What data should be exported before changing POS systems?

Preserve the source records before transforming them

Download complete exports from the current provider while authorized staff still have access. Save each original file without renaming columns, changing number formats, removing blank values, or combining worksheets. Create a separate working copy for cleanup and mapping. This preserves evidence of what the old system produced and gives the team a clean point of comparison if a transformed file fails validation.

Record the export date, selected date range, locations included, filters applied, file format, time zone, and the staff member who created each file. If the POS sends large exports by email or makes downloads available for a limited period, retrieve and store them promptly using the business's approved storage process.

Current Square documentation, for example, lets sellers export an item library and transaction details, while Shopify documents separate exports for products, customers, and orders. These examples show why a migration often needs several coordinated files rather than one universal POS backup.

Document configuration that a spreadsheet may miss

Some operating choices may not appear in a standard export. Create a reviewable configuration inventory covering locations, registers, receipt settings, user roles, permissions, product routing, fulfillment methods, discount rules, tax labels, tip settings, cash-management steps, integrations, and the report schedule used by managers. Use screenshots only when permitted, redact unnecessary personal information, and avoid capturing secrets.

Separate configuration from transaction data. A list of employee names does not reproduce role permissions, and a product file may not retain every image, modifier relationship, category hierarchy, or location rule. Shopify's current backup guidance notes that some settings and store structures require separate reconfiguration, while Lightspeed's current import documentation requires data to be mapped into its destination template and warns against altering template columns.

For broader planning, review what a POS system includes and the POS systems and integrated payments FAQ hub.

Test the destination with a small mapped sample

• Start with the destination template: map source fields into a fresh copy rather than overwriting the only original export.
• Protect identifiers: confirm that spreadsheet tools did not remove leading zeros from SKUs, UPCs, order numbers, or other identifiers.
• Check relationships: verify that variants, modifiers, categories, customers, orders, locations, and stock records remain connected as intended.
• Review exceptions: list unsupported fields, duplicates, invalid values, missing required columns, and records that need manual handling.
• Validate a sample: inspect representative items, customers, historical orders, reports, and location-specific quantities before importing the full set.
• Keep a rollback reference: retain original files, transformed files, validation results, and the final accepted mapping under controlled access.

Square's current item-import documentation warns that changing columns can cause import errors and that some spreadsheet programs can alter SKU formatting. Provider-specific instructions can change, so the team should use the current source and destination documentation at the time of migration.