POS question
What does POS stand for?
Short answer
POS stands for Point of Sale. It is the moment and location where a retail transaction is finished—items are totaled, payment is made, and ownership transfers to the customer. POP (point of purchase) means the same thing from the buyer's side.
More detail
In everyday business language, 'POS' also refers to the software or device used at checkout—not only the moment itself.
Examples: a supermarket checkout lane, a café counter, or a vendor scanning items on a phone at a weekend market.
Related questions
- What is POS software?
- POS software is the app or program that runs checkout—adding products, calculating totals, saving receipts, and updating stock.
- What is a mobile POS?
- Mobile POS runs on a smartphone or tablet so staff can sell away from a fixed counter.