Buyer's guide
POS machine price in the Philippines: what you actually need
If you searched for a POS machine, you probably want to stop writing sales in a notebook, print a receipt, and know what you earned today. Here is what that really costs, and why most Filipino small businesses do not need to buy a machine at all.
Updated 2026-08-31
Two things people mean by “POS machine”
The bank card terminal. The small device with a keypad that a bank or e-wallet provider issues so you can accept card taps and QR payments. It does one job: take a payment. It does not track your inventory, your utang, or your staff.
The point of sale system. The cashier screen your staff sells from, plus the receipt printer, the product list, the stock counts, and the end-of-day report. This is what actually runs a store, and it is what most people are looking for when they type “POS machine”.
You can have the second without the first. Most sari-sari stores, cafes, and food stalls in the Philippines take cash, GCash, and Maya, and never need a bank terminal.
What a traditional POS machine costs
A dedicated all-in-one terminal, a cash drawer, and a receipt printer from a traditional POS vendor typically costs tens of thousands of pesos upfront. On top of that come software licensing, an installation visit, and a support contract, and the hardware is tied to one counter in one store. If the vendor closes or you outgrow the software, you start over.
What you actually need to start
- A device you already own. An Android phone from 2019 onward, an iPhone, a tablet, or a laptop.
- POS software that works offline, tracks stock and utang, records GCash and Maya, and gives you a daily report. KwentaPOS does this from ₱59 a month after a free 15-day trial.
- Optional: a thermal printer. A 58mm Bluetooth printer for receipts is inexpensive and available at any electronics shop. KwentaPOS supports 58mm and 80mm models over Bluetooth, USB, and Web Serial.
- Optional: a barcode scanner. USB or Bluetooth scanners work as keyboard input with no setup.
That is the whole list. No terminal purchase, no installation fee, no contract.
When a bank terminal makes sense
If a large share of your customers pay with physical cards, get a terminal from your bank or a payments provider. You still run KwentaPOS as the point of sale: the terminal takes the card, and you record the sale as a card payment in KwentaPOS so it shows in your reports alongside cash and e-wallets.
Pick the setup for your business
Every kind of store weighs these choices differently. A hardware store cares about units and contractor credit; a milk tea shop cares about modifiers and a kitchen screen. We wrote a short guide for each:
- POS for cafe
- POS for milk tea shop
- POS for restaurant
- POS for sari-sari store
- POS for retail store
- POS for bakery
- POS for food cart
- POS for mini grocery
- POS for hardware store
Try it on your phone today
- 15-day free trial, no credit card
- Works fully offline
- Utang, inventory, GCash and Maya
- From ₱59 a month after the trial
POS machine questions
What is a POS machine?
In the Philippines the phrase covers two different things: the small card terminal a bank or e-wallet issues so you can accept card and QR payments, and the full point of sale system (cashier screen, receipt printer, inventory, reports) that runs your store. Most small businesses need the second one first, and it can run on a phone or tablet.
How much does a POS machine cost in the Philippines?
A dedicated terminal, cash drawer, and printer bundle from a traditional vendor typically costs tens of thousands of pesos upfront, before software and support fees. A software POS like KwentaPOS costs from ₱59 a month, runs on the phone or tablet you already own, and a 58mm Bluetooth thermal printer for receipts is an optional extra you can buy from any electronics shop.
Can I use my phone as a POS machine?
Yes. KwentaPOS installs as a web app on any Android phone from 2019 onward, on iPhone, and on tablets and laptops. It works fully offline and syncs when you reconnect, so a prepaid-data phone is enough.
Do I still need a bank POS terminal for cards?
Only if you want to accept physical card swipes. Most Filipino customers pay with cash, GCash, or Maya, and KwentaPOS records GCash and Maya payments with reference numbers directly. If you later add a bank terminal, you record the card sale in KwentaPOS the same way.
What hardware does KwentaPOS support?
58mm and 80mm thermal receipt printers over Bluetooth, USB, or Web Serial; USB and Bluetooth barcode scanners; and a second screen as a customer-facing display. None of it is required to start.