2014 Review of QuickBooks Point of Sale

BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS: 4.5 STARS

Most QuickBooks products are designed to be up and running quickly and QuickBooks Point of Sale is no different. The setup interview makes it easy to enter data specific to each business. Existing customer or product lists can be easily imported into QuickBooks Point of Sale, and users can add the minimal information and enter the rest at a later date.

The revised system navigator is clearly designed with the retailer in mind, with users able to process sales transactions easily and access multiple screens if needed. A solid selection of tools designed to guide new users through the system is available. The main Point of Sale navigation screen offers quick access to sales features along with Customer, Employees, Inventory, Purchasing, Financial, and Report options. Users can add new customers or products on the fly, and process a void or return. QuickBooks Point of Sale also offers quick customization capabilities, such as the Quick Pick option, where specific, related products are grouped together for quick sales processing.

Supervisors can maintain system security, assigning rights to employees or assigning rights to a group with similar system access rights. Supervisors can also assign employee system rights by job function, with employees given full system access, point of sale access, or specific system access to individual features such as inventory. All Point of Sale navigator buttons can be completely customized, allowing cashiers the ability to create a custom interface that will uniquely suit their needs. Customizable dashboards are also available to management, providing vital data such as sales history, bestselling products, department statistics, as well as any past due balances and amounts owed.

Lookup options are available throughout QuickBooks Point of Sale, with cashiers able to quickly retrieve customer data, product information, and pricing levels all during the processing of a sale. The Multi-Location edition of QuickBooks Point of Sale can support up to 20 store locations at a time. The redesigned interface also allows users to easily perform multiple transaction types, such as processing voids and returns, handling product discounts, and processing a regular sale, all from a single location.

The inventory function in QuickBooks POS allows users to attach multiple pricing levels for each product, discount products by department, assign automatic order levels, and manage inventory at multiple stores. Intuit also has a wide variety of third-party applications designed to work with QuickBooks POS including an e-Commerce product that integrates with both the POS product as well as QuickBooks Financial products for complete system integration.

SPECIALIZED FEATURES/SERVICES: 4.5 STARS

QuickBooks Point of Sale users have the option to use either a standard monitor or utilize a touchscreen monitor. Products can be entered into the system manually or scanned for quicker processing. Third-party add-ons such as the e-Commerce product allow users to easily link their brick and mortar store with their web store. Retailers can accept a variety of tenders including cash, checks, credit and debit cards, gift cards, and gift certificates.

The flexible payment option allows users to accept other forms of payment as needed. A great feature for those who need mobile capability is the Go Payment app, which allows retailers to accept payments from just about anywhere using a smart phone or tablet. Customer data including purchasing history can be easily tracked with cashiers and managers able to quickly access customer data as needed. This allows managers to process targeted emails and other marketing campaigns based on that history.

Customer information can also be exported to QuickBooks Financial Software, and the new Salesforce CRM for QuickBooks allows users to record customer sales related data. QuickBooks also allows retailers to use custom gift, loyalty, or rewards cards.

TRACKING/REPORTING: 4.5 STARS

All QuickBooks products integrate, allowing users to share data for more comprehensive reporting capability. Customer data can be tracked and managed for direct mail and marketing campaigns, and the availability of Salesforce for QuickBooks provides even more data mining capability. The Report Center in QuickBooks Point of Sale allows users to quickly view all available reports, choosing the ones needed.

All reports are customizable and can be printed or viewed on screen prior to printing. Users can also create and save reports in the Report Center for future access. Reports are divided into categories, and all report data is real time. QuickBooks offers a solid selection of Point of Sale reports including inventory status reports and vital sales reports such as Best Sellers and Most Common Returns. Users can also track detailed customer sales demographics including product sales by zip code.

QuickBooks Point of Sale dashboards provide a quick view of vital sales data including Sales by Department, Employee Sales Totals, and Bestselling Products. QuickBooks Point of Sale offers thorough audit trail functionality throughout the system, with managers able to view all system transactions in a detailed transaction list

INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT: 4.75 STARS

QuickBooks Point of Sale 2013 offers easy integration with all QuickBooks financial products, with data easily shared between the two for complete front/back office management. QuickBooks also offers a variety of add-on products that are designed to integrate with the Point of Sale product. Solid import/export capability allows users to import existing customer or product detail.

QuickBooks Point of Sale also integrates with all point of sale hardware such as PIN pads, signature capture devices, and employee time entry systems. QuickBooks also offers a hardware bundle for a flat fee that includes a receipt printer, credit card reader, cash drawer, and barcode scanner that you can opt to purchase with the software.

HELP/SUPPORT: 4.5 STARS

QuickBooks Point of Sale includes a variety of help options to new users including the “I Want to…” feature, which allows users to quickly find the correct place to process necessary transactions. Automatic system updates are available through Intuit, although users can decline the option to automatically update data, and download updates when they choose. QuickBooks offers product users an extensive selection of product support options; designed to suit either new or experienced product users. The New User Resource Center helps new users with tips and suggestions.

Best Fit: While known as a staple for the small business community, Intuit has gradually been upping the playing field by creating products designed to suit mid-sized businesses as well. QuickBooks Point of Sale 2013 is one such product, available in three distinct editions; Basic, Pro, and Multi-Store, and suitable for retailers with up to 20 locations.

Strengths

Scalable, with three editions now available
Available as a desktop or cloud-based solution
Availability of apps such as Go Payment and SalesForce for QuickBooks offers more user flexibility than in the past
Affordably priced for even the smallest retailer
Quick product setup and solid help functionality is available throughout the product

Potential Weaknesses

Not suitable for those processing high numbers of transactions
Limited product expansion capabilities available
Some retailers may require more custom report capabilities

SUMMARY & PRICING

QuickBooks Point of Sale 2013 is available in three distinct editions. The Basic edition retails for $1,199.95. the Pro edition is priced at $1,699.95, and the Multi-Store edition, which supports up to 20 locations, is available for $1,899.95. QuickBooks Point of Sale can be used as a stand-alone product, or integrated with QuickBooks financial products for a complete front/back office management solution for small to mid-sized retailers.

2014 OVERALL RATING: 4.5 STARS