If you’re a company just starting out, then the ring of the till is probably the one sound you’re most eager to hear. But in these modern times, it’s not enough to just stick a till on your counter and await the paying masses. This is the era of contactless cards and digital wallets, a time when ‘money’ is not synonymous with ‘cash’. In fact, if your business is still relying on customers coming in with pockets full of cash, you’re at risk of losing tens of thousands in annual sales.

Here are five key reasons you should get your business equipped with a Mobile Point of Sale (MPOS) system:

1. They don’t have to be expensive

Cash registers are rarely cheap, require maintenance and need to be constantly plugged in, so they do your utility bill no favours, either.

A good point of sale app (we think we know just the one) requires no more than your smartphone or tablet to run, and is free to download and use. Input your sales and keep track of what you’re selling (how much you are taking) in real-time.

Pair it with a credit or debit card reader from Square for a one-off £39+VAT payment, and you can start taking card payments instantly too.

2. They’re fast

Cash is slow, you’re sure to know this. Waiting for customers to fish the correct amount out from their purse, dealing with change, trying to make sure you give the correct amount back, not to mention the hassle of taking it to the bank at the end of the day. Using a Mobile Point of Sale (MPOS) app and reader make it all digital.

Square lets you accept any way your customers pay. So you can track cash purchases, and it's really easy for your customers can pay by card too. They just tap their contactless card or insert their card and type in their PIN – and that’s it. The system charges you the exact amount, no cash, no fuss and no human error that may end up with customers being short-changed. It’s faster, fairer and for your small business, it’s a game-changer when it comes to getting those sales through.

3. You don’t need to pay for yearly maintenance or monthly fees

Once you download Square’s Point of Sale app, it’s yours to use. No user fees or membership costs. Rates for accepting card and contactless payments are fair and low-priced. With Square you just pay 1.75% per card transaction made in person and 2.5% over the phone or online. For £39+VAT you own your credit and debit reader and there are no contracts, monthly fees or rental charges.

4. You can use them to process payment methods like contactless payments and Apple Pay

Contactless cards, chip and PIN, Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, even magnetic stripe cards from overseas, Square’s Poitn of Sale app combined with our Reader and backup magnetic stripe card reader means your MPOS will do far more than an old-fashioned cash register ever could. Which means you’ll also be making far more sales.

5. They save you time and money

Mobile point of sale systems are easy to learn (no need to have senior staff spend a whole day training new starters), easy to use (sales done in seconds) and do far more than they say on the tin (there’s a whole lot of value for money in this one little app). Plus, they run from your smartphone or tablet so wherever you are, you can check in and see how your business is doing.

Get ready, Square has arrived and it means big things for your business.

Square enables millions of small and medium sized businesses around the world to take credit and debit card payments without subscription fees or ties.

Here are just a few ways that Square can help transform the way you work:

• Our Square Point of Sale App is free to download and use and lets you track your sales and inventory - get it from the App Store or Google Play
• It’s free to set up an account and only takes 5 mins
• To start taking card payments, buy the Square Reader, available from Square, Amazon, Argos and Apple Stores
• Accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express
• Accept contactless, Chip & PIN, Android Pay and Apple Pay
• Get paid fast - normally next business day
• No monthly fees, or minimum use
• Pay just 1.75% per transaction for payments made in person
• Pay just 2.5% for telephone orders, online payments and electronic invoices
• Use your existing device. Square is compatible with multiple iOS and Android phones and tablets, including iPhone 6 and 7.

Sign up for a Square account by visiting www.square.com/uk