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Do I need a POS machine?

No. PasaPOS runs in a browser on a phone, tablet or computer you already own. A thermal printer is the only hardware worth buying, and only if you print receipts.

2 min read·Updated Oct 30, 2026·
SSuper Admin

No. That is the whole answer, but here is what people really want to know.

What runs PasaPOS

Any device with a modern browser and a connection: an Android phone, an iPhone, a tablet, a Windows laptop, a Mac. Most shops start on the phone already in their pocket and add a cheap tablet for the counter later.

A tablet of about 10 inches is the sweet spot for a busy counter. A phone is fine for a small shop, for a waiter taking orders at the table, or for the owner checking numbers from home.

Printers

If you hand customers a paper bill, buy a thermal receipt printer. PasaPOS prints to both common paper widths, 58 mm and 80 mm, and you choose which in Settings. Any printer your device can already print to will work, because PasaPOS prints through the browser.

A few shops run no printer at all and read the total off the screen. That works, and it is the cheapest way to start.

Barcode scanners

Grocery and retail shops that scan should use a plain USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner. Scanners behave like a keyboard, so there is nothing to configure: put the cursor in the search box and scan. A phone camera can also read barcodes if you are only doing a few.

Cash drawers

Most cash drawers open from a port on the receipt printer, so the printer drives the drawer, not PasaPOS.

What you do need

An internet connection. PasaPOS is a cloud system: your bills, stock and reports live on the server so that you can open them from the counter, the kitchen tablet and your phone at home and see the same numbers. Treat a reliable connection, and a mobile data backup on the phone, as part of the setup.

#barcode scanner#getting started#hardware#printer

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