A Complete Point Of Sales Testing Guideline
In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses aim to become as convenient for customers as possible. Whether it’s a pharmacy, restaurant, or online store, a person expects to get excellent service with a variety of secure payment options.
Thus, POS solutions have become an essential element in business processes. While clients get an opportunity to use a preferred payment channel, businesses use POS for reporting, data analysis, and making smarter management decisions.
The core elements of good Point of Sale software are flawless functionality, fast payment processing, and the security of the transaction. The reputation and profitability of a business can depend on them! For that reason, POS software requires thorough testing.
What are the benefits of quality assurance for POS?
- Customers can have quick and convenient payment transactions.
- Business owners get a stable payment system, which ultimately leads to higher customer loyalty and better performance.
- To keep the mentioned end-users satisfied and stakeholders composed, developers can fix bugs at the early stages.
Cooperation with an outsourced QA team, however, is not just about finding bugs in software. QA professionals also help prioritize problem-solving correctly and foresee possible issues. As a result, software testing helps you optimize the development process and release a well-functioning product.
How the Testing Process Goes
There are four core things to focus on during POS testing: functionality, interoperability, security, and UI. Let’s analyze each of them.
Functional Testing
The first step is to make sure that the actual software features work as expected. As a rule, a QA team starts the check with the most common POS testing scenarios for different users. You can find some examples of such scenarios below.
Cashier activity:
- correct record the purchased goods;
- calculation and activation of discounts, coupons;
- petty cash management system;
- total and closing figures matching.
Sales:
- regular sales and with a credit/debit card;
- correct display of prices and quantity of goods in stock;
- loyalty program;
- canceling a transaction;
- possibility to enter the product code manually.
Return & exchange scenarios:
- integration of stocks with points of supply;
- system response to exchange/return.
Report generation:
- trend analysis report;
- transaction information reflects in reports;
- individual and consolidated reports of customers buying history;
- online report generation.
Payment gateway:
- Validity of CVV number of Credit Card;
- Swiping of cards from both sides and chips;
- Card details are appropriately encrypted and decrypted.
Interoperability Testing
The next step is to ensure that the software can communicate seamlessly with other components and systems. Some call this kind of check “integration testing,” though technically, integration means testing how different parts of the same system behave when connected together. Some of the interoperability testing activities are close to compatibility testing. Well, we’ve got a thin dividing line between different types of testing, so let’s focus directly on the “what to test” part.
Hardware:
- software is supported by all the required devices: monitor/tablet, credit card reader, cash drawer, RFID, printer, barcode scanner, etc;
- a POS system is compatible with peripherals.
Software systems and networks:
- different payment methods, systems, and solutions (EMV, tap cards, digital wallets) are supported;
- spreadsheets, accounting apps are supported.
UI Testing
Last but not least, there is testing the front-end elements that allow users to interact with the back-end functionality (buttons, forms, text boxes, links, checkboxes, etc.):
- correct layout;
- elements functionality;
- readability;
- consistency & compliance with the corporate style.
Security Testing
POS systems are dealing with payments and sensitive data, so security testing is required. A QA specialist who runs security testing acts as an ethical hacker, trying to break the system to find vulnerabilities, but without any negative implications.
Depending on the system complexity, budget, and deadlines, you may choose to have penetration testing, scanning for technical vulnerabilities and business logic weaknesses, source code audit, SDLC audit, etc. The solutions are custom and based on the specific need.
Compatibility Testing
We didn’t mention compatibility testing among the key concerns, but a few words on this matter may be helpful. Compatibility means correct functioning on different devices, operating systems, and browsers. As a rule, the variety of target devices that should support a POS solution isn’t as vast as, let’s say, those used with entertainment services.
Nevertheless, if your software is intended for tablets, make sure to run in on at least one iOS and one Android device. If you have a web app, run it on several popular browsers and their latest versions. Finally, if you have some specific hardware (a terminal machine, a cash register, etc.), you’ll need to provide a testing specialist with the physical copy of the device.
The Challenges of Point of Sales Software Testing
There are some other things Product Owners should consider during release planning. When discussing POS system testing with your team, make sure to discuss the challenging part of a POS system that may require some extra time and resources.
- Different configurations. If a company has several outlets, a POS system may need to handle deviations in configurations. For example, if one outlet has a unique promotion that is not available in others. Testing different configurations will be necessary.
- System complexity. At the moment of payment, several components of the system interact. Besides, a QA team needs to verify that the calculations are correct. This process can be complicated and tiresome, making the functionality itself a good fit for automated testing. For example, POS automation using Selenium, automated API testing, etc. will help save more time for manual testing and speed up the release.
- Regulatory compliance. POS software belongs in the field of FinTech, which comes with certain requirements and standards. Before the launch, learn if you need to provide the proof of regulatory compliance. Keep in mind that QA companies don’t always run this kind of check.
To Sum Up
Ease of use, high-speed performance, and reliable payment systems are as important for business as the selection of goods or the level of service. A Point of Sales system is one of the elements that shape the experience a client will receive when interacting with a business. It is one of the things that can influence brand reputation.
Professional manual software testing will help speed up the development and deployments processes, avoid serious mistakes in the way, and release a product without critical bugs in production in time.