Cash Register Express, the retail workhorse.

Two main licensing models. Subscription: From $40/month per terminal — software, updates, and support included. Perpetual license: Buy outright (typically $700–$1,500 depending on edition) and pay only for support/updates after the first year. Hardware bundles range from roughly $1,000 to $2,500+ per terminal depending on configuration (touchscreen, printer, scanner, cash drawer, customer display). We quote real numbers based on your specific operation.

CRE has strong built-in reporting — daily sales summaries, employee performance, inventory turn, profit margins by category, and detailed audit trails. The optional OnCloudPortal add-on extends this with a remote dashboard accessible from your phone, tablet, or laptop so you can check your store's performance without being on-site. For specialty retailers tracking high SKU counts, the depth of CRE's reporting is one of its biggest advantages over simpler cloud POSes.

CRE natively supports dual pricing for credit card payments — meaning the POS can show a "cash price" and "card price" automatically, and the receipt prints both correctly. Combined with our cash discount setup expertise, it's one of the cleanest ways to run a compliant cash discount program. See our full cash discount guide →

Yes — CRE runs on Windows, not iOS, Android, or Mac. This is intentional. Windows-based POS hardware tends to be more durable, supports a wider range of peripherals, and runs natively on the workstation. The trade-off: you (or we) need to manage Windows updates, antivirus, and the occasional driver issue. We handle this as part of our managed install.

Beautifully. CRE is locally-installed software running on your workstation — it doesn't need the internet to function. Transactions, inventory, reports, and card processing all keep working during outages. When connectivity returns, everything syncs. This is one of the biggest reasons retailers choose CRE over cloud POSes.

Yes — CRE has restaurant features including check splitting, kitchen printer routing, table service, modifiers, and bar tab management. That said, for hospitality-first operations, we usually recommend SkyTab or SpotOn instead — they're purpose-built for restaurants and include things like online ordering, reservations, and loyalty natively. CRE is excellent if you want one system across retail + light restaurant operations (like a deli or coffee shop with retail products), or if you specifically want the Windows install.

Different fits. NRS POS is purpose-built for convenience stores and specialty retail with c-store-specific features (panic alarm, age verification, EBT, gas pump integration). CRE is broader retail with stronger general inventory engine and multi-store capabilities. If you're running a c-store, NRS is usually the better choice. If you're running general retail or a multi-store operation, CRE is usually better.

Operators who specifically want a modern cloud-first POS experience — fully managed updates, iPad-based hardware, or built-in CRM and email marketing — will be happier with Clover, Square, or SpotOn. Restaurants should usually look at SkyTab or SpotOn first. C-stores should look at NRS. CRE is the right pick when you want a Windows-based, locally-running POS with serious inventory chops — particularly for specialty retail and multi-store operations.