By George Mayo, owner of NJ POS Systems. Published October 26, 2026.
A free POS system is a point of sale whose hardware, installation, training and software are paid for by the processing on your card sales instead of an upfront invoice.
Free is a real word here, but it is worth knowing exactly what it covers, where the money comes from, and when a free system is the wrong choice. This is how we explain it across the counter.
Where does the money come from?
From the cash discount program on your card sales. Card customers pay the posted price, which includes the cost of accepting cards, and that processing revenue is what pays for the Genius hardware, the install and the software.
Before the program, that same fee left your deposits every month. After it, the fee is paid at the register and the equipment is covered. That is the whole mechanism; there is no second invoice later.
What is included?
The Genius countertop POS, a handheld terminal, installation, menu or product setup, staff training, the monthly software and 24 hour support for installed systems. The receipt on our Free POS page itemizes each line at zero.
- Genius countertop POS and handheld terminal
- Install, menu or inventory load, and training in one visit
- Monthly software, updates and 24/7 support
- Card processing on the cash discount program
What do you still pay?
The processing on card sales, which runs through the cash discount program, and the terms of a standard merchant agreement. Your internet connection, receipt paper and any third-party subscriptions you add are yours as well.
The quote spells the terms out first. If a number on the quote does not match what we said on the phone, ask before you sign; that is what the quote is for.
When is a free POS not worth it?
When card sales are a small share of your business, when you invoice customers instead of ringing sales, or when you want to own hardware outright and shop processing every year.
A mostly-cash business does not generate enough card volume to make the program meaningful. A contractor or wholesaler who sends invoices is better served by receivables automation, which our parent company Swiped sets up with Biller Genie. And some owners simply prefer to buy equipment and keep processing as a separate line; we can run a standard account for them too.
What should you ask any free POS offer?
Who owns the hardware, how long the term is, what early termination costs, what happens to the equipment if you leave, who answers the phone on a Saturday night, and whether the fee program is a cash discount or a surcharge set up legally for New Jersey.
- Is every line on the quote itemized, including the ones that say zero?
- Is the program a cash discount or a surcharge, and is the New Jersey disclosure handled?
- Who installs it and trains the staff, the company or a contractor?
- Is support in-house, and what are the hours?
How does NJ POS Systems do it?
We quote it on one page, show you the receipt with every line at zero, go through the merchant agreement before you sign, and install and train in one visit on a slow day. Support for installed systems runs around the clock, and the business-hours line is answered in Warren, New Jersey.
About The Author
George Mayo owns NJ POS Systems and co-founded Swiped. He has worked in merchant services since 1994, when he and Mario Parisi founded Merchant Services Inc, which they sold in 2014. He still reviews statements and quotes himself. More about the company.
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