Card machine and till hire5 min read
Hiring a card machine for a day: what to arrange before it arrives
Choose a card reader, get your payment account ready and check the connection before your event, with a checklist for a Saturday market.
Getting tills, payments and internet ready for a pop-up shop
5 min read
Before your pop-up opens, you'll need a way to take payments, a reliable connection at the counter and staff who know how to use the till. Start with how you'll sell, then choose and test the equipment for your space.
In this guide
Start with how you'll sell
Choose equipment around what you sell and how you'll serve customers. Write down:
- Your product range, including sizes, colours and other variants.
- Whether you'll take cash as well as card.
- Whether you need printed or digital receipts.
- Whether you need stock levels to update with each sale.
- How many staff will take payments at once, at the counter or on the shop floor.
- Whether the pop-up needs to share products, stock and reports with an online store.
Get the payment account ready early
You'll need a payment account in your name or your business's name. If you already use SumUp, Square, PayPal POS (formerly Zettle), Shopify or another provider, check whether you can add the pop-up as a location on that account.
If you need a new account, apply early. Complete the provider's identity and business checks and link your bank account before opening day.
A reader, a till, or both
A handheld card reader can suit a small range and card-only trading. A complete till gives staff a larger screen for finding products, with options for a receipt printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner. Scanning is useful when you have lots of similar items or product variants.
Check internet and power at the counter
Check what connection your equipment needs before committing to the site's Wi-Fi. A reader with its own mobile data can work without it. For a counter till, check the power and network requirements of the model you choose. A mobile router is an option if the site's internet isn't suitable.
- Ask the landlord what internet is included and whether it's shared with other units.
- Get the Wi-Fi details and check for a browser login page that could prevent your equipment connecting.
- Test the connection where the counter will stand, ideally while the building is busy.
- For a mobile router, check coverage at the counter on the network you plan to use.
- Count the sockets needed for the till, printer and router, and check you can reach them.
Prepare products, prices and stock
Load your products, prices and tax settings before opening, then check a few items on the till. Staff can find products quickly and your reports will show what sold. If you already sell online, check whether you can import or sync the existing product list to avoid entering it twice.
If you're tracking stock, enter the opening quantities before your first sale. Check that sales and returns update the right location's stock.
Test the till with your team
Before opening, follow your provider's instructions to test a payment and refund. Check the tasks your staff will use:
- Take a card payment and print or send a receipt.
- Record a cash sale and open the drawer, if you'll take cash.
- Find a sale and issue a refund.
- Scan a product, if you'll use barcodes.
- Find the sale in your reports and check the stock adjustment.
- Check the bank account and payout schedule in the provider app.
Set up staff logins and let everyone practise a sale and refund. Show them what to do if the connection fails and who to contact for help.
Opening abroad, and closing up
If your pop-up is abroad, check with your payment provider that your account and equipment can be used there. Confirm local receipt and tax requirements with your accountant or a local adviser before configuring the till.
When the pop-up closes, save your sales reports and count the remaining stock. Sign out of hired equipment and return it with its accessories on the agreed date.
The opening checklist
- Four weeks before
- Write down how you'll sell: products, cash or card, receipts, stock, number of payment points.
- Open a payment account, or check whether you can add the pop-up to your existing account.
- Agree setup and delivery dates with anyone supplying equipment.
- Three weeks before
- Choose a reader, a till or both, and decide whether to hire or buy.
- Ask the landlord about internet, sockets and where the counter can go.
- Send a hire request if you're hiring, with your trading dates.
- Two weeks before
- Confirm the provider's checks are complete and your bank account is linked.
- Visit the site and check the signal at the counter, on Wi-Fi and on mobile data.
- Arrange a mobile router if needed, after checking network coverage.
- The week before
- Load products, prices and tax settings in the provider app.
- Set opening stock quantities if you're tracking stock.
- Set up staff logins.
- The day before
- Set up and connect the equipment at the counter.
- Test a card payment and refund using your provider's instructions. Check receipts and cash sales if needed.
- Let staff practise a sale, a refund and what to do if the connection fails.
- Charge every battery overnight.
- Opening day
- Check the till and reader show a connection before the doors open.
- Count the float into the drawer if you're taking cash.
- Check that your backup reader or connection is ready to use.
Where Flow comes in
We help you choose tills and payment providers, check the site's internet and power, set up and test your equipment, and show your team how to use it. If you already have a setup, we can help adapt it for the pop-up.
Sources and further reading
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