How to Choose the Best POS Machine Canada has for Retailers

May 26, 2025
5 minutes Read
In Canada, POS machine options are abundant, but only a few truly meet the needs of retailers. Keep reading to discover the best POS machine for retail.
How to Choose the Best POS Machine Canada has for Retailers

How to Choose the Best POS Machine Canada has to offer Retailers

Across Canada, Point-of-Sale machine options are plentiful. But as a retailer, choosing the best POS machine for your business may come as more of a distraction than a solution. Although a lot of POS machines come with the necessities, they may lack the features needed to support retail growth. What you really need is a POS machine that goes above and beyond just the basics.

In Canada, POS machines generally fall into two categories

Category 1, by far the more common, is known to provide just the basics. Nothing less, but nothing more either. These POS machines get the job done. Retailers can use them to accept popular North American payment methods, and transactions are typically fast enough.

Why would a retailer choose a C1 POS machine?

Category 1 POS machines work well for local brick-and-mortar retailers in relatively homogenous communities—places where customers tend to use the same, familiar payment methods and where that pattern isn’t likely to change.

These machines also suit retailers who mainly prefer cash but want to offer basic digital payment options. Think of a small-town hardware store or a neighborhood bike repair shop. In these cases, simplicity and cost-effectiveness often outweigh advanced features.

Store employee holding out a POS Terminal while a customer pays with their smartphone

If C1 POS Machines are the Table Stakes, C2 POS Machines is the Steak Dinner

The good C2 POS machines in Canada offer payment processing services — handling both the payment AND getting you paid. That means one less vendor relationship for you to manage. 

Another feature of the best C2 POS machines is their ability to go beyond common payment methods, including their ability to accept alternative payment methods. That might not sound critical, but customers with American Express or Discover cards often insist on using them for the rewards. In Canada, POS machines that support these cards are good news for shoppers who value earning points. Accepting these cards can make the difference between a sale and a walkaway.

Some of the better C2 POS machines even allow custom branding. If building brand awareness is important to you, the POS terminal becomes a subtle but powerful tool—it’s part of the final customer interaction and a great opportunity to reinforce your brand’s look and message.

And when it comes to branding, the best C2 POS machines in Canada offer omnichannel capabilities. That means your customers enjoy a seamless experience whether they’re paying online or instore. Consistency across touchpoints helps strengthen the brand equity you’ve worked so hard to build.

What kind of retailers should choose a C2 POS machine?

C2 POS systems are essential for retailers with an online presence. Selling online means reaching a diverse customer base with a wide variety of preferred payment methods—your POS system needs to be ready for all of them.

At the same time, brick-and-mortar stores in urban areas also benefit from C2 machines, thanks to the broader payment compatibility.

For busy retailers, a C2 POS machine connects to a network that handles both sides of the transaction—speeding up payments and keeping the line moving.

And then there are the forward-thinking retailers—the ones who understand that the payment process is more than just a transaction. It’s a final chance to leave a positive impression and build lasting loyalty.

Closeup of store clerk holding out an OTT Pay Smart POS Terminal while a customer pays on their smartphone

Two Other Ways to Evaluate a POS Machine in Canada

In Canada, POS machine options are everywhere. That’s why it’s important to take your time and weigh the features that truly matter to your business. Two key factors to consider:

Fees

POS providers typically charge either a flat fee per transaction or a small percentage of the transaction amount. The right structure for you depends on your sales volume and product price points.

Security

Cybersecurity is more important than ever. While most reputable POS machines in Canada meet the PCI DSS compliance standard, it’s smart to ask how each provider goes beyond the minimum. What additional safeguards are in place to protect you—and your customers—from fraud?

The OTT Pay Smart POS Terminal is the Category 2 POS Machine Canada Trusts

Leading the way in acceptance, speed, simplicity and comprehensiveness, the OTT Pay Smart POS Terminal is the ideal POS machine for retailers who know they can leverage the payment process to enhance the overall customer experience:

  • You CAN include payment processing as part of your service with OTT Pay. That means one point of contact for everything to do with payment, returns, reconciliations, all of it.
  • You WILL be able to accept 12 types of payment methods:
    • Visa
    • MasterCard
    • Interac
    • Apple Pay
    • Google Pay
    • American Express
    • Discover Card
    • Diner’s Club Card
    • JCB
    • UnionPay Card
    • Alipay
    • WeChat Pay

And this matters—because research shows that 50% of customers (yours included) will abandon a purchase if their preferred payment method isn’t available.

  • You SHOULD brand both the physical POS machine and the back end of your online payment portal with your own look and feel. This ensures your customers feel cared for from start to finish. With the OTT Pay Smart POS terminal, you can. That extra sense of attention will mean more than you might expect—especially when it’s time for them to buy again.
  • You COULD be reinforcing your brand more effectively by unifying the payment experience across every touchpoint. Every customer gets the same seamless experience, no matter where they choose to buy from you.
  • And you WOULD be able to start integrating QR codes into your business — because the OTT Pay Smart POS terminal makes it possible to facilitate, track, manage, and reconcile QR-code transactions.

This opens the door to ideas like letting customers pay for items from anywhere in your store without going to a cash desk. It could also mean placing QR codes linked to special in-store offers around your space for customers to see, scan, and shop.

Person paying by card on an OTT Pay point of sale terminal

The OTT Pay Smart POS Terminal is the Category 2 POS Machine Canada Trusts

With one-third of Canadian businesses investing in improvements to their customer experiences, enhancing the all-important final step of the shopping journey is quickly becoming a top priority for 2025. And the smartest retailers are taking a serious look at the acceptance, speed, simplicity, and comprehensiveness of the Smart POS terminal from OTT Pay.

Uncover some of the advanced features the OTT Pay Smart POS Terminal has to offer your business! Apply now and claim up to ONE YEAR FREE* POS Terminal Rental!

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