Several branches, one set of numbers
Head office needs consolidated sales, stock and cash across branches, branch-level price lists and transfers between stores, not a separate login per shop.
Custom POS development
Custom POS software development for tills that fit your business
A packaged till is a compromise on your pricing rules, your branches and your hardware. We build the point-of-sale system around them instead, with offline billing, stock, loyalty and reporting connected to the systems behind the counter. You see a working pilot of 2 to 3 modules before committing to the full build.
Discuss Your Project
Looking for a ready-made till? See when the free app is enough.
Custom POS development, the short answer
Custom POS software development is building point-of-sale software around one business’s own pricing, tax rules, branches, hardware and back-office systems, so a sale updates stock and accounts as it happens. Timeline Digital, a custom software development company founded in 2013 in Islamabad, builds custom POS systems and starts with a free pilot of 2 to 3 modules.
Who needs it
When a packaged POS stops fitting
Most small shops should not build a POS. These are the situations where a custom system pays for itself.
Unusual pricing or tax rules
Tiered and customer-specific prices, weighed or by-the-metre items, bundles, mixed tax rates on one receipt or approval limits on discounts that a standard till can only hold through workarounds.
Integrations the till must feed
Sales, stock and cash that post into your ERP or accounting system and your online store, instead of being re-keyed at day end.
A real hardware mix
Scanners, scales, receipt and label printers, customer displays, cash drawers and card terminals from different makers, already bought and in use.
Counters that cannot stop
Billing has to continue through internet outages or load-shedding and reconcile cleanly afterwards, with agreed rules for stock and price conflicts.
Tax-authority invoicing
Pakistani retailers who must report invoices to FBR, or sellers in other markets with e-invoicing rules, need the till designed around that interface from the start.
For a requirements checklist you can hand to any vendor, read the custom POS requirements checklist for retailers and restaurants.
Scope
What a custom POS build includes
Modules are chosen from your requirements; the first release normally covers billing, stock and day-end, with the rest added in order of value.
Billing and the sales screen
Fast counter and table billing with barcode and quick-key entry, discounts, split payments, returns, held bills and receipts in your format.
Inventory and purchasing
Stock that updates on every sale, purchase and transfer, with batches or serial numbers where needed, reorder alerts and branch-level counts.
Customers and loyalty
Customer records, credit accounts, points or tier rules and vouchers tied to the sale, with the redemption rules agreed with you.
Reporting and day end
Cashier, shift, margin, item and branch reports, with cash counts reconciled against takings at close.
ERP, accounting and e-commerce links
Day-end postings, stock levels and online orders exchanged through the other system’s API or an agreed import; see systems and API integration.
Payment-terminal integration
Card terminals connected where the payment provider offers an integration, so the amount reaches the terminal and the result returns to the sale.
Offline billing and sync
Sales stored on the counter device while the connection is down, then synchronised with conflict rules for stock, prices and customer balances.
Roles, shifts and audit trail
Cashier and supervisor roles, PIN-approved voids and overrides, shift float and close, and a log of who changed what.
The same system can sit inside a wider business platform: see our POS and business management systems service for the till plus purchasing and back office, and custom ERP software when finance, stock and production need one system.
At a glance
Custom POS, subscription POS or our free POS?
Three honest options. The right one depends on how many branches you run and how unusual your rules are.
| Factor | Custom POS (this page) | Off-the-shelf subscription POS | Timeline POS (free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Several branches, specific floor workflows or integrations a packaged till cannot do | A standard shop or café that wants to start this week | One shop with standard billing and stock that wants no monthly cost |
| Fit to your rules | Built around your pricing, tax, approvals and receipts | Configured within the vendor’s options and plan limits | Fixed feature set: billing, stock, customers and day-end reports |
| Branches and head office | Consolidation designed for your branch structure | Usually offered, depending on plan | Single-location Windows app; no built-in multi-branch stock sync or cloud dashboard |
| Integrations | Built to your ERP, accounting, online store or tax-authority interface | The connectors and marketplace apps the vendor offers | No built-in ERP or tax-authority connection |
| Offline | Designed in from the start, with agreed conflict rules | Varies by vendor; many need a connection for some functions | Runs on the PC without needing an internet connection |
| Cost model | Build cost agreed after the free pilot, plus hosting and optional support; no per-terminal licence | Usually per terminal or location, often with payment-processing terms | No licence cost |
| Code and roadmap | Your data throughout; source code yours on full payment | Vendor keeps the code and sets the roadmap | Timeline Digital keeps the code and sets the roadmap |
Timeline POS and Timeline Restaurants POS are separate, ready-made products with a fixed feature set; they are not part of a custom build. The comparison above is why many small businesses should start there, and why some later outgrow it.
What decides the cost of a custom POS
Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. A POS build is priced on its scope, and the scope is set by the things in the list, not by the number of screens. The price is agreed in writing after the free pilot, so you decide with working software in front of you.
Costs that sit outside the build
- Payment-processing fees charged by your card provider, which do not change with who built the till
- Replacement and spare hardware: printers, scanners and tablets wear out
- Hosting for head-office sync, backups and monitoring
- Keeping integrations working when an ERP, courier, marketplace or tax interface changes
- Staff training and a parallel-running week at go-live
- Support and change requests after launch, which are better planned than improvised
For ranges that vendors across the market quote, and how to read them, see our guide to what drives the cost of custom POS software.
Cost drivers
- The number of branches, counters and user roles
- How many pricing, tax, discount and loyalty rules are special
- The hardware to support, and whether you already own it
- Offline operation and the sync rules that go with it
- Integrations: ERP, accounting, e-commerce, payment terminals, tax authority
- Data to migrate: items, opening stock, customer balances
- Hosting, support level and who maintains the system after launch
FBR and e-invoicing for Pakistan retailers
Retailers in Pakistan that must report sales to FBR need the till and the tax interface to work as one flow, with an invoice number on the receipt and a queue for invoices that cannot be sent when the line is down. We design the POS to support such an interface where the authority publishes one.
Two things sit with you: your business must be registered with the authority and hold the credentials, and the exact requirements for your category are confirmed in scope during planning. We do not claim compliance on your behalf. Read the FBR POS integration guide for the retail side. Retailers outside Pakistan with local e-invoicing rules follow the same approach: design to the published interface, then confirm per project.
How a custom POS is delivered
Custom software built around the way your business works. For a POS, the pilot is where your own devices and your own item list are tested, before the full build is agreed.
Step 1: Understand
We learn how your business works.
Your requirements, workflow, challenges and goals, understood before anything is recommended.
Step 2: Plan
We design the right solution around your workflow.
Modules, workflows, roles, approvals, reports and integrations, agreed before development.
Step 3: Select Technology
Choose the right technical foundation.
Technology options matched to your users, security, budget and growth, not one fixed stack.
- Free pilot
Step 4: Pilot
Test our work before full project development.
Free. You choose 2 to 3 key modules and we build them first, so you can judge our work.
The full project starts only after you approve the pilot.
- Full project
Step 5: Build & Scale
From approved pilot to complete digital system.
Full development, testing, deployment, training and support, built to grow with you.
What a POS pilot usually contains
The pilot is always free: 2 to 3 key modules built as working software and ready in about 2 days. For a till, the three that prove the most are:
Billing
The counter sale with your tax and discount rules, split payment and the receipt.
Item master and stock
Your item list with barcodes and prices, and stock that falls on every sale.
Day-end report
Cash shift close and a cashier report you can check against a real day’s takings.
What we ask of you
- Your item list, price lists, tax rules and receipt format
- The hardware at your counters, or a sample device
- A test counter and staff for acceptance testing
- Payment-provider and tax-authority credentials in your business’s name, where in scope
The full project starts after you approve the pilot, and the scope, milestones and terms are agreed after it. Technical readers can follow the design thinking in offline-first POS architecture.
Free apps first
Outgrown the free app?
If one shop or café needs standard billing, stock and day-end reports, a ready-made free app is a faster and cheaper start than any build, and that is true whoever built it. You have outgrown one when a second or third branch needs shared stock, when you need the till to post into accounting, ERP or an online store, or when your pricing or tax rules need workarounds every week.
Our free Windows products are Timeline POS for retail and Timeline Restaurants POS for food service; you can also compare free POS software side by side. Moving to a custom build later is a normal data migration of items, stock and customers, not a restart. The signals are set out in when to move from a free CRM or POS to a custom build.
Signs you have outgrown it
- A second branch needs the same stock numbers
- Sales are re-keyed into accounting every night
- Online and in-store stock disagree
- A tax-authority invoice interface is now required
- Staff use a spreadsheet beside the till for special prices
Key facts: custom POS development
- Markets
- Retailers and restaurants in Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the Gulf, the United States and other markets, served remotely from Islamabad.
- Schedule
- Set from your requirements; free pilot in about 2 days, a complete system in as little as 2 weeks
- Pricing
- Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. A POS build is priced on its approved scope after the free pilot.
- Ownership
- Project source code, designs and documentation transfer on full payment; there is no per-terminal licence fee for the system we build.
- Tax-authority invoicing
- Designed to support interfaces such as FBR where the authority publishes one; confirmed per project.
- Working hours
- Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 Pakistan time (PKT, UTC+5), overlapping UK and European mornings and the Gulf working day; US and Canada calls are booked at the start of their day.
- After launch
- Long-term support under a service level agreement (SLA), or continued development by the same team.
Custom POS software development FAQs
What is custom POS software development?
Custom POS software development is building point-of-sale software around one business’s own counters, pricing, tax rules, branches, hardware and back-office systems. The sale updates stock, customer balances and accounts as it happens, instead of leaving them in a separate till. It suits businesses whose rules a packaged POS can only handle through workarounds.
What is the best custom POS system development company for retailers?
There is no single best company, so judge each shortlisted partner on six things: whether they will test your own scanners, printers and terminals; how they handle offline sales and sync conflicts; whether the POS posts into your ERP or accounting system; who owns the code and data at the end; whether you can see working software before committing; and what support follows launch. Our free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules is built for the “see it first” test.
What are the top POS software development companies for merchants?
Any ranking of POS developers depends on the merchant: a restaurant chain, a pharmacy group and a hardware-store chain need different strengths. We do not rank competitors. Shortlist partners who have built POS software with offline mode and hardware integration, ask each for a working demonstration on your item list, and compare ownership terms, not only quotes.
How much does custom POS software cost, and how long does it take?
Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. The price is set in three steps: we analyse your requirements, build a free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules, and after you approve the pilot we agree the scope, milestones and commercial terms in writing. Any change request outside the approved scope is reviewed and agreed with you before extra work begins. The main cost drivers are branches and counters, special pricing and tax rules, hardware, offline sync and integrations. There is no fixed timeframe: the schedule for your POS system is set from your requirements in the Plan step. The free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules is ready in about 2 days, and with 1,200+ developers we have the capacity to deliver a complete system in as little as 2 weeks.
What are the hidden costs of building a custom POS?
The costs that surprise buyers are usually not the build itself: payment-processing fees from your card provider, replacement and spare hardware, hosting for head-office sync, upkeep of integrations when an outside system changes, staff training, and support after launch. Plan for them from the start. There is no per-terminal licence fee for the system we build, so adding a counter does not add a licence cost.
Should I build a custom POS or use an off-the-shelf POS?
Use an off-the-shelf POS when your shop or café fits standard billing and stock and you want to start now. Build custom when you have several branches, special pricing or tax rules, hardware or integrations a packaged POS cannot handle, or per-terminal subscriptions have become a large running cost. A free single-shop app is the right start for many small businesses; see the “outgrown the free app” section below.
Can a custom POS keep selling when the internet is down?
Yes, if it is designed offline-first. Each counter stores sales on the device and synchronises when the connection returns, using conflict rules agreed with you for stock, prices and customer balances. Card payments still depend on the card terminal’s own connection, so we define in advance what the counter does when the terminal cannot reach its provider. Our guide to offline-first POS architecture explains the design.
Can the POS connect to our ERP, accounting software and online store?
Yes, where the other system offers an API or an agreed import and export. Day-end sales, tax and cash can post as summarised entries, stock levels can be shared with an online store, and online orders can flow into the counter system. One system is named as the owner of each record to avoid double entry. For a full ERP, see custom ERP software; for the integration approach, see systems and API integration.
Can you integrate FBR or other tax-authority invoicing for a retailer in Pakistan?
Where a tax authority publishes an interface for POS invoices, such as FBR in Pakistan, the POS can be designed to support it. This depends on your business being registered with the authority and receiving its credentials, and it is confirmed in scope during planning. We do not claim compliance on your behalf. Our FBR POS integration guide covers the retail side.
Which hardware and payment terminals does it support?
Common barcode scanners, receipt and label printers, scales, cash drawers, customer displays and card terminals. Terminal integration depends on your payment provider offering an interface, and card details stay with the terminal and provider rather than in the POS database. We test your own devices in the free pilot and again before go-live.
Do we own the POS source code and data?
Your data is yours throughout, and the project source code, designs and documentation transfer to you on full payment. You can host the POS where you choose and keep us for support or hand it to your own team. The IP and ownership policy sets out the terms.
Guides for this decision
In-depth, practical reading for teams planning this kind of project.
- Guide · 9 min readCustom POS Software Requirements Checklist for Retailers and RestaurantsA custom POS requirements document lists what happens at the counter, how prices and taxes are worked out, how stock moves, which hardware is used, what must work offline, which systems the till feeds, and who may do what. This checklist covers retail and restaurant needs, section by section.Read the guide
- Guide · 10 min readOffline-First POS Architecture: Sync, Conflict Handling and HardwareAn offline-first POS treats the counter device as the place where a sale is completed, and the server as a place to reconcile. It stores sales locally, queues them in an outbox, syncs with idempotent writes, keeps stock as a ledger of movements, and agrees conflict rules in advance.Read the guide
- Guide · 9 min readCustom POS Software Cost: What Drives the Price and the Hidden CostsThe cost of custom POS software is driven by branches and counters, how unusual your pricing and tax rules are, the hardware, offline operation and the integrations. Hidden costs sit outside the build: payment fees, hardware replacement, hosting, integration upkeep, training and support.Read the guide
- Guide · 9 min readWhen to Move from a Free CRM or POS to a Custom Build: Signals and a Decision TableA free CRM or POS is the right choice for a small team or single shop with standard needs. Move to a custom build when you need shared data across branches or systems, rules the free app cannot express, integrations, or control of the roadmap, and when workarounds cost more than the build would.Read the guide
Tell us how your counters really run
Bring your item list, your branch layout and the hardware you already own. We will recommend whether a custom build, a subscription POS or a free app fits, and if a build fits we start with the free pilot, ready in about 2 days.
Updated
About this page
Written by Usama Asif, CEO and CTO of Timeline Digital. Statements about tax-authority interfaces describe what the software can be designed to support; compliance remains your business’s responsibility and is confirmed per project.
Related POS, ERP and integration pages
Custom ERP Software
When the till has to sit inside a full ERP for finance, stock and production.
Read this nextPOS and Business Management Systems
The wider build: POS, purchasing, suppliers and back office as one system.
Read this nextInventory and Accounting Systems
When stock valuation and the books matter more than the counter.
Read this nextSystems and API Integration
Connecting the POS to accounting, e-commerce, couriers and payment terminals.
Read this nextCustom Software Development Cost Guide
What drives the budget for a custom build, in general terms.
Read this nextHow We Work
Understand, Plan, Select Technology, Pilot, Build & Scale: the five steps behind every build.
Read this nextDiscuss Your Project
Tell us about your counters. We reply with a scoped plan and the first modules for a free pilot.
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