First POS Systems review

First POS make systems for the restaurant and retail marketplace

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First POS
(Image: © First POS)

TechRadar Verdict

First POS has a proven track record when it comes to supplying many popular food and beverage chains with in-house systems. With a great blend of hardware and software this is a serious proposition for businesses that are going places.

Pros

  • +

    A complete POS solution

  • +

    Bespoke design

  • +

    Fully scalable

Cons

  • -

    Might be over engineered for smaller ventures

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First POS Systems is a solution aimed specifically at the restaurant, retail, and storefront business environments. It produces POS systems that can handle, despite coronavirus, face-to-face transactions as well as those taking place by phone, email, over a website and even by fax. 

One look at the clients that First POS lists on its customer web page gives a firm indication that this is a solution that can be scaled, particularly when it comes to chain restaurants, bars and pretty much all points in between. Competitor products include Lightspeed POS, EposNow, Shopify and Square POS.

First POS Systems also has a full service range of backup for its POS systems too, with onsite installations, training and continuous support as part of any package that you subscribe to.

First POS

First POS has a wide range of hardware solutions available (Image credit: First POS)

First POS Systems: Pricing

First POS sets out its stall early on by stating that it provides competitive rates for card processing and other transactional costs, while also noting that they have no hidden fees. However, rather than having an obvious pricing structure it seems that what you will pay is dependent on the requirement you have. 

As a result, pricing is therefore via a perpetual license agreement or there’s a subscription option too. In other words, this is not your average off-the-shelf POS system and probably needs to be priced on an individual basis depending on the business. First POS advises calling them in order to get an initial overview of your business and what it requires.

First POS

First POS advises calling them for an initial consultation on your requirements (Image credit: First POS)

First POS Systems: Features

First POS can basically tailor a package to suit your requirements, basing it around the PAR PixelPoint point of sale software. This is a package that can be customized for installation in locations such as restaurants and other food outlets. The benefit of this system is that it can also be configured so that staff members can use it via tablets and also smartphones. 

As an added bonus, the system can be tailored to suit a particular brand, so it can be setup up to match the look and feel of marketing materials and suchlike. The system can also be configured to meet international needs in terms of languages and currencies. There is also the capacity for drive-thru functionality, plus reservation and table layout capability. 

Credit cards

First POS lets food and beverage outlets process all types of card (Image credit: Pexels)

First POS Systems: Additional options

Elsewhere, First POS has additional cloud-based Brink POS software that can be similarly customized to suit different business needs. It features automatic upgrades, secured data and can be accessed from anywhere. 

Brink POS caters for online and on-the-go ordering, with mobile and desktop versions while payment processing and can be easily integrated. Electronic payment processing services cover the whole spectrum including credit, debit, PIN debit, fleet, gift card, reward and loyalty programs, EBT and also check authorization.

First POS

First POS can be set up so that employees can use it on tablets and mobiles (Image credit: First POS)

First POS Systems: Ease of use

One of the added extras you get with the First POS system is installation, training and support, which suggest this is not a solution for the average small business. 

However, if you’re running a few outlets and have staff who need to learn the ropes then having the backup of support staff and people who can show you the ropes sounds sensible. As for the day-to-day usability of the hardware then that has been well tested already, with First POS listing many known chains amongst its clientele.

First POS

First POS also produces kitchen display systems too (Image credit: First POS)

First POS Systems: Support

First POS does have a support page on its website although the information contained there is, it has to be said, sparse. In fact, all you really get is the ability to click on a link for remote support. Alternatively, there is a support phone number to call. There are no obvious indications of the availability of this live support however. 

And, as for supplementary help files, FAQs and basically anything else to help you through your day using a POS system then there is nothing that we can find. Nevertheless, due to the fact that First POS systems are tailored to individual customers we can only assume that they have personalized support options to match.

First POS

First POS can install hardware and offer training plus support (Image credit: First POS)

Final verdict

First POS is definitely aimed at larger companies with establishments that would find installing these systems scalable and cost effective. The same probably can't be said for lone independent food and beverage outlets. 

That’s not to say First POS isn’t a useful option for the smaller venture, but economies of scale probably make this more of a chain solution than anything else. 

Nevertheless, First POS has everything needed to bring any kind of business bang up to date with its customizable systems and state-of-the-art hardware.

Read next:

The best POS systems for restaurants, small businesses, and retail

How to choose the right POS system for your business

9 inspiring ideas on how to use POS system customer data 

Rob Clymo
Rob Clymo

Rob Clymo has been a tech journalist for more years than he can actually remember, having started out in the wacky world of print magazines before discovering the power of the internet. Since he's been all-digital he has run the Innovation channel during a few years at Microsoft as well as turning out regular news, reviews, features and other content for the likes of TechRadar, TechRadar Pro, Tom's Guide, Fit&Well, Gizmodo, Shortlist, Automotive Interiors World, Automotive Testing Technology International, Future of Transportation and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. In the rare moments he's not working he's usually out and about on one of numerous e-bikes in his collection.