An Easy Guide to Setting Up a Marijuana POS System

Recreational marijuana legalization is just days away in California and thousands of cannabis dispensaries are preparing for an increase in customers and regulations. Many businesses are wisely opting to install new dispensary POS software to adequately service the influx in clientele and maintain compliance.

There a few things to remember when adopting a new marijuana POS system so we’ve created an easy guide to help dispensary staff set-up their new software.

Patient Database

One of the main concerns when switching to a new marijuana POS system is transferring patient information. This process has been simplified with easy patient exporting and importing. Eliminating grueling data entry of hundreds of patients will save your staff time and have your marijuana POS system up and running.

Uploading CSV files with patient categories included will allow your new dispensary point-of-sale software to recognize this information automatically. IndicaOnline offers marijuana businesses the opportunity to upgrade their POS registers with zero hassle.

Inventory Tracking

The next step of setting up your new cannabis retailer software is adding all of the current inventory so you can track every transaction. This process will be even further simplified in 2018 as almost all cannabis goods will be received from the distributor prepackaged. Gone are the days of weighing flower and hoping it doesn’t shrink over time.

All dispensary managers have to do is add the prepackaged goods into the inventory and the smart POS software will keep track of what and how much is sold. It’s a good idea to add as much information as possible into product descriptions as this information will be easily accessible when customers inquire about specific strains or products.

Tax Rate Presets

Between state, city, and district taxes the new recreational marijuana regulations can be quite confusing for some cannabis retailers. Not to mention the fact that there will be different taxes for certain subsections of your clientele. Customers who are 18+ with medical identification cards, 18+ with medical recommendation, and 21+ with state issued ID will all be taxed at different rates.

Once dispensaries calculate the appropriate cannabis tax rates for their location, applying these taxes to each sale will be a breeze with IndicaOnline’s innovative software. Inputting the tax presets for every type of customer will automatically apply the relevant tax percentage at checkout. This set it and forget it feature will allow your marijuana business to operate worry free of any tax or compliance violations.

Establish Loyalty Programs

One of the leading reasons for high customer retention is loyalty programs the reward frequent clientele. Customizing your loyalty program is something retail staff will want to do soon after implementing a new marijuana POS system. If your dispensary uses a point based loyalty program, you’ll want to establish a conversion rate from points to dollars, the redemption rate, and the referral points amount.

Customer loyalty points can be used on any transaction using IndicaOnline’s POS software. The total amount due will be instantly recalculated once the loyalty discount is applied. Using a digital loyalty program will allow dispensaries to keep track of customer points and do away with traditional paper loyalty cards that are often lost or forgotten.

Compliance Reporting

Compliance is king when it comes to keeping your cannabis business up and running. Ensuring your dispensary is compliant with state and local reporting is essential to avoiding violations and potential fines. This process is painless when using a smart point-of-sale software as accurate sales reports can be easily printed or exported for submission.

Soon, IndicaOnline will be integrated directly with the California reporting platform METRC. This will allow dispensaries to submit their reports electronically and automate the process so that you never miss a due date.

Website Integration

The last step to setting up a new dispensary POS software is completing the online integration with your website and third-party business listing such as Potify or Weedmaps. IndicaOnline has developed technology that will sync your inventory directly with your brand’s website that automatically keeps your menu up-to-date.

Using a woocommerce plug-in, your website will stay current without requiring tedious menu updates every time you acquire new stock. The majority of marijuana consumers browse dispensary menus online before walking into the storefront. This is why IndicaOnline provides cannabis business owners the capability to sync their inventory with third party sites such as Weedmaps and Potify. Activating this functionality is highly recommended once you’ve added your stock to the marijuana POS system.

To receive step-by-step instructions for each of these recommended setup suggestions, schedule a free demo with one of our qualified trainers. We’ll be happy to walk you through upgrading your dispensary POS system.