Hardware

Flow Retail supports a wide range of existing POS hardware, but we recommend reading this document carefully to ensure full compatibility.

Selecting the right POS hardware depends on several factors — from aesthetics (how sleek and modern the setup should look) to durability (how well it handles dust and wear) to overall cost.

In this guide, you’ll find our recommended equipment types as well as the general requirements for a smooth and reliable POS experience with Flow Retail.

What type of devices do I need for the various Flow Retail clients?

In addition to the various POS-specific hardware, a user must operate Flow Retail using a device.

Flow Retail can run on more or less any devices, with a shortlist below:

In general, what type of hardware is required for a store?

In its absolutely simples variant, you only need a device (Windows computer, Apple Macbook computer, iPad, etc) and a card terminal.

With this setup you can add products and other data, create sales, charge money paid by card or tapping, do refund, and more.

Most stores however also need additional POS hardware, including:

• To add products to a sale quickly or check prices, a barcode reader/scanner.

  • The bardcode scanner is simply an extended keyboard, and so any type of scanner work, from USB-based to Bluetooth-based.

• Some customers still prefer a physical receipt, so a receipt printer like a thermal printer is needed. Must have USB-connection and support ESCPOS (most modern receipt printers do).

• To handle cash in addition to card payments, a cash drawer with USB-connection is required.

• To print price labels (those small stickers with EAN, price, SKU on it), a label printer is needed. This printer is also used for printing gift card numbers to stick onto some nice-looking gift cards.

• Speaking of label printer – Flow Retail also supports printing out larger 19x10 cm labels to stick onto for example Click&Collect orders, to easily mark them for pickup later. Many stores therefore have multiple label printers, with different label sizes in each printer.

• Some stores want to print out pick lists, delivery notes, invoice papers, etc. and then a laser printer is needed, eventually an ink jet printer, however we do not recommend ink jet as they tend to literally dry out.

• If you want to be more mobile, and check prices or inventory, register sales, delivery out products, do stock taking and more, then a mobile device or simply a modern smart phone is also needed.

To connect all these peripherals to Flow Retail, you will also need a Flowbox, which is a cute tiny little box that connects Flow Retail with the devices connected to it. The Flowbox is delivered by us.

Specific hardware recommendations

Device

• For larger stores, we recommend Windows- or Macbook computers.

• For smaller stores, Apple iPad's with external keyboard and a barcode reader is a good setup.

  • We recommend using a hub like this to connect everything:

  • We also recommend a powerful (...) power supply, with at least 60W, to be able to give enough power to both the iPad and to the peripherals, like the barcode scanner

  • And, you need a stand/cradle for the iPad, something like this:

Price

A Windows computer doesn't cost much, however if you go down the Apple Macbook route, the price goes up quite a bit.

A typical iPad is also relatively expensive, however they are extremely robust, and also has a very sensitive touch interface, which makes it very effective to use. The price ranges from NOK 8.000 and upwards for the iPad Air. In general we do recommend iPad Pro (which starts as around NOK 12.000), however iPad Air will also work flawlessly in most scenarios.

The hub costs around NOK 800.

The extra powerful power supply costs around NOK 600-800.

The stand/cradle costs around NOK 500.

The total price for the till without barcode scanner, etc. will therefore be between NOK 10.000 and NOK 15.000 depending on the specs.

Alternative devices

As an alternative to an iPad, all of the following options are fully supported:

• Windows computer, running Windows 10 / 11, or a later version, preferably with a touch monitor

• Mac / Macbook, basically of any kind

• Android tablet, basically of any kind

• Linux computers, running a relatively modern distribution like Ubuntu

For devices in-store, in the warehouse, and on other fixed locations, we in general recommend using simply a Windows-based computer.

For stores with tills where more operations than just registering sales are needed, we also recommend using Windows computers instead of iPad's.

Handheld device / smart phone

With our Flow Retail Assistant native app for iOS and Android, you basically have Flow Retail in your pocket. For stability and robustness, we do recommend a professional handheld device. Handheld devices cost anywhere from NOK 3000 for a relatively cheap yet still good brand, to NOK 10.000 to NOK 20.000 for the top models from leading suppliers like Zebra.

Barcode reader

This depends a lot on whether you would want to move the barcode reader away from the till, for example to scan large products which cannot be put on top of the till.

There are dozens of variants, and we give concrete recommendations based on each store's needs.

In general a barcode reader will cost anywhere between NOK 1500 and NOK 3000.

Strict requirements

• Needs to handle 2D barcodes

• Should be USB connected (however Bluetooth connected in most scenarios works, at least until the bluetooth connection or pairing is lost)

Thermal receipt printer

For receipt printers, most modern variants works fine. There are "cheap" variants which costs around NOK 2000, and more expensive and solid variants like the Epson TMT series, which costs around NOK 4500.

Strict requirements

• Needs to be USB connected

• Must support ESCPOS (most do)

Cash drawer

Here basically all drawers will work, as there is very little logic in a cash drawer.

The price is normally around NOK 1500 for a fully functional cash drawer.

Strict requirements

• Needs to be USB connected

Labels printer

The labels printers is for some reason relatively expensive, and normally clocks in at around NOK 4000-5000, however they are built to last for decades.

Strict requirements

• Needs to be USB connected

• Support for TPL / ZPL (zebra printing language) - basically all such printers support this printing language

Card terminals

Flow Retail supports all major PSPs (Payment Service Providers), like Nets, Verifone, Adyen, Stripe and more.

The integrations are all cloud-based, meaning Flow Retail communicates with the card terminals over the internet, and the card terminals in turn are connected to the WiFi in the store (most can also be cabled over ethernet).

In most cases, one can use its existing terminals, however some older models are not cloud-ready, and needs to be replaced with a newer version.

Flowbox

The Flowbox is a small physical device delivered by Flow Retail.

The purpose of the box is to handle all communication between the Flow Retail platform and your peripherals, like thermal receipt printer, cash drawer, and labels printer.

Summary

If you wanna go fancy, and esthetics is extra important, and mainly sales operations are being handled in the till, go for iPad's, with the mentioned equipment.

If you have much traffic in the store, and also need to handle other operations in-store, then going all-in on Windows computers is a good choice.

A combination is also perfectly fine.

In most cases you can re-use most if not all of your existing POS equipment.

How do we order the hardware?

Together with our sales staff and our external partners we can help in ordering everything. Just keep in mind we are a mainly software company, and so in general we do not offer hardware support, and so you should if possible use a local IT company to set up the equipment and to support it as you go, or if you have a local IT department, they should also be able to assist on the POS hardware.

We will always do our best to help you getting the best possible setup!

Contact [email protected] for more details and to get started.

Connecting the POS hardware

Connecting the various hardware differs a bit. See below for how to connect.

Connecting directly to the devices over the network

Flow Retail also supports printing directly to a network-connected printer, either over the LPD port (515) or the Jetdirect ports (9100-9102).

This option requires the Flow Retail Enterprise option, and with Flow Retail being hosted inside your own infrastructure. This option is only available for clients with a minimum of 100 stores.