Android POS terminal vs Cash register (till): feature by feature
| Android POS terminal | Cash register (till) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rings up sales | Yes | Yes |
| KRA eTIMS invoice per sale | Yes, filed automatically | No, handled separately |
| M-Pesa at the counter | Prompt to the customer phone, matched to the sale | Separate till number, matched by hand |
| Stock tracking | Every sale moves the shelf count | None |
| Staff accountability | Per-cashier logins and reports | One shared drawer |
| Receipts | Thermal print plus digital, eTIMS-compliant | Paper roll, not eTIMS-compliant |
| Reports | Daily sales, best sellers, low stock | End-of-day total at best |
| Cost | Monthly plan, terminal often free | One-time purchase |
How to choose
Choose Android POS terminal if
- You are required to issue eTIMS invoices, which now covers most Kenyan businesses
- You take M-Pesa and want it matched to sales without evening reconciliation
- You want to know what is in stock and what actually sells
Choose Cash register (till) if
- You run a very small cash-only stall below eTIMS thresholds and only need a secure drawer
- You already run a POS and just want somewhere to keep cash, alongside it
More detail
The register survived because it is simple and never needs charging. But KRA moved the goalposts: an eTIMS invoice is now expected on sales across the economy, and a register cannot produce one. That pushes the real work onto you after closing, sale by sale.
An Android terminal like the Veira family folds the drawer-era jobs into one device: it rings the sale, prompts M-Pesa on the customer phone, prints a compliant receipt, updates stock and files to KRA, even offline. With the terminal included free on every Veira plan, the price argument for the register has largely fallen away.
Free tools for this
Frequently asked questions
Is a cash register still legal in Kenya?
Owning one is legal, but most businesses must issue eTIMS invoices on sales, which a register cannot do. You would need a separate eTIMS solution alongside it, which is the work a POS terminal removes.
Do I need to buy the POS terminal?
Not always. Some providers sell hardware separately, while Veira includes the terminal free with every plan, with a built-in thermal printer and card and M-Pesa payments.
What happens to my cash drawer?
Keep it. A POS terminal handles the sale, the invoice and the payment record; the drawer just holds the cash. Veira reconciles the day so the drawer count has something to be checked against.
Veira combines POS, M-Pesa, KRA eTIMS and inventory in one app with a free terminal. Book a demo and see how it fits your trade.