5 point-of-sale startups that want a piece of Indonesia’s consumption boom

It’s no secret that Indonesia’s growing economy is largely fuelled by brick-and-mortar consumption. While not immediately obvious, this presents great opportunities for tech startups, namely those offering creative solutions for point-of-sale (POS) systems at the checkout counter.

Traditional POS systems consist of a basic computer, barcode scanner, receipt printer, cash drawer, and card reader for debit or credit transactions. Until recently, these devices, which are ubiquitous in the archipelago, were archaic and limited.

But several new firms are making headway with POS tech. Brick-and-mortar merchants now have increased freedom and options when using their sales equipment. POS systems in Indonesia are becoming easier to use, more affordable, and more versatile, as they can now be linked up with your tablet or smartphone. Cloud computing has recently been introduced. In no particular order, here are five POS startups that are shaking things up in Indonesia.

Moka

Moka is a mobile POS startup that lets users do nearly everything via iPad. With Moka, users can ring up transactions, accept payments, and create reports. Everything done through Moka is stored in its real-time cloud. With Moka’s cloud tech, Indonesian business owners can manage multiple stores and instantly know what the best-selling items are at different locations. Moka also allows for instant inventory checks.

Users can get all their sales intel without leaving home. The app also lets merchants track and manage employee activity. Moka monetizes through a subscription business model to the tune of Rp 250,000 (US$19) per month.

See: Indonesian mPOS startup Moka grabs seed funding

Pawoon

While Moka uses iOS as its preferred bread and butter, its direct cloud-based competitor Pawoon zeroes in on Android. The startup claims its product is well-suited for small and medium enterprises in retail, cafe, and restaurant businesses. According to Pawoon, its system lets users view reports, manage stock across multiple stores, and track customer behavior.