POS System Companies & Dealers in Puerto Rico (PR)

How to choose POS system companies in Puerto Rico

Where to find POS system companies in Puerto Rico

Every register on the island reports to Hacienda twice. Once through the 11.5 percent IVU it collects, and again through the IVU Loto fiscal terminal that has to sit at each point of sale. A POS provider that has worked here knows both. One that mostly sells on the mainland may not, and that gap is where most setup problems start.

Most POS sellers and installers are based in the San Juan metro area. That area takes in the capital plus Bayamón, Carolina, Guaynabo and Caguas. Firms based in San Juan and Guaynabo cover a lot of the north coast. They're also where you're most likely to find specialists in restaurants, pharmacies, retail chains or service businesses. Outside the metro the choice gets thinner. Ponce on the south coast, Mayagüez in the west and Arecibo in the north have local resellers. Many businesses in smaller towns, though, are served by a metro firm that sends a technician out when needed, or by a national provider that only offers phone and remote support. If you're in the mountains or on the west coast, ask how long it really takes someone to get to you.

Sales tax rules a Puerto Rico POS system has to handle

The IVU is a combined 11.5 percent: 10.5 percent goes to the central government and 1 percent to the municipality where the sale happens. Municipalities don't set their own rates, so you won't need a different rate for each town. The detail is in the items. A reduced 4 percent rate applies to many business-to-business and designated professional services. Unprocessed groceries and prescription medicines are exempt. Your POS needs tax codes for each item, not one rate for the whole store.

  • IVU Loto. Hacienda requires a fiscal terminal, or a POS application modified to meet the program's rules, at every point of sale. This applies whatever your sales volume. Adding or removing a register has to be reported to Hacienda. Ask the provider to show you how their system works with IVU Loto and who handles that paperwork.
  • Merchant registration. You need a Merchant's Registration Certificate, filed through the SURI portal, before you start selling. A good provider will ask to see it during setup.
  • Back-to-school tax holidays. Twice a year, once in July and once in January, Hacienda suspends the IVU on school uniforms and qualifying school supplies. It publishes the dates and the list of items in a circular. Check that the system can switch these items to tax-exempt for the holiday and switch them back afterward without hand-editing every product.

Rates and program rules do change, so check the current figures with the Departamento de Hacienda before you sign.

Card fees, tips and ID checks at a Puerto Rico register

Local law has banned adding a surcharge for credit or debit card payments since 2008. Cash discounts are less clear. The legislature changed the law in 2013, and the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) has said it reads the law as banning cash discounts. The issue has also been fought in federal court. Many mainland processors sell "dual pricing" or "cash discount" programs as a standard feature. Don't turn one on because a sales rep says it's fine. Get advice from a local attorney or check with DACO first.

Restaurants should check how the system keeps propina apart from an automatic service charge for large parties. It should track tips by employee and produce reports your payroll accountant can use for tip pooling and tax. Ask for a sample end-of-shift report before you buy.

The legal drinking age here is 18, so the ID prompt for alcohol should be set to 18. Many systems built for the mainland come set to 21. Set up any other age-restricted products separately. Card data security and any customer information you collect, such as loyalty phone numbers and emails, should be covered in writing: who stores it, where, and who tells you if there's a breach.

How to compare POS providers in Puerto Rico

Get at least two quotes, and include one local firm. Local resellers usually know IVU Loto, offer support in Spanish and can come on site. National brands often have better software and lower hardware prices but only remote support. Some local firms resell national software and do the installation and support themselves, which can give you both.

  • Does the system keep taking sales offline during a power or internet outage, and sync afterward?
  • Can receipts and menus be printed in Spanish, English or both?
  • What are your support hours, and how fast does a technician arrive in my municipality?
  • Are card processing rates locked in, and for how long?
  • Who owns the hardware if I cancel?

Ask for references from businesses like yours, ideally in your area. A restaurant in Ponce learns more from another Ponce restaurant than from a San Juan clothing store. Read the contract for early termination fees, equipment leases that cost more than buying outright, and processing agreements that renew automatically. Short terms are worth paying a little more for.