POS Equipment Differences in Non-Fiscal and Fiscal Countries

Non-fiscal and fiscal countries differ in whether specific regulation is related explicitly to fiscalization and requests associated with the cash registers. Namely, if there are rules on which type of equipment can be used at the selling point, e.g., usage of the specific hardware, certain functionalities of the software you are using, defined elements, especially some specific ones for the receipt provided as proof of purchase. So, suppose that there are only general rules and not strict fiscal ones, in that case, it can be said that the country's orientation is non-fiscal.

Each fiscal country has its own rules related to the usage of POS equipment. Still, in general, there are strict regulations defining the type of equipment which must go through the process of either certification or approval.

For example, in countries where hardware fiscalization is in place, retailers must use a specific HW device (fiscal printer) connecting to their POS software. Of course, devices and their functionalities differ from country to country, but the idea is the same.

In SW fiscal countries, the POS equipment itself is not predefined as in HW fiscal countries, but the SW application must pass approval.

However, non-fiscal countries don't have these strict regulations, and companies can more freely organize their business models and decide which POS equipment to use when creating, processing transactions, and issuing receipts.

The systems available on the market (standard cash registers, stand-alone kiosks, touch screen POS systems, tablets, etc.) support standard retail processes and provide a possibility of integration with different POS applications and other external systems, including solutions based on innovative technology.

There are no limitations nor restrictions regarding the choice of equipment that a particular retailer would use; the choice is made based on business needs and internal organization.

While keeping records of all your transactions is imperative, no specific legislation forces a business owner to keep electronic or paper records.

Even though there are no strict regulations in non-fiscal countries, there are best practices that many retailers follow, which assures them that their solutions are in accordance with the rules.

As you can see, the differences between non-fiscal and fiscal countries are significant; this is only the tip of the iceberg! But the good thing is that we at JB Fiscal Consulting provide knowledge for both non-fiscal and fiscal countries. So, If you are facing regulatory challenges and would like to join our team, reach out!