How to choose a POS system for your restaurant in Nepal: 8 things to check

A good point-of-sale (POS) system makes service faster, stops money from leaking out of the business, and tells you what is really selling. A bad one slows your staff down at the busiest time of day. Here is what to check before you choose.

1. Is the billing IRD approved?

In Nepal, computerised billing has to follow the Inland Revenue Department's rules, including how VAT (13%) is shown on bills and how bills are stored. Ask the seller to show you that their billing software is approved by the IRD, and that the bills it prints are accepted for your VAT returns.

2. Does it send orders to the kitchen?

Running between tables and the kitchen with paper slips wastes time and causes mistakes. Look for KOT (kitchen order ticket) printing: the waiter takes the order on a phone or tablet, and it prints in the kitchen straight away. If you have a separate bar or tea counter, check that orders can go to different printers.

3. Can it follow your stock and recipes?

Most money in a restaurant is lost quietly: ingredients that go missing, spoil, or are used more generously than they should be. A POS with recipe and stock management reduces stock automatically when an item is sold (for example, one plate of momo uses a set amount of flour and filling), so you can compare what should be left with what is left.

4. Are the reports useful?

At the end of the day you should be able to see, in a minute:

• total sales, by cash and by digital payment
• your best and worst selling items
• sales by staff member and by table
• what you need to buy tomorrow

If you have more than one branch, check that you can see all of them in one place.

5. Does it work on phones and tablets?

Your waiters should be able to take orders on a phone, and you should be able to check sales from home. Look for an app on both Android and iOS, and a system that keeps your data in the cloud so a broken computer doesn't mean lost bills.

6. Who will help when something goes wrong?

Ask where the support team is, what hours they work, and how fast they reply on a busy Friday evening. A local team that can visit, or at least answer on the phone and WhatsApp, is worth a lot.

7. Is setup and training included?

Your staff will only use the system well if they are trained. Check whether the price includes menu setup, printer setup and staff training, and whether there is a free trial so you can test it with your own menu first.

8. What is the real price?

Compare the total cost for a year, not just the first month: software subscription, hardware (printers, cash drawer, tablets), setup and support. Watch out for extra charges per user, per branch or per report.

Next step

Make a short list of two or three systems, ask each for a demo with your own menu, and let the person who will use it every day try it. If you'd like to see how NicePOS handles these eight points, book a free demo and we'll show you with your own menu.