Restaurant POS in Jordan: a buyer's checklist
Restaurant POS systems look alike in a demo. These eight checks show how a system behaves on a busy evening, and what it costs over the years.
Before you compare vendors
Write down how many branches, tables, kitchen stations and delivery apps you run. A system that suits one counter can struggle with three kitchens and two delivery platforms.
The eight checks
1. It works when the internet drops
Ask what happens to open orders when the connection fails, and how they sync afterwards. Test it in the demo by unplugging the router.
2. Arabic and English, everywhere
Check the screens, the menu and the printed receipts. The receipt is what your customer and the tax auditor see.
3. Orders reach the right station
Orders should reach the kitchen display or the right printer. Ask how you add a new station, and what changes when a dish moves from one station to another.
4. Stock follows recipes
If you sell prepared dishes, stock should go down by ingredient, not only by the item sold. Otherwise your stock numbers drift away from reality.
5. Reports you will actually read
Sales by item, by staff member and by payment method, every day. Ask for a sample report from a live account.
6. Cloud access and backups
Can you check sales from home? Where is the data stored, and what happens if a device is lost or breaks?
7. Payments and cash control
Cash shifts, card payments, several payment methods on one bill, and a clear end-of-shift report.
8. Tax and e-invoicing
Businesses registered for VAT must issue their invoices through JoFotara, Jordan's national e-invoicing system. Ask every vendor in writing whether their system is connected to it, and from which date.
Ask every vendor
- The full cost: hardware, licence, monthly fee, support and updates.
- Who installs the system, who supports it, and during which hours.
- Contract length and exit terms. Can you export your data if you leave?
- Staff training in Arabic.
- References from restaurants in Amman. Ask to see the system working in one of them.
Ask us the same questions about AlienPOS
AlienPOS is our own iPad point-of-sale system for restaurants. Put the same eight questions to us, and ask for written answers.
See the AlienPOS page →This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check current e-invoicing requirements with the Income and Sales Tax Department.