2019 Review of Vend Point of Sale

Vend is a scalable point of sale application designed to work online. The product works with iPad, Mac, or PC devices, with users able to use any and all platforms simultaneously.  Vend will also work offline; automatically synching with sales data once a connection has been restored. 

Vend offers an intuitive user interface, with a vertical menu to the left of the screen providing access to all system functions. Users can simply click on one of the options to begin to process a sale. Vend offers complete product search capability, with users able to search for a product while processing a sale. High-volume stores can set up QuickKeys which allow cashiers to streamline the sales process for frequently purchased items. Users can easily process a variety of transaction types in Vend, including both cash and customer sales, gift card sales, layaway, split payments, and refunds, credits, and voids.

Vend currently supports a variety of tender types including cash, checks, credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, ApplePay, and also integrates payment processing apps including Worldpay, Square, and CardConnect.

All editions of Vend support multiple registers, though retailers with multiple locations will need to purchase the Pro or Enterprise version. Vend also supports online integrators for online selling platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce, making it a good choice for retailers with both a brick and mortar store and an online store.

Vend provides easy customer management capability, with users able to process cash sales or create a new customer on the fly when processing a sale. Customer profiles can also be created, where users can manage customer details such as purchasing history, loyalty levels, and account balances.  A current customer list can also be imported directly into Vend, and customer groups can be created that can later be targeted with special promotions or discounts. Inventory management is also available in Vend, with users able to import existing item barcodes or create new ones. Users can also use a Bluetooth or USB device to easily add inventory products using a smartphone. Vend supports multiple pricing levels, along with multiple descriptors such as size and color, and users can create product groups for items that are typically sold with other items.

The Vend Retail Dashboard offers retail businesses a look at all vital data such as Revenue, Customer Count, Gross Profit, and other retail indicators. Vend includes a good selection of standard reports, with users able to customize any report, or build their own report if desired. All reports include complete drill-down capability, so users will be able to view the underlying documents included in any report total.  The Pro and Enterprise editions of Vend also include advanced reporting and metrics capability, with users able to break down a retail snapshot by location, discover and manage product trends for better reordering accuracy, and even track customer gift card balances. Both sales and inventory reporting are available, with users able to create sales, customer, product, and product movement reports easily. All Vend reports can be customized as needed or exported as a CSV file for further customization.

Users can sync their retail business with Xero or QuickBooks Online, for easy front office/back office management. The product also integrates with Deputy and Timely for scheduling, and loyalty and VIP programs are available through Marsello. Vend also integrates with all standard point of sale hardware such as receipt printers, cash drawers, barcode scanners, and cash drawers, and users can also choose to purchase POS hardware directly from Vend when the software is purchased.

The Resources section offers a variety of tools including product guides and eBooks, articles, on-demand webinars, and videos. Users can also access the Help Center, where they can search articles, ask a question, and download the QuickStart Guide. A variety of training videos are also available on YouTube, on topics such as setting up a store, cashier training, and reporting. Vend offers 24/7 global support, which is included in the price of the product, with users able to access support via telephone or email. Vend also offers various training options, with both live and on-demand training webinars available.  

Vend is a scalable, easily navigated point of sale application that is suitable for both brick and mortar and online retail businesses of just about any size. Vend is available in three versions; Lite which supports a single location, runs $99.00 per month, Pro, which can be used in single and multiple locations currently runs $129.00 per month, and Enterprise, which supports six or more locations, and is best suited for larger or multi-store retailers, with pricing available upon request.  All editions of Vend include real time inventory management capability, 24/7 phone and online support, and small business reporting capability.

2019 Rating – 4.75 Stars