Software & Compatibility

The most important consideration when buying a receipt printer is checking compatibility with your EPOS software and platform (iOS, Mac, Android, Windows, etc.) Without compatibility, you won’t be printing anything!

Using iPad or Android for your POS? Give us a call, as we’ve built an exhaustive compatibility database and will be able to help. If not, try us or ask your software vendor.

Interfaces

Once you know which receipt printers will work with your software, you can now choose which interface suits your setup best. The interface describes how the printer communicates with your POS. Each type has different properties, pros, cons and affects how you’ll need to arrange your store so it’s critical to get the choice right.

Features & Performance

After you’ve narrowed down your choice to compatible models and your chosen interface, you can consider the feature specification differences.

Print Speed: How fast receipts pop out can be an important consideration, especially for quick service restaurants and fast-paced retail stores.

Paper Width: Most stationary printers will print on the universal 80x80mm size paper you find in every high-street store. However, you do have choices if you have particular needs like printing large format receipts/invoices or prefer the paper-saving, inexpensive smaller width rolls.

Economy: Some printer models, in particular, the Star TSP143ECO have built-in features to help save paper and power. Auto-switch off and margin reduction features help reduce the environmental impact of printing.

Durability: 

Warranty: Typically the printers we sell will come with a decent warranty period of 3-4 years, although this does not apply to every model. Warranties are provided by the manufacturer, typically under RTB (Return to base) terms. That means you’ll be responsible for shipping a faulty unit back to the manufacturer.

Working with Cash Drawers

The most common way for a cash drawer to

Consumables & Accessories

Depending on the type of receipt printer you plan to use, you’ll need to consider the consumables you’ll need to actually print and optionally add accessories to your setup.

Splash Guards: If your printer will be in the kitchen, the bar or anywhere where there’s a chance it could get wet, a splash guard is the best investment you can make to prolong the life of your printer. A simple, inexpensive moulded plastic attachment, it will help cover exposed parts to prevent water damage.

Buzzers: When it’s critical to hear new orders come through as they print out, add a plug-in buzzer to your printer. You’ll plug this into the RJ11 port on the back of the printer, so you won’t be able to also use a cash drawer.

Interfaces: Some printer models allow for swapping out the interface card. This means you can upgrade your printer from serial to Ethernet (LAN) connectivity buying just a new interface rather than a whole new printer. Typically easy to install, you’ll just need a screwdriver and 5 minutes. Shop our printer interface boards here.

Power Supplies: Some models use external power supplies – meaning you’ll have a power brick similar to a laptop charger rather than just a cable. We don’t like bad surprises so every printer listed on StoreKit will always come with the power supply included, but if you need a replacement you can find ours here.

Paper: All receipt printers will need paper, at least for now! You’ll need to check both the printing technology type (thermal vs impact) and the paper sizing (width and diameter, e.g. 80x80mm). You’ll find our paper here.

Ribbons: Impact / dot-matrix printers use ink to print out so you’ll need to buy new ink ribbons over time. Always buy branded ribbons to prevent wear-and-tear to the printers mechanisms.

Mounting: Most of the stationary printers we sell include wall mounting kits in the box, but not all of them so do check first. You’ll also find vertical stands for some models, and belt clips for mobile printers.