In short: A cloud POS keeps your data outside the shop, so you see it from anywhere and lose nothing if a device fails. Choose one that keeps selling when the internet drops, then syncs and sends pending invoices on its own.
In this guide
A cloud POS is cashier software that keeps your sales and stock on internet servers rather than one machine in the shop, so you see them on your phone wherever you are and lose nothing if the shop's device breaks. 'Cloud' appears in so many cashier app ads that it has almost stopped meaning anything. Behind it sits a practical question: where are your sales stored? Each answer has its price. Here is the difference, and the question that matters more than the word: what happens when the internet goes down?
What is a cloud POS
A cloud POS, sometimes called an online POS, is point of sale software that keeps its data on internet servers instead of one machine in the shop. You sell on a phone, tablet or PC, sign in from any device on your account, and your data stays put even when you change devices.
A shop owner in Jordan is not at the till all day. They might be at a supplier, at another branch or at home. A cloud POS keeps the shop with them: they see each sale on their phone as it happens, and every branch on one screen.
Local software
Local software is installed on a PC in the shop, and its data lives on that PC's drive. It always works offline, which is its big strength. But your data sits in one place. If the drive fails, the PC is stolen or picks up a virus, and there is no recent backup, your sales, products and debts go with it.
Seeing sales from home needs extra remote-access setup, or a call to whoever is at the counter. Each branch runs its own copy, and pulling their numbers into one report is a chore.
Cloud POS system: how it works in a shop
With a cloud POS system, data is kept on servers run by the provider, and any device you sign in on can reach it. The cashier sells on a phone or PC in the shop, you see the sale on your phone at home, and your second branch appears in the same report. If the shop device breaks, you sign in on another and everything is where you left it.
An example: a shop owner in Irbid has a second branch in Amman. At 9 pm he opens his phone and sees 780.000 JOD in sales at Irbid and 560.000 JOD at Amman, 1,340.000 JOD across both, without calling anyone or waiting for an end-of-day report.
The price is twofold: a recurring subscription instead of a one-off purchase, and a dependence on the internet. That second point is what separates cloud software built for shops from cloud software that is not.
Side by side
These are general differences. Individual products vary in the details.
| Local software | Cloud software | |
|---|---|---|
| Where data lives | On a device in the shop | On the provider's servers, with a copy on the device in some apps |
| Access from outside the shop | Needs extra setup | From any device signed in to your account |
| If the device fails | Data is lost without a backup | Sign in on another device |
| Branches | A separate copy per branch | All branches on one account |
| When the internet drops | Always works | Depends: some stop, some sell and sync later |
| How you pay | Usually a one-off purchase, updates may cost extra | Monthly or yearly subscription |
The question that matters: what happens when the internet drops?
Some cloud apps run only in a browser, so when the internet drops, selling stops. At peak hour that means a queue and customers walking out. Apps designed for shops keep a copy of products and prices on the device itself, so they carry on selling and printing receipts through an outage, then sync everything when the connection returns.
Watch e-invoicing in particular: an invoice cannot reach JoFotara until the connection is back. Ask how the app stores unsent invoices, and whether it resends them on its own or waits for you to remember.
Test selling during an outage yourself
- Open the app, then switch off Wi-Fi and mobile data.
- Sell three items, one of them on credit to a saved customer.
- Print the receipt and check that the stock went down.
- Reconnect and wait a minute.
- Open the app on another device and check that all three sales appear, the debt is on the customer's account, and the invoices reached JoFotara if you use it.
Your data in the cloud: questions worth asking
- Do I get my reports as a PDF to print or send to my accountant?
- Who in the shop can see my data? Does every employee have their own account and permissions?
- What happens to my data if I cancel?
- Is there a record of who signed in, changed a price or made a refund?
- Does it run on devices I already own, or does it force specific hardware?
Ghalleh: in the cloud, and selling when the internet drops
Ghalleh keeps your data in the cloud, so it is on any device you sign in on: an Android phone or tablet, a POS terminal with Google Play, or a Windows PC. The cashier sells in the shop, you see the sale on your phone the same second, and all your branches come together in one overview. iPhone and iPad are coming soon.
If the internet drops, Ghalleh keeps selling on the device, syncs everything once the connection is back, and resends pending invoices to JoFotara automatically. You sign in with your mobile number and a code sent by SMS, with no password to forget, each employee has their own PIN and permissions, and what everyone does goes into the activity log.
You can share a report for any period as a PDF whenever you like. The Start plan is 5 JOD a month or 35 JOD a year. Ghalleh is on Google Play now, the Windows version is on the download page, and the trial is 14 days free with every feature and no card. So you can run the outage test yourself.
Common questions
What is a cloud POS?
Cashier software whose data lives on the provider's servers rather than one device in the shop, so you can reach it from any device signed in to your account and see your shop and branches from anywhere.
Does a cloud POS work when the internet drops?
It depends on the app. Some stop when the internet drops. Others keep selling, store invoices on the device and sync them once the connection returns. Ghalleh is the second kind. Test it yourself before choosing.
Is my data safe in a cloud POS?
Data in the cloud is not lost if the shop's device breaks or is stolen, which is a real advantage over a single machine. In Ghalleh you sign in with your mobile number and a code sent by SMS, and give each employee their own PIN and set permissions.
Is a cloud POS more expensive than a traditional one?
A traditional POS is often paid for once, a cloud POS by subscription that covers updates and access from your phone. Ghalleh plans start from 5 JOD a month, or 79 JOD once for three years.