Talech vs. Square Retail

Talech is a cloud solution with two separate interfaces - the browser-based back office, and the terminal display which is accessible on an iPad or similar tablet device.

Both are fairly easy to use. They’re not the most intuitive we’ve come across, but they’re by no means the worst.

The terminal follows a typical design, with a pop-up sidebar with tabs to areas for processing sales, checking past orders, running reports, and accessing customer details. The checkout page is equally straightforward, with visual product icons and options to split payments, add discounts and gift cards, use store credit, and more.

The back office, which is also accessible from the tablet display, features a horizontal banner menu with links to dedicated dashboards for analytics, inventory management, employee settings, customer accounts, and support.

The interface is perfectly suitable for users without any previous experience using a point-of-sale system. What’s more, Talech offers a number of onboarding and training packages.

"Easy to use many choices to choose from equipment-wise and their support is amazing well worth it."

"Makes it easy for customers to check out faster."

"Easy to navigate, fairly straightforward."

Square for Retail is very easy to use. Everything from the back-office dashboard to the “smart” store builder is designed to streamline the process of taking and managing payments.

The POS register, which is usually accessed via an iOS tablet or Square’s in-house register, follows a typical block format, with an area that displays individual products and categories, a checkout box, and additional options like discounts, gift cards, popular items, and so on. It’s also possible to use your tablet to receive tips, send email receipts, check inventory at different locations, and so on.

The back-office is also designed in a traditional way, with a left-hand sidebar providing access to dedicated areas for managing sales, analytics and tracking, employee permissions, and more.

“Square is a great product that is a wonderful tool for small businesses and nonprofits like ours.

“It operates just like your mind works. It is so logical.”

“I liked that it was a convenient way to accept payments anywhere via my mobile cell phone through the Square App.”

Talech offers a broad selection of features. With the possible exception of the integrations library, users will have all the functionality they need to run a smooth, customizable point-of-sale system, manage their employees, and keep track of sales and performance metrics. A mobile app, and multiple hardware solutions, are available.

Talech also offers several features that set it apart from other solutions, including customer self-order kiosks, “house accounts”, and 24/7 support. Most plans allow for an unlimited number of users and products.

Inventory management tools include variable-priced products, stock tracking, automated low-inventory alerts, barcode scanning, and supplier management.

In terms of sales and orders, the checkout terminal enables users to add discounts, split payments, exchange items, process gift cards, and email and text receipts. The analytics tools are equally comprehensive, with the option to download auto-generated reports and employee timesheets.

Finally, it is also possible to store customer details and track activity through the customer management dashboard.

Square for Retail has a fairly comprehensive feature-set and comes with everything you would expect from a point-of-sale system. Keep in mind that you will only have access to all features on the $60/month “Plus” package. The free plan provides only limited functionality.

Square back-office is a browser-based app. The register interface is accessed via an iPad or the Square register. Support for Android tablets is not provided, but you can download a feature-limited Android app to take mobile payments.

Checkout features include saved carts, barcode scanning via the iPad camera or Square register, discounts, item searches, and exchanges. Payment functionality, which works on a straightforward, transparent fee structure, comprises next-day transfers, invoices, and both physical and digital gift cards.

You won’t find anything lacking on the inventory management front, either. Tools include unlimited products, low stock alerts, bulk inventory uploads, barcode printing, and more.

If you decide to use Square’s in-house ecommerce solution, you will also have access to a user-friendly store builder, automated inventory syncing, and integration with Instagram.

Finally, analytics reports cover sales, profit margins, vendor sales, and total costs.

Talech doesn’t perform overly well when it comes to native integrations.

Most syncing options are made possible through OneSaaS, a third-party app that allows users to connect with platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and others. Using OneSaas, however, may incur extra costs depending on your plan. A handful of kitchen display screen (KDS) integrations is provided.

Talech is also compatible with most payment processors via gateways like USAePay, Ingenico, and Elavon.

For most retailers and other businesses, this integration kit will be sufficient. If, however, you want to build a fully-synced tech stack that connects with all your apps, then you will likely need to look elsewhere.

Integrations represent one area where Square could have performed better. If you’re looking for a POS system that syncs up seamlessly with your existing tech stack, you may be forced to look elsewhere. That said, Square does provide a small package of integrations, so you may find what you’re looking for. A Zapier integration is also available, so you can sync up with most apps, albeit with limited functionality.

Square performs best in the area of accounting and tax, where a large selection of integrations is offered, including Quickbooks, Xero, Shogo, Kahoo, OneUp, ZohoBooks, and more. A small number of connectors with analytics, team management, and restaurant apps are provided.

Square’s online payment processing tool also integrates with most well-known ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and so on.

Talech is among the more competitively-priced solutions that we’ve reviewed. This does come with a few caveats, however.

The “Starter” plan is $29/month and allows for five users and one hundred products. Features are significantly limited on this package and users don’t have access to advanced reporting, loyalty options, or integrations. The mid-tier “Standard” plan, which costs $69/month, will be necessary for most businesses. All but a handful of features are included in this package. The “Premium” subscription, which comes in at $99/month, provides access to all features, including inventory alerts, advanced checkout options (like split orders), and automatic gratuities.

All of this in mind, potential users should be aware of a few “hidden” costs. Additional devices cost an extra $29/month on all plans. On the “Starter” and “Standard” subscriptions, use of gift-cards is $19/month and you’ll have to pay $49/month for ecommerce features (although they are offered free of any extra charges in the “Premium” package). Integrations may also incur extra costs.

Finally, there is a dedicated enterprise option which runs on a custom pricing model.

Square has a straightforward, competitive pricing structure. We consider the free plan to be one of the best available to small and medium retailers. Three plans are offered: “Free”, “Plus”, and “Premium”.

The free plan is ideal for small shops and comes with a limited number of features. If you want to add extra team members, you will have to pay $35/month per store. The “Plus” plan, which most users will opt for, costs $60/month per location and includes the full feature-set and discounted payment processing fees.

Finally, the “Premium” plan, which is geared towards larger enterprises, operates on a custom pricing model and is available to sellers turning over in excess of $250,000 a month.

Talech scores highly for “help and support”, with a 24/7 phone and email service for all users. Additional training for new subscribers is also available, including a “Getting Started” package and help for restaurants when first uploading their menus.

Reviews of support from existing users are generally very good.

Square customer support is available via phone, email, live chat, and social media. Users also have access to extensive documentation and an active seller community.

User reviews of the quality and speed of support are mixed, with many users talking positively about helpful staff and fast response times but complaining about receiving generic answers.

There are no custom onboarding packages, although the ease of setting up largely removes the need for them.

Overall, we were very impressed with Talech. It’s a reliable, feature-rich solution that’s suitable for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re responsible for a one-person cafe or a chain of large retail outlets, you’ll find everything you need to run an efficient point-of-sale system.

The main issues to be aware of are the additional costs for extra devices, which may be a problem for restaurants in particular if they require multiple registers, and the limited integrations library. Remember to sign up for a free demo before purchasing a subscription.

Overall, we were very impressed with Square. It’s one of the easiest-to-use platforms we reviewed, and the “forever free” plan is arguably the best on the market. Small and medium-sized retailers that are looking for a streamlined, straightforward solution with transparent pricing will find a lot to like. The only real downsides are the limited integrations library and the expensive hardware, although this won’t be a problem if you’re using an iPad.

Larger store-owners will likely require more extensive functionality, especially when it comes to analytics and integrations. Nonetheless, it is still worth getting in touch to discuss options if you’re generating sales of over $250,000 per month.