if your business is genuinely hospitality rather than retail, look at the specialist piece first: WP Cafe manages menus, orders and restaurant reservations, and PatioTime is the theme for the venue's website. A generic point of sale can turn out to be the wrong tool.

Frequently asked questions

Does it share inventory with the online shop?
Yes, a single stock figure for the counter and for the website.

Is it suitable for a restaurant?
It is among its uses. Worth checking how it handles open orders per table and split bills.

Does it work with any receipt printer?
Not always. It has to be tested with the specific equipment before committing.

Does it have add-ons?
Yes, there are specific pieces such as the customer wallet and points loyalty.

Can it replace the till?
Functionally yes, but issuing receipts is regulated and worth confirming with your accountant.

How do I test it properly?
By timing a complete real sale with your hardware. Feature lists say nothing about that.