Free POS software: what’s actually included (and what to watch for)
Author
KokiPOS Team
Date Published
“Free POS” can mean anything from a genuinely free register to a two-week trial with a credit card trap. Here’s how to read the fine print — and what a free plan should actually include.
What a real free plan includes
- A full register — not a demo. You should be able to sell, refund and print receipts.
- Unlimited products and orders. Caps on catalog size are a paywall in disguise.
- Real payments. Cash, card and EFTPOS tenders with end-of-day reconciliation.
- Reporting. At minimum, daily sales and top items.
The catches to watch for
Trial clocks. If the pricing page says “free” but signup asks for a card, it’s a trial. A free plan should stay free.
Per-order fees. Some “free” systems charge cents per order — fine at low volume, painful at scale. Check the maths at your order count.
Locked-in payments at high rates. The most common model: free software subsidised by inflated card rates. Compare the effective rate on your card mix, not the headline.
How KokiPOS does it
The KokiPOS Free Starter plan is a genuinely free register — one POS device, unlimited products and orders, printing, and daily reports. Card processing is charged at one low flat rate confirmed at signup, and there’s no lock-in: month-to-month, export your data anytime.
If you outgrow it, Growth adds online ordering, QR table ordering, kitchen displays and loyalty — but plenty of venues run on Free indefinitely.
Why venues see higher average order values with QR table ordering — and the four things a QR setup needs to actually deliver.
Flat vs blended rates, fixed fees, lock-ins, POS integration and surcharging — the five questions that actually determine what EFTPOS costs your venue.