What is a stand-alone terminal?

Point of Sale (POS) Glossary

A stand-alone terminal is a point of sale device that is physically separate from a traditional POS register. A stand-alone terminal may be used for self-service or by a cashier, for instance, if the merchant wants to offer payment acceptance around a store or curbside.

Stand-alone terminals may be connected to a store’s WiFi network, a phone line, or via cellular connection. A terminal that is connected to a point of sale register for a customer to enter their card and key in their PIN is not a stand-alone terminal.

Stand-alone terminals help avoid bottlenecks at a point of sale register and empower salespeople to process orders without being tied to a traditional register. They are also helpful in self-service kiosks where customers are doing cashless transactions that do not need a cashier.