[jasongi]

Yet, this is also the tragedy of modern software. While a fancy SaaS POS system will be fast and easy to install, the legacy local database version is going to keep working throughout an internet blackout (with cash), a power outage (via backup power) or an outage of the remote server.

I doubt anybody is losing customers over a 1s delay in the till opening or a POS server syncing the day’s transaction after close. But having worked in retail - the one time you get a call from head office is when there’s “loss of trading” - it’s a bigger issue than theft.

I remember there being an entire tourist town that was suffering economically because during peak season, the mobile phone tower was saturated and merchants could not process card payments. You can’t even use click-clack machines anymore with modern credit cards.

Now… working offline is entirely doable in a modern tech stack too - but I somehow doubt most modern POS products support it well.

[esperent]

The modern SAAS versions all work without internet using the client app. As we are in Vietnam, I don't think any business would ever choose a POS solution that didn't work without internet or via battery power during an outage. So there's no loss of functionality there. There are power outages around once a month, scheduled or unscheduled, not to mention storm season which has more frequent outages, sometimes for several days. So this functionality gets well tested.

All banking solutions - as well as the POS system - can work on mobile data and that usually is fine during an outage. The only time mobile data failed in recent years was after a 3 day power outage following a typhoon, when I guess their batteries failed. By that time our business was pretty much shut down due to supply issues anyway.

So basically, as long as the battery or generator lasts, all of these POS solutions will perform equivalently.

Edit: and to further clarify, I don't think there are any features that the old schools apps have that the new ones don't. Unless you consider a local database or not using a web browser as features (which is valid but not my view). While the newer ones tend to have a much stronger focus on accessibility (probably because they are basically web apps) and translation.