Search for "billing software" and you will find dozens of options, many of them free to start. Most look similar in screenshots. The differences show up later: on a busy evening when the internet drops, when your accountant asks for a GST summary, or when you want to add a second counter.
This checklist is what we would ask about any billing or POS software, including our own. Take it with you to every demo.
1. Does it make correct GST invoices?
The basics every option should handle without workarounds:
- All the mandatory fields of a tax invoice (see our guide on how to make a GST invoice)
- Automatic CGST + SGST or IGST depending on the place of supply
- HSN codes and rates stored per item, with an HSN-wise summary
- Bill of supply if you are a composition taxpayer
- Credit notes for returns, not deleted bills
Test it: make one intra-state and one inter-state bill in the demo and check the tax split yourself.
2. Does it keep billing when the internet drops?
This matters more than any other feature for a shop. Many cloud-only systems slow down or stop when the connection is weak. Ask directly: "If my internet is down for two hours on a Saturday evening, can I keep billing, and what happens to those bills afterwards?" We explain why this matters in offline billing software.
3. Is billing fast at the counter?
Customers queue at the counter, not in the back office. Look for:
- Barcode scanning and quick search by name or code
- Keyboard shortcuts, so cashiers rarely need the mouse
- Quick payment entry: cash, UPI, card, split payments, change due
Test it: time a 10-item bill in the demo.
4. Does it print what you need?
- Thermal receipts (58 mm or 80 mm) and A4 invoices for B2B customers
- A UPI QR code on the bill, so customers can pay by scanning
- Works with the printer you already own, without extra drivers or paid add-ons
5. Does stock update itself?
Every sale should reduce stock automatically. You should be able to see:
- Live stock per item and low-stock alerts
- Purchase entry that adds stock and records your supplier's bill
- Batches and expiry dates if you sell medicines, food, cosmetics or anything perishable, ideally with FEFO (first expiry, first out). More in our guide to managing stock with expiry dates.
6. Can it handle credit customers (khata)?
Most Indian shops give credit to regular customers. Software should keep a customer ledger: what they owe, payments received, and a statement you can share. Loyalty points are a bonus if you want repeat customers to come back.
7. Do multiple counters stay in sync?
If you have, or might add, a second counter, a back-office PC or a phone for the owner, ask:
- Do all devices see the same stock and the same bills, in real time?
- What happens if one device is offline while another keeps selling?
- Do invoice numbers stay unique across counters?
8. Can you control what staff can do?
- Roles: owner, manager, cashier, each with the right permissions
- Shifts and day-close: opening cash, closing cash, and the difference explained
- An audit trail of edits, cancellations and discounts
9. Will your accountant be happy?
Ask what reports are included and whether they export to Excel:
- Sales register and GST summary by rate and HSN
- Purchase register
- Day-wise and item-wise sales
- Outstanding credit
If your accountant has to retype numbers from printed bills every month, the software is not doing its job.
10. Who owns your data?
- Can you export everything (items, customers, bills) if you leave?
- Where is it stored, and how is it backed up?
- What happens to your data if the vendor shuts down?
11. Updates and support
- Does it update itself, or do you reinstall every few months?
- Is support available when your shop is open, in a language you are comfortable with?
- Will someone help you set up your items, rates and printer?
12. What does it really cost?
Compare total cost over two or three years, not the first month:
- Subscription or one-time licence, and per-counter or per-user charges
- Paid add-ons (inventory, multi-store, e-invoicing, WhatsApp)
- Hardware: barcode scanner, thermal printer, cash drawer
- Your time to set it up and train staff
Above all, try it with your own items for a few weeks before you commit. A demo with sample data hides most problems.
Quick checklist
| Ask | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Correct GST invoices, CGST/SGST vs IGST, HSN summary? |
| 2 | Keeps billing offline, and syncs afterwards? |
| 3 | Fast barcode billing and shortcuts? |
| 4 | Thermal + A4 printing, UPI QR on the bill? |
| 5 | Live stock, purchases, batches and expiry? |
| 6 | Customer khata and loyalty? |
| 7 | All counters and devices in sync? |
| 8 | Staff roles, shifts, day-close? |
| 9 | Reports your accountant can use, Excel export? |
| 10 | Your data: export, storage, backups? |
| 11 | Auto-updates and setup help? |
| 12 | Total cost over 2-3 years, and a real trial? |
Where Starbooks fits
We built Starbooks POS around this checklist for Indian retail: offline-first billing that keeps running without internet, GST invoices with CGST/SGST/IGST splits and HSN summaries, barcode and thermal printing with a UPI QR on the bill, inventory with batches, expiry and FEFO, customer khata and loyalty, real-time sync across counters, and roles, shifts and day-close. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, and updates itself.
Starbooks is in early access with a 3-month free trial, and our team helps you set it up with your own items. Start your free trial, or book a demo first.