You probably use your point of sale (POS) system for transactions, but are you using it to its full potential?
The right POS, particularly one made specifically for tobacco shops, can do far more than ring up cigars and process payments. The best systems help you track inventory, stay compliant, support your staff, and keep loyal customers coming back.
In this blog, we’re highlighting 10 lesser-known but highly practical ways a tobacco POS can take on more of the day-to-day work for you.
You already know a good POS system should track inventory, manage employees, and handle transactions. But if that’s all your POS does, you’re missing opportunities to improve operations, strengthen compliance, and even increase revenue.
The best tobacco shop POS systems include features that aren’t always front and center on marketing pages, but make a big difference day to day.
Let’s break down some of these capabilities in more detail.
If there’s a theft concern, staff should be able to act fast without causing a scene or leaving their station.
A robust POS system comes with real-time messaging features that let you send alerts directly to the register from the back office or another location in the store.
For example, if you spot something suspicious on the cameras, a quick message can quietly notify a clerk to pause a sale or call a manager. It’s a simple but effective way to tighten up internal communication without adding complexity.
Why guess which products to reorder when your POS system already knows which ones are most popular?
With automated purchase orders based on low-stock levels or sales trends, your system can generate reorders the moment you’re about to run out.
You can also set custom thresholds for slower-moving items, so you’re not sitting on extra inventory that isn’t going anywhere.
Tobacco margins are already tight, and credit card fees don’t help.
Dual pricing tools let you display one price for cash and another for card (compliantly), so you don’t lose out on every swipe.
This feature is especially useful when selling high-ticket boxes or bulk products, where even a small fee eats into your revenue.
Related Read: Smoke Shop Credit Card Processing: 5 Tips and Tools
Whether it’s a cigar tasting, festival, or lounge pop-up, mobile POS tools let you sell anywhere and sync those sales back to your main system.
Every barcode, promotion, and price is the same, just on a smaller setup. Your inventory updates in real time, so you won’t end up overselling or wondering what’s left back at the shop.
Many tobacco shops serve different customer groups — walk-in buyers, repeat regulars, cigar lounges, even wholesale accounts. A POS with pricing tiers lets you set custom rates for each group.
Now, you don’t need to manage separate catalogs or invoicing systems. Just ring them up, and the system applies the correct pricing every time.
Want to run a “buy three, get one free” deal? The right POS makes it easy.
After setting up the promotion’s rules, the system applies the discount automatically at checkout — your staff doesn’t have to remember promo codes or manually override prices.
This feature also keeps reports accurate, so you can see which bundles actually drive more sales.
New shipment arrives midday? Don’t worry about running to the back office — some systems let you scan and add products directly at the counter.
This function keeps the floor covered and the team focused on helping customers instead of running back and forth to input SKUs.
If you have trusted shoppers who want to pay later, a good POS can manage store credit accounts with adjustable limits.
You can monitor activity, apply payments, and track balances right in the system without needing a separate ledger or external tool.
Whether customers want to grab their cigars curbside, have them delivered locally, or even shipped farther away, your POS can handle it all.
Systems with integrated order management keep pickup, delivery, and shipping statuses in one place, reducing mix-ups and improving customer satisfaction.
For example, your staff can quickly see when an order is ready for pickup or out for delivery without toggling between different apps or spreadsheets.
For multilocation stores, a POS should make it easy to move inventory from one location to another without losing track.
You can apply different pricing per store, maintain real-time stock levels across locations, and keep your reports clean — all while minimizing shrinkage.
General POS systems often fall short in tobacco retail. They skip over age checks, scan data reporting, and multi-tax setups.
The systems below manage those requirements directly, letting you track cartons, process buydowns, run loyalty programs, and more.
Built specifically for tobacco shops, Cigars POS supports cash-heavy businesses, scan data programs, and store-specific pricing. It’s a strong fit for multistore cigar retailers that want complete control from the register to the back office.
Some standout features include:
Cigars POS is a reliable POS solution for tobacco retailers who want full access to retail tools without losing category-specific control.
Lightspeed’s POS stands out for its built-in age verification and fast checkout features — great for retailers with a wide product catalog looking for advanced insights into inventory turnover and customer behavior.
Some standout features include:
Lightspeed suits shops that sell across many categories and want tight control over stock and customer retention.
Related Read: Manage Your Team With These 4 Tobacco Store Training Tips
KORONA POS fits tobacco businesses with multiple locations or franchise setups. It supports fast transaction speeds, multistore inventory, and loss prevention tools out of the box.
Some standout features include:
If your store handles large volumes or runs multiple locations, KORONA offers flexibility without getting too complex.
FTx POS is a tobacco-focused platform with built-in scan data tools and flexible pricing features. It works well for high-volume stores that need detailed inventory management and want to take advantage of manufacturer incentives.
Some standout features include:
FTx works best for shops that rely on manufacturer partnerships and want to stay competitive with pricing.
A tobacco shop POS system helps you ring up sales — but it shouldn’t stop there.
You’ve got ID checks to run, loyalty programs to manage, staff to train, and orders to stay ahead of. A system that can handle all that in one place saves you time and reduces the likelihood of manual mistakes.
Cigars POS has all the capabilities tobacco retailers need to track scan data, monitor inventory, apply store-specific pricing, support mobile selling, tie loyalty data to each customer, and more.
If you want to see how Cigars POS can best support your business, schedule a free demo today!