About POS Receipt Printers
POS Receipt printers are part of a point-of-sale system and are used to print payment receipts for customers that contain purchase-related information like date and time of purchase, product name and number, price, and more. These receipts act as proof of a transaction, maintain transparency with the customers, and satisfy business regulations. An example of a business regulation is that some jurisdictions require you to give a customer a detailed POS receipt every time you charge them sales tax so they can see what taxes they paid.
Printing Credit Card Receipts
POS Receipt printers may also be used to print credit card receipts. These are in addition to the sales receipt and contain the details of any charges to the customer’s credit card. Most card processors, also known as merchant services, will require you to print a separate receipt detailing the card transaction.
Choosing A POS Receipt Printer
When choosing a receipt printer, it’s important to consider the type of printer that best suits your business needs. There are three different kinds of receipt printers: thermal receipt printers, inkjet printers, and impact printers.
– Thermal POS Receipt Printers
Thermal printers are the most common type of receipt printer because they don’t require any ink. Instead, heat is used to print receipts through direct contact between the thermal paper and the thermal head. This kind of printer produces high-quality receipts quietly and quickly. Inkjet printers use heads that place small ink droplets on the receipt paper, which leads to high-quality printing with color.
– Impact POS Receipt Printers
Impact printers, also known as Dot Matrix printers, are less expensive compared to thermal printers and inkjet printers. This comparison takes into account the cost of the printer itself as well as the operating costs, including replacement materials. This type of printer uses an ink ribbon and tiny pins to develop a series of dots that create letters on receipts. The impact printer typically uses black and red colors on the receipts.
– Inkjet POS Receipt Printers
Some manufacturers tried marketing inkjet POS printers but they never caught on. The ink cartridges do not last long enough and get quite expensive.
POS Receipt Printer Life
Most receipt printers last somewhere between 10 to 15 years. The print head of a thermal receipt printer usually needs to be replaced after about 10 years. You can lengthen the lifespan of your printer by regularly maintaining and cleaning it and always using the printer within your manufacturer’s guidelines.