How To Handle POS Terminal Repairs

Point of Sale (POS) Terminals (or Workstations) have become increasingly popular in the last few years. It seems that many companies look to use POS Terminals when they upgrade their hardware. Traditionally they have been used by major retailers and hospitality companies, but now they can also be found in airports, hospitals and banks. They are expensive, but it’s easy to see why many people see them as a good option.

For a start, they look good. The new POS Terminals from NCR, Elo, Toshiba, Micros and others certainly look attractive to customers. They are feature rich and have a small form factor, and they replace many different devices found in the traditional cash register. The monitor, keyboard, computer and even the cash drawer can be incorporated into one POS Terminal.

They tend to be very modular too. So, replacing main boards and hard drives in the field can be a breeze. POS Terminals tend to be bought with a one year warranty, with any problems during that time being handled by the manufacturer’s technicians in the field.

However, once the initial warranty expires then maintenance on them can become expensive. Some of the circuit boards and other components used in the POS Terminals are proprietary, and so can only be replaced by the manufacturer. The costs can mount up pretty quickly, especially when used in harsh environments.

One way around these high maintenance costs is to look to depot repair these POS Terminals with a third party repair company. The terminal would have to be removed from the field and shipped to a depot, but if you have some spare terminals and can stand the broken terminal being away for a little while, then you can realize significant cost savings.

Look for a depot company that specializes in component level repair. The depot will not replace the defective equipment, but will rather repair the existing circuit boards in the terminals. This avoids the high cost of replacing proprietary hardware that only the manufacturer has access too.

After a period of use then the touch screens on POS Terminals tend to fail too. Excessive jabbing on the touch screen will cause damage. Depot repair companies will be able to replace these too – no need to pay manufacturer prices.

You can expect an excellent warranty as well from these kinds of depot repairs. Look for a company that provides a six months warranty, which is normally far longer than what the manufacturer will offer.

So, when the warranty on your hardware starts coming to an end, remember to think “outside the manufacturer!”