A liquor store or smoke shop is an inventory business first and a payment business second. The POS has to know what is on the shelf, who is allowed to buy it, and which employee rang it. Processing is the cost that never shows up on the shelf but takes 2.5% to 3.5% of every card sale, in categories where net margin can be under 5%. Here is the setup.
What the POS has to do
| Need | What we configure |
|---|---|
| Inventory | Item-level tracking with UPC scanning, case-to-unit breakdown, low-stock alerts, purchase orders, vendor catalogs |
| Age verification | ID scan prompt on restricted departments, date-of-birth read from the license barcode, blocked sale under age, scan log |
| Scan data rebates | Enrollment and automated submission for Altria, RJ Reynolds and ITG programs where the store qualifies |
| Employee controls | PIN logins, permission levels, void and discount approvals, time clock, per-employee sales reports |
| Shrink control | Cash drawer counts, void tracking, no-sale logging, camera integration on some systems |
| Pricing | Mix-and-match, bulk pricing, promotions, and dual pricing on every item |
| EBT and SNAP | Supported on eligible items where the store is authorized |
| Lottery, propane, money orders | Non-card tender and department setup |
Exatouch is what we install in liquor, smoke and vape, and convenience stores. It was built for this category: strong inventory, native ID scanning, scan data support, and reporting that shows margin by department.
Clover fits general retail, boutiques, and small convenience stores with a few hundred SKUs, using the Retail Growth plan and App Market inventory tools.
Dual pricing in retail
Every item carries a cash price and a card price. Shelf labels show both, or a register sign explains the difference and the customer-facing screen shows both totals before the card is tapped. The customer chooses. The store nets its cash price on every sale and pays $0 in processing, on credit and debit.
This matters more in retail than anywhere else. A $30 carton sale at 8% gross margin makes the store $2.40. A 3% card fee takes $0.90 of it. Under dual pricing the card price covers the fee. The comparison to a surcharge, which cannot be applied to debit and is restricted in California, is in dual pricing vs surcharging vs cash discount.
Scan data rebates
Tobacco manufacturers pay retailers for item-level sales data. Stores enroll with each manufacturer’s program, the POS submits weekly reports, and the manufacturer pays a monthly rebate based on volume and promotional compliance. Payments vary widely by store, but for a store with meaningful cigarette volume it is real money every month, and it requires a POS that supports the program. Exatouch does. We help with enrollment.
What we build before install
Inventory import from your old system or a shelf scan. Departments, taxes and age-restriction flags. Vendor setup. Employee roles. Dual pricing labels and signage. Scan data enrollment if you sell tobacco. Install is early morning before the store opens, and we stay through the first rush.
What it costs
Hardware placed at no charge for qualifying stores, or purchased. Software is a monthly fee that depends on the system and station count; we put it on the quote with the processing. Processing is $0 under dual pricing or interchange-plus if you prefer one posted price. No leases, no long-term processing contract, and the full fee schedule on one page before you sign.