A free POS for your Raspberry Pi, PC or tablet

A new till often starts with a hardware quote: a terminal, a stand, a contract. Universal Till doesn’t need any of that. It’s software you install on a device you choose, and the core is free, with no monthly fee. Its core is open source under the MIT licence, so nobody can take it away from you either.

Here’s what it runs on today, and what to know about each option.

Windows, Mac and Linux computers

Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). Run the guided installer and Universal Till opens in its own app window from the Start menu or a desktop shortcut: no terminal, no browser tab. A new installation opens full screen with the taskbar hidden, and starts when you sign in to Windows, so a spare PC behind the counter behaves like a dedicated till. A manager PIN (or Alt+F4) always gets you back to the Windows desktop, and you can change both choices under Settings → Display.

Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 and newer). Download, open, and the till runs in its own window. The first time, macOS may block an app downloaded outside the App Store: open System Settings → Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway.

Linux. Install the .deb and “Universal Till” appears in your applications menu, in its own window. There’s also a download for ARM boards other than the Raspberry Pi. That spare laptop in the back office can become a till.

Raspberry Pi: a small, quiet till

A Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 running 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS makes a compact till with no fan noise. Install the .deb and:

• On Raspberry Pi OS Lite (no desktop), a fresh install sets up a fullscreen kiosk automatically on first boot. The Pi starts straight into the till.
• On Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop, the till opens fullscreen on top of the desktop at login, and Settings → Display → Exit to OS window (with a manager PIN) takes you back to the desktop.

One thing to get right: the power supply. A Raspberry Pi 5 needs the official 27 W USB-C supply. An older, weaker charger fits the socket but can make a touchscreen miss taps or freeze. The till checks for this and shows “Power supply too weak” on the status bar, so you’re not left guessing.

Android tablets and phones

The Android app runs on Android 7.0 and newer. You install it from our download page rather than the Play Store, so Android will ask you to allow “unknown sources” the first time. That’s normal for an app installed outside the store.

A tablet makes a good counter till, a self-order kiosk your customers can use, or an Order status board showing orders from every till as they come in. On a phone, the sale screen shows your items as large icons with a Pay bar at the bottom, so you can take a sale from your pocket at a market stall or a busy table. When an update is ready, the till hands it to Android’s own installer and you confirm it there.

iPhone and iPad apps are in testing and aren’t generally available yet.

Scanners, printers and the camera you already have

• Barcode scanners: a USB scanner works as soon as it’s plugged in. A Bluetooth scanner or scale pairs from inside the till: scan, tap Pair, done.
• No scanner at all? On any device with a camera, tap the camera-scan icon next to the scan box and point it at the barcode. The picture never leaves the device.
• Receipt printers: pick Network (IP) for a Wi-Fi or Ethernet thermal printer (the till can search your network for it), USB device for one plugged in, or Regular printer to print plain-text receipts on the computer’s own default printer.

Whatever you run it on, the till works without an internet connection. On most platforms it also updates itself overnight unless you switch that off, and it never restarts in the middle of a sale.

Download Universal Till for your device. The download page guesses the right file for you. Or browse the plugins that add what your shop needs.