Guides · Buying guide
Choosing POS software in Kenya: 10 questions to ask
· 7 min read
There are dozens of POS systems for Kenyan businesses, and most demos look the same. The differences show up a month later: at the KRA deadline, when the internet drops, when M-Pesa does not match the till, or when you open a second branch. Ask every supplier these ten questions, including us.
The ten questions
- Does it file KRA eTIMS invoices, through a certified integrator, and what happens to a sale made while the internet is down?
- How does M-Pesa reach the till: does the cashier type a code, or does Safaricom report the payment so it cannot be faked?
- Can I keep selling, printing receipts and taking stock off with no internet at all, and does it sync by itself?
- Does stock go down with every sale, across branches and the store, with reorder alerts and transfers?
- Can I give customers credit and see what they owe at the till, with limits and reminders?
- Are purchases, suppliers and the books in the same system, or do I re-type sales into an accounting app?
- What does it really cost over three years: setup, monthly or one-off price, add-ons, extra users, branches and support?
- Does it fit my trade: tables and a kitchen screen for a restaurant, batches and expiry for a pharmacy, serial numbers for phones?
- Who helps me set it up, how fast do they answer on WhatsApp, and is the training included?
- Who owns my data, can I export it to Excel at any time, and how is it backed up?
Red flags
- M-Pesa "integration" that is only a field to type the code in.
- An eTIMS promise with no certified integrator named.
- A price that doubles once you add the second user, branch or the module you need.
- No way to export your own data.
How Kaydro answers
Kaydro sells, prints and keeps stock with no internet and syncs when the connection is back. Safaricom reports each M-Pesa payment to your own till or paybill, so the cashier taps the customer's payment or sends the PIN prompt. Credit, purchases, suppliers and the books are in the same system, with apps for restaurants, pharmacies, hardware, property and more. eTIMS is being connected through a KRA-certified integrator — ask us for the date. Your data can be exported to Excel at any time.
Questions
Which POS is best for a small shop in Kenya?
The one that answers the ten questions above for your shop: eTIMS if you are VAT-registered, M-Pesa matched to sales, offline selling, stock and credit. Compare the cost over three years, not the first month.
Do I need special hardware?
Not always. Many POS systems, Kaydro included, run on a phone, tablet or computer you already have, with any receipt printer and barcode scanner.