Before the hardware arrives
Measure Counter Space for a POS Terminal
A terminal can fit perfectly according to its dimensions and still be completely wrong for the counter. The screen fits, but the printer lid hits a shelf. The card machine has nowhere comfortable to go. Opening the cash drawer blocks the handover space. Planning counter space for a POS terminal means more than measuring an empty rectangle. Staff and customers need room to work around the equipment during a real transaction.
The terminal footprint is only the beginning
Product dimensions tell you whether a piece of equipment can physically occupy a space. They do not tell you whether somebody can comfortably work there.
A POS position may also include a stand, printer, payment device, cash drawer where used, customer-facing equipment or other accessories in the proposed setup. Then there are the things that are not technology at all: bags, trays, receipts, takeaway orders and the customer’s own belongings.
Picture the counter at its busiest
Hypothetical example: a cafe has a 90cm-wide section of counter that looks ideal for the till. Once a terminal and printer are placed there, however, the remaining space is also where customers put down their phone, collect a receipt and pick up a takeaway drink.
The equipment technically fits. The transaction does not.
“Measure the transaction, not just the terminal. The useful space is whatever remains workable once people, equipment and movement are added.”
Measure the counter that is actually available
Start by measuring the width and depth of the proposed equipment area. Then remove the parts of that space which are already committed to something else.
A menu display, product stand, collection point or bagging area may technically sit on the same counter, but that does not make its footprint available to the till.
Look above, below and behind
A shelf above the counter may limit how far a screen can move. A wall or raised edge can affect where equipment sits. Storage below may matter if a cash drawer or other component is proposed there. A counter overhang can influence the position of stands and cables.
Record the counter height as well as width and depth. The equipment is being used in three dimensions, not placed onto a floor plan.
Photograph the proposed position
Alongside measurements, take clear photographs of the empty service point for your own planning and supplier discussions. Avoid including customer or other unnecessary personal information. A photograph can reveal nearby shelves, sockets and counter edges that are easy to miss in a list of dimensions.
Add every part of the proposed setup
Ask the supplier for dimensions of the actual models being proposed rather than planning around a generic idea of a “till”.
List each component and consider both its closed footprint and the space needed to use or maintain it.
| Measure or test | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Usable width and depth | How much counter remains after existing service areas and displays are excluded? |
| Terminal and stand | What is the footprint in the proposed working position? |
| Screen movement | Does any intended adjustment have clearance from shelves, walls and other equipment? |
| Printer | Can staff open it and replace consumables without moving the whole setup? |
| Cash drawer, if used | Can it open fully without blocking another essential working area? |
| Payment device | Where will it sit or move during payment, and can the customer use it comfortably? |
| Customer-facing equipment | Is it visible from the intended customer position without obstructing service? |
| Handover space | Is there still room for receipts, bags, purchases or collection after the hardware is added? |
| Connections | Have the required routes and installation details been confirmed with the relevant supplier or installer? |
Open everything that needs to open
A printer that fits neatly under a shelf may become impossible to replenish if its lid cannot open. A cash drawer that looks tidy in a photograph may project into the staff walkway when used.
Ask how each proposed component is accessed for normal operation and routine attention, then include that movement in your plan.
Make a full-size counter mock-up
You do not need the equipment in the building to test the basic layout. Cardboard and masking tape can tell you a surprising amount.
Using confirmed dimensions for the proposed equipment, cut full-size footprints for the terminal, printer, payment device and other relevant components. Put them on the counter where you think they should go.
Add movement, not just rectangles
Mark the area required for anything that opens or moves. Note where connections are expected to enter the equipment. Then add a temporary outline for the space customers need to put down a purchase or receive a bag.
Ask the people who actually work at the counter to move the templates. They may immediately notice that a payment device would be easier on the other side or that a printer occupies the place where every takeaway bag is normally packed.
Do not optimize for the neatest photograph
A symmetrical arrangement can look attractive and still create extra movements for every sale. Put frequently used equipment where it makes sense for the transaction, subject to the installation and manufacturer requirements confirmed for the equipment.
Test one complete customer transaction
Once the mock-up is in place, stop measuring and start pretending to trade.
Run the ordinary sale
Hypothetical example: a customer orders two takeaway coffees and a cake. The staff member enters the sale, the customer completes the appropriate payment process, a receipt is produced where relevant and the order eventually needs handing over.
Where does the customer stand? Where do they naturally place a phone or bag? Can the staff member operate the screen without leaning around the printer? Does the payment device reach the intended position? Is there somewhere left to hand over the purchase?
Then add another colleague
If more than one person works around the counter, have them both use the space. One can take an order while another passes behind, prepares a collection or accesses nearby storage.
Look for repeated reaching and crossing. Moving something 20cm on the plan may remove an awkward movement repeated throughout every trading day.
Check the customer’s side as well
The easiest position for the member of staff is not automatically the easiest for the customer. Consider visibility and reach at the payment stage, including the range of customers your service point needs to accommodate.
Where accessibility requirements or specialist design decisions apply, obtain appropriate professional advice. The practical exercise here is simply to make sure customer interaction is considered before the equipment position becomes fixed.
Plan connections before installation day
A perfect equipment arrangement on paper still needs appropriate power, data and cable routing for the actual products being installed.
Ask the supplier what connections the proposed setup requires and where those connections are located on each device. Then review the installation requirements with the appropriate people before the hardware arrives.
Avoid planning around guessed cable routes
Do not assume a cable can simply run wherever there appears to be space. Counter construction, movement, customer areas and the equipment manufacturer’s requirements may all affect the suitable installation.
Any electrical or other specialist installation work should be assessed and completed by appropriately qualified people. Keep equipment within the manufacturer’s stated environmental and installation requirements.
Think about access after installation
Ask how equipment would be disconnected, serviced or replaced if necessary. A cable route that makes the installation look exceptionally tidy but requires dismantling the counter for routine access may deserve another conversation before work begins.
Send the supplier a layout, not just two measurements
“Counter is 1200mm by 700mm” gives a supplier only part of the picture.
Where useful, send a simple labelled sketch showing the usable area, counter height, nearby fixed features and the proposed position of each component. Add photographs where appropriate and ask the supplier to check the layout against the equipment they are quoting.
Ask specific questions
Does the proposed stand fit within the marked footprint? What clearance does the printer need for normal access? What are the installation and connection requirements? Does any accessory change the dimensions you have been given?
Ask for uncertainties to be resolved before installation rather than assuming the installer will somehow make everything fit on the day.
Keep the agreed layout with the order
If the final plan changes after the original quotation, send the revised version. A terminal selected for one counter position may not suit another.
On delivery or installation day, compare the proposed arrangement with the plan before fixing equipment permanently in place.
Practical takeaway
Allowing enough counter space for a POS terminal means looking beyond its published dimensions. Measure the usable counter, add every component, allow for lids, drawers and normal access, then build a full-size mock-up and act out a real transaction. Check the layout from the staff and customer sides and confirm installation requirements with the relevant suppliers and qualified installers. Discovering that something is awkward while it is still made of cardboard is much easier than discovering it after the counter has been drilled.
Put the idea into practice
Before ordering a terminal, measure the usable counter depth, cable route and space needed for serving customers alongside it. Then match the physical setup to an EPOS Bookings POS terminal and payment arrangement that keeps the checkout area practical rather than letting hardware dictate the counter.