In short: Buy an Android POS terminal that has Google Play and a printer width that suits your shop, and print a real Arabic receipt with a QR code on it before you pay. For a small shop, a phone and a Bluetooth printer do the same job.
In this guide
An Android POS terminal is a touch screen, much like a tablet, with a built-in thermal receipt printer and, on many models, a barcode scanner. You see them on the counters of groceries, cafés and phone shops across Jordan, and the best-known names are Sunmi and iMin. This guide explains how a terminal differs from a phone or a PC, what to ask the seller before you pay, and how to print an Arabic receipt with the JoFotara QR code on it.
What an Android POS terminal is
It is one device that holds what a counter needs: a touch screen for the cashier app, a built-in thermal printer for receipts and, on many models, a built-in barcode scanner and a cash drawer port. It runs the same Android as your phone, so you install the cashier app the way you install any app.
Keep it apart from the card terminal your bank gives you. The bank's terminal collects payment from the customer's card and is usually locked to the bank's own app. The POS terminal you buy is for the till: it records items, issues the invoice and prints the receipt. Some models combine both, but that depends on the bank, not the device.
Before you buy: what to check
- Google Play: open the Google Play Store on the device itself in the shop and search for the cashier app you will use. If there is no Play Store, you can only run what the seller installs for you.
- Android version: ask which version it runs and whether it still gets updates. A device stuck on an old version can stop running newer apps after a while.
- Printer width: 58 mm for a small shop and short receipts, 80 mm for supermarkets and long receipts. Ask whether it has an auto-cutter.
- Barcode reading: is there a built-in scanner, will you use the camera, or will you plug in a USB or Bluetooth scanner?
- Battery: for a handheld model, how long does it last through a working day, and how does it charge at the counter?
- Cash drawer: does it have a port to open the drawer on cash sales?
- Warranty and repairs: is there a dealer or repair shop in Jordan, and who replaces it if it fails in a busy season?
- Paper: are rolls in its width easy to buy near you?
Phone, terminal or PC?
Not every shop needs a POS terminal. Here are the three setups side by side, as a shop owner in Jordan uses them:
| Phone or tablet with a Bluetooth printer | Android POS terminal | Windows PC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printer | A separate Bluetooth printer | Built in | A USB or Bluetooth printer |
| Barcode reading | The camera, or a Bluetooth scanner | A built-in scanner on some models, or the camera | A USB or Bluetooth scanner |
| Suits | A small shop, or starting without buying new hardware | A counter that wants one tidy device to sell and print | A supermarket with a fixed counter and a keyboard |
| Watch out for | Charging, and the phone may be your personal one | Google Play, and a warranty in Jordan | The printer driver on Windows |
Ghalleh runs on all three on the same shop account, and every device that sells counts as a selling device in your plan.
Printing a JoFotara receipt on the terminal
In a shop connected to JoFotara, every receipt carries a QR code that comes back from the system once the invoice is sent. The code has to print sharp to scan, so a weak built-in printer or cheap paper gives you a faint code.
Arabic is the second test. Some apps send text to the printer as characters, and a printer without an Arabic font prints the letters disconnected. Ghalleh draws the whole receipt as an image and sends that, so Arabic prints joined on the built-in printer just as it does on a Bluetooth one.
- Install your app on the device
From Google Play on the terminal itself, before you pay if the seller allows it. - Choose the built-in printer
In the app's print settings, then print a test receipt. - Sell a real item
A small amount with a long name, and check that the name and amounts such as 18.500 JOD come out clear and tidy. - Scan the QR code with your phone
If it reads first time, the print is good. If not, try better paper before you judge the device.
Ghalleh on Sunmi, iMin and ZCS
Ghalleh is on Google Play and runs on Android POS terminals that have Google Play. On Sunmi, iMin and ZCS devices, Ghalleh prints straight to the built-in printer, opens a cash drawer plugged into the device on cash sales if you turn that on, and reads barcodes with the built-in scanner on Sunmi and iMin.
The owner signs in with a mobile number and a code sent by SMS, and staff join with a QR invite and their own PIN. What sells on the terminal shows on your phone the same moment, and selling carries on if the internet drops, with invoices sent once it is back. Each device that sells counts towards your plan: two selling devices on Start, five on Pro.
Common questions
Does Ghalleh work on a terminal without Google Play?
Ghalleh installs from Google Play, so a device without the Play Store cannot run it. Ask the seller about Google Play before you buy, or sell from an Android phone with a Bluetooth printer, or from a Windows PC.
Can I install my cashier app on the bank's card terminal?
Usually not. Many bank terminals are locked to the bank's own app. Ask the bank directly before you sign. If it is not allowed, a bank terminal next to your till is a normal setup in most shops.
How much does an Android POS terminal cost in Jordan?
It depends on the model, the printer width, whether there is a built-in scanner, the seller and the warranty. Get the price in writing with the warranty period and who repairs it in Jordan, and compare two sellers.
Do I need a POS terminal to start with Ghalleh?
No. Start on an Android phone, and add a Bluetooth printer or a terminal once you know what your counter needs. The trial is 14 days free with no card, so try it before you buy any hardware.