Looking for Farm POS? Ask These 6 Questions First
Point-of-Sale (POS) is essential for any Farm business that sells direct-to-market through in-person channels. Whether your Farm sells at farmer’s markets, from the back of your truck, at events, or at on-Farm kiosks and stores – you’re probably aware not all Point-of-Sale systems are designed for Farm products.
If you’re in the market for a POS solution for your Farm, it’s essential to evaluate your options, understand the current POS market, and how each of those solutions could work for your business.
Below are 6 Questions to ask before deploying a POS solution for your Farm business. For a comprehensive guide on which commerce solution your Farm business should use, download this printable PDF: Farmer’s Worksheet to choose your Farm Commerce Solution
Let’s get started:
1. Does the solution support online (eCommerce) and in-person (POS) sales with a single merchant account?
If your Farm is looking to scale operations and cater to a range of buyer needs, your Point-of-Sale system needs to be connected to all of your sales channels. Why? Because managing orders from in-person sales (POS) and online sales (eCommerce) with different merchant accounts can become difficult to manage. Additionally, you’ll have inventory, orders, and customer details in two separate places – gross!
It’s important to consider POS options that allow your business to manage all of your money in a single merchant account. That way, there won’t be the need to juggle multiple customer lists, orders, inventories, etc. When evaluating different Point-of-Sale systems, ask yourself:
Can I use a single account to manage all transactions – online and in-person?
Do I currently have a Farm eCommerce solution that requires extra fees to use a POS solution?
How do I currently manage buyer details? Can this be streamlined?
Can I offer different forms of fulfillment based on where I’m selling? (e.g., pickups for consumers, delivery for wholesale, etc.)
Read: Announcing the Barn2Door Point of Sale (POS)
Listen: Announcing! Barn2Door POS
2. Does the POS Solution support fixed or sell-by-weight pricing ($ per lb)?
Farming is a unique industry with specific needs. That’s why you need POS software that works with your Farm business. If your Farm sells products by weight and fixed pricing, your POS solution should provide the ability to do both. Ask yourself:
Can I choose to sell by a fixed price or variable price, depending on the product?
Can I rotate between fixed and variable pricing with a click of a button?
Can I decide which measurements I use to set my prices – online (eCommerce) and in-person (POS)?
Read: When Should I Price My Farm Products by Weight?
Listen: Raising Farm Prices & Finding Financial Freedom
3. Does the POS Solution support multiple price lists and buyer types?
To accommodate your different customers – Retail buyers (direct-to-consumer), Wholesale buyers (grocers, chefs, and distributors), and/or Private buying groups (CSAs, Box Clubs, Herd Shares, friends & family) - your Farm needs the flexibility to offer different pricing and inventory options to satisfy all needs. Ask yourself:
Can I manage multiple price lists depending on my customer base (Retail, Wholesale, or Private) – online and in-person?
Can I offer different inventory items and fulfillment options based on my customer base – online and in-person?
Can I offer different or limited set of my inventory for in-person sales (versus my entire catalog of products online)?
4. Does the Solution offer Real-Time Inventory Sync across online (eCommerce) and in-person (POS) sales?
When selling across multiple channels, it can become difficult to manage multiple inventories when your eCommerce and POS solution don’t sync. However, when Farmers use an all-in-one solution to manage their entire business, they always know what items are available or low in stock - no matter where items are being purchased.
Does my inventory update in real-time, regardless if products are purchased online or in-person?
Do I have to manually reconcile my inventory – if something is purchased online versus in-person?
Can I choose to turn inventory sync on or off?
5. Does the Solution support flexible payment options?
Did you know 97% of buyers prefer to use credit/debit cards when shopping? Even though some customers will still prefer to use cash, Farmers must accept multiple payment options to appease buyers. However, you should still have the flexibility to accept which payment methods work for your Farm business. Ask yourself:
Can buyers checkout using a credit/debit card, cash, or check?
Will my POS automatically calculate change for cash purchases?
Can I accept tips – either fixed or custom amount?
Read: How Buyer Tips Lead to Lower Processing Fees
Read: How to Cut Your Credit Card Costs with “Buyer Covers Fees”
6. Does the POS Solution offer free and unlimited email capture to grow your customer base?
Growing your customer list is critical to the success of your Farm business. Did you know the size of your email list is the single most important data point when it comes to increasing revenue for your Farm? Be sure to understand how a POS can help you grow your customer base.
Does the POS offer a free email capture solution at check-out?
Does the POS email capture solution automatically prompt ‘unknown’ Buyers?
Are there additional costs for POS email capture as your customer list grows?
Can you toggle POS email capture ‘on’ or ‘off’ at your discretion?
Read: The Number 1 Datapoint Proven to Drive Farm Sales
These 6 questions can help you discover the best POS software for your Farm business needs. These solutions are built with the goal to save you time and streamline operations – making it simpler to manage your Farm.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.