Modern point-of-sale (POS) systems go way beyond basic customer transactions to revolutionize business operations, merge physical and digital sales channels, enhance the customer experience, and streamline payments.

This article will explore six POS trends so businesses know what to expect in 2025.

(Image Source: Paystri)

Cloud POS Systems Will Dominate The Market

Cloud POS systems enable you to operate from anywhere, using internet-enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets to manage stores. By 2025, cloud POS systems are expected to become the first choice for most businesses. 

With cloud POS systems, businesses can receive sales data and inventory information in real-time, scale easily, remain data compliant, and keep maintenance costs low.

Security Features Will Be Of Utmost Importance

92% of IT leaders say cyber attacks such as phishing, malicious software (malware), and ransomware are more sophisticated than ever before. This figure highlights why POS security features will be of utmost importance in 2025, especially for hospitality and retail businesses, which handle a significant amount of personal and financial customer data daily.

POS systems must remain compliant with data protection laws and utilize end-to-end encryption to ensure that sensitive customer data, such as contact and payment information, remain secure throughout the transaction process. 

In addition, a POS system’s AI-powered fraud detection features can monitor real-time transactions and flag suspicious activities, such as unusual purchase patterns or location mismatches, before they occur. Preventing fraudulent transactions reduces the risk of chargebacks and loss of revenue. 

For businesses, robust POS security features protect your customer’s data, build consumer trust, and enhance your brand reputation.

The Possibility Of Voice-Activated POS Systems

Voice technology is set to change everything in 2025, and this could include POS systems. 

The possibility of voice-activated POS systems would see business owners and employees operate through voice commands. These hands-free interactions are likely to increase the efficiency of transactions because they decrease the time that employees spend typing data into a POS system.

POS Features Must Be Tailored To Specific Industries

In 2025, businesses will opt for POS solutions that streamline their entire payment processing. For example, restaurants will want table layout features and reservation management, while retail stores prioritize loyalty programs and promotion management.

Businesses Can Pay For POS Systems Via A Subscription

A subscription allows customers or clients to pay a recurring fee (often monthly or yearly) for access to a product or service, instead of a one-time cost. 

Allowing businesses to pay for POS systems and software via a subscription will make the best solutions available to small and medium-sized businesses, which usually couldn’t afford it.

Rather than paying significant, one-time costs for POS equipment and software, businesses will likely be able to subscribe to POS providers soon, offering them what they need at a cheaper and more manageable recurring fee.

The Rise Of Contactless Payments

As more people adopt smartphones, contactless payment methods, including mobile wallets such as Apple Wallet and Google Wallet and wearable devices such as Apple Watch, are becoming the preferred payment option for most consumers.

Here are some of the benefits of contactless payments:

• Faster and more efficient transactions. Contactless payments are usually faster than traditional methods, which allows businesses to serve more customers and keep waiting customers satisfied. 

• Less physical contact during transactions. Contactless transactions reduce cash handling and the over-touching of card machines, which became very important during the Covid pandemic. 

• Stronger data security through tokenization. Tokenization turns your 16-digit card number into a different number when you pay via contactless methods, so your actual card information is never shared.

The rise of contactless payment methods and the growing demand for cashless experiences requires POS systems to stay up to date with the latest standards in mobile wallets and contactless technologies.

In addition, POS systems should also support QR code scanning and biometric authentication, such as fingerprint technology or facial recognition.

Do You Know What To Expect From POS Systems In 2025?

Today’s POS systems serve as a central platform that merge physical and digital sales channels seamlessly, enhance the customer experience, and streamline operations. However, the future of POS continues to look even brighter with the six emerging trends explored in this article.