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How to make a cashier (POS) program for your shop's computer

A practical guide to a cashier program on your shop's PC: the screens it needs, a day at the counter, printers and scanners, and when to buy or build your own.

Fanann Team10 min read
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A cashier (POS) program for a PC needs four screens: fast selling by click or barcode, products and prices, saved invoices, and a daily sales report with a cash-drawer close. Buy ready-made software if your shop is conventional, or build one that fits how you sell. In Fanann you describe the cashier, watch it run inside a Windows-style window, choose a local database for one offline PC or a cloud database for several tills, then download an installer for Windows 10 or 11. Printing goes through Windows printers, barcode scanners work when they type like a keyboard, and the card terminal stays separate.

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What does a cashier program on a shop PC actually do?

A cashier program, also called a point of sale (POS), is the screen your salesperson stands in front of. They pick items or scan barcodes, the total and tax are worked out, they record how the customer paid, and a receipt comes out. At the end of the day it answers two questions: how much did we sell, and does the cash in the drawer match what the program recorded?

Everything else is an extra, so this guide starts at the counter itself: what happens between a customer walking up and leaving with a receipt?

Illustration: a café counter with a PC showing a cashier screen. This is all a small shop needs to start.Illustration
Illustration: a café counter with a PC showing a cashier screen. This is all a small shop needs to start.
The core
Sell, receipt, saved invoices, daily report
The computer
An ordinary Windows PC or a touch screen
Peripherals
A receipt printer, plus a barcode scanner if needed
Internet
Optional when the data lives on the PC itself

Which screens must a cashier program have?

Real screenshot of “Restaurant POS”, a Windows program built with Fanann: the sell screen with menu categories, item tiles and prices, and an open order with its total, VAT and the Pay button
Restaurant POSReal screenshot of a program built with Fanann

Tap the picture to zoom in, then drag to move around it.

Real screenshot of a program built with FanannA real screenshot of a restaurant cashier program built with Fanann: products to click, and next to them the open order with its total and tax.
ScreenWhat the salesperson does thereWhat it must not lack
SellClicks an item or scans a barcode, changes quantity, removes a lineTotal and tax that update instantly, and large buttons readable from a step back
PaymentChooses cash, card or mixed and types the amount receivedAutomatic change calculation and one-press receipt printing
ProductsAdds an item with price, category and barcodeFast search by name and painless price edits
InvoicesFinds a past invoice and reprints itA sequential number that never repeats, and a record of returns
Today's reportSees sales by payment method and by itemA drawer close that compares expected and counted cash
UsersEach salesperson signs in under their own nameDiscounts and voids reserved for a supervisor

What does a day at the counter look like with the program?

Write down your day as it really runs. This timeline fits a café, a grocery or a clothing shop:

  1. OpeningOpen the shift

    The salesperson signs in and enters the opening float. Without that number, the evening reconciliation means nothing.

  2. MorningOrdinary sales

    Click or scan, pay, receipt. Best sellers sit in the first row of the screen.

  3. RushPressure and a queue

    Shortcuts earn their place: one key for a new invoice, one for cash payment, and a way to park an unfinished order.

  4. AfternoonA return or a correction

    The program finds the original invoice and records the return with who did it and why.

  5. ClosingReconcile the drawer

    The counted cash is entered, the program shows the gap against expected, and the day report prints.

Restaurants with tables and a kitchen need more (modifiers, split bills, a kitchen screen): see a restaurant POS system.

Should I buy ready-made cashier software or build my own?

The candid answer: ready-made programs are plentiful and right for many shops. What changed is that a shop owner can now build one personally, and that shifts the math.

Ready-made fits better if
  • Your business is conventional: items, prices, receipt
  • You want hardware, setup and phone support from one supplier
  • You need a ready link to the card terminal or to delivery platforms
  • You need a certified e-invoicing solution from day one
Your own program fits better if
  • Your way of selling does not match the standard mold (by weight, bundles, deposits, rentals)
  • You do not want a monthly fee that multiplies with every till or branch
  • You want Arabic your way: item names, receipt layout, screen order
  • You want it to run offline on your PC with the data staying with you
Which description is closest to your shop?

Pick the one that sounds like you to see the advice.

The building routes themselves are compared in ways to make a Windows program.

Will it work with my receipt printer and barcode scanner?

People skip this question before buying and regret it afterwards. The rule on Windows is simple:

DeviceHow it works with a Windows programWhat to check
Thermal receipt printerInstalled in Windows with its driver, then the program prints to it like any printerPaper width (58 or 80 mm), clear Arabic text, paper cut at the end
Barcode scannerMost USB scanners type the code like a keyboard and then send EnterOpen Notepad and scan a product: if the number appears, the scanner is ready
Cash drawerUsually wired to the printer and opened on print through the driver settingsTest it with your own printer
Card terminal (mada, Visa)A separate device from your bank or payment providerYou key the amount into it and record in the program that payment was by card
ScaleNeeds a specific connection depending on the modelType the weight by hand or ask the supplier

Does the cashier work without internet, and where is the data kept?

Animated explainer: a local database on one PC that works with no internet, next to a cloud database shared between several PCs that needs internet and sign-in.
Animated explainerThe two choices side by side: a local database on the PC itself, or a cloud database every PC can see.

It depends on where the data lives, a decision you make once before the first install:

  • [Local database](/{lang}/wiki/glossary/local-database/): everything sits on the shop PC. The program keeps selling even if the internet is down for days. It suits a single till. Backups are your responsibility.
  • Cloud database: two or more PCs, or two branches, see the same products and invoices, and you can follow sales from your office. It needs internet and sign-in, and it stops working when the connection drops.

Offline work and sharing between PCs do not come together, so choose what matters more. Details: local or cloud database.

How do I get a cashier program running today with Fanann?

Fanann's Windows Studio includes a Restaurant POS and invoicing template: a click-to-sell screen, an open order with total and tax, a printed receipt, and today's sales report. You change it in plain words until it looks like your shop.

  1. 1
    Describe your shop

    Type or speak what you sell and how you sell it. Or start from the template and ask only for the differences.

  2. 2
    Try it inside a Windows window

    The program appears in your browser inside a Windows-style window. Add your items and run a full sale.

  3. 3
    Choose where the data lives

    Local for one till that works offline, or cloud for several PCs.

  4. 4
    Download the installer

    A real installer (.exe) for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. Install it on the shop PC and test the printer and scanner.

Cashier program for a small shop

I want a cashier program for a pastry shop with one counter, in Arabic (right to left) with an English option. Sell screen: categories (cakes, pastries, drinks) with large item buttons, a field where a scanned barcode adds the item, quantity changes and line removal. Selling by piece and by kilo, with the weight typed by hand. 15% VAT shown on its own line. Payment: cash with change calculated, card (recorded by hand), or mixed. A receipt printed on an 80 mm thermal printer with the shop name, VAT number, invoice number and date. Shortcuts: F2 new invoice, F4 cash payment, F8 park the order. Open a shift with a float and close it with a cash count. Two users: a salesperson, and a supervisor who alone can discount or void an invoice, with a reason. Today's report by payment method and by item. Backup to a file.

Try it in Fanann

What should I test before the first real sale?

Cashier test before opening dayTap an item when it is done. Your progress is kept in this browser.

Run the new program for a week next to your old method. Next reads: an inventory program for your shop and a cashier program in Saudi Arabia.

The best cashier program is the one the salesperson forgets about: it sells, prints and closes the drawer with no surprises.

Key takeaways

  • Judge a cashier program by the number of clicks until the receipt prints, not by the length of its feature list.
  • Ready-made software fits a conventional shop that wants hardware and support in one package. Building fits a specific workflow or a wish to avoid a monthly fee per till.
  • One till that must sell when the internet drops needs a local database. Two tills that must see the same orders need a cloud database.
  • Test your receipt printer and barcode scanner on your own PC before relying on any program.
  • The daily drawer close is the most valuable report in a shop, so ask for it in the first version.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a cashier program for my shop?
Write down what happens at the counter: items, payment methods, receipt layout, who may discount. Then buy ready-made software or build your own with a tool like Fanann: describe it, preview it, download a Windows installer.
Is there a cashier program that works without internet?
Yes. Any program that keeps its data on the PC works offline. In Fanann you choose a local database, and backups become your responsibility.
Do I need a special computer for the cashier?
No. An ordinary PC running 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 is enough. A touch screen is comfortable but not required.
Does the program connect to a mada or card terminal?
A program built with Fanann has no built-in link to card terminals: you key the amount into the terminal and record the payment as card. If automatic integration is essential, choose a ready system that supports it.
Can I install the cashier on more than one PC?
Yes. With local data each PC keeps its own separate records. With cloud data everyone sees the same records after signing in.
How much does a custom cashier program cost?
It depends on the route: a developer means a project cost plus maintenance, ready-made software an ongoing subscription, AI tools a subscription to the tool. In Fanann the preview is free and the installer is on paid plans.

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