POS systems and integrated payments
What is a customer-facing display?
A customer-facing display is a screen positioned for the buyer at a point-of-sale checkout. It can present an order as staff build it, show quantities and totals, guide selected checkout steps, or display a completion message. The exact experience depends on the POS product and configuration. Some displays are viewing screens, while others accept touch input or form part of a payment device. Merchants should evaluate the complete checkout workflow rather than assume that every display has the same functions.
Plain-language definition
What the customer sees during checkout
The display gives the customer a view that is separate from the employee's working screen. As an order is entered, a supported setup may show item names, quantities, discounts, taxes, subtotal, and final total. This lets the buyer follow the cart before payment without needing to look across the counter at the cashier's interface.
Current Shopify documentation provides one vendor-specific example: its customer display can show a cart summary, receipt options, and a thank-you screen. Square documents another configuration in which a Register has a seller-facing screen and a customer-facing display that shows what the buyer is purchasing and lets the buyer complete payment. These examples demonstrate possible workflows, not features shared by every POS system.
Possible display moments
- An idle screen before a sale begins
- Items and quantities as the cart changes
- Discounts, taxes, subtotal, and total
- Customer prompts supported by the chosen setup
- Receipt choices after an accepted payment
- A confirmation or thank-you message
Form factors
Customer displays are not all built the same way
Attached display
A dedicated second screen may be built into or docked with the register. This can keep the employee and customer views distinct while using one coordinated POS setup. Confirm the viewing angle, counter footprint, cable routing, and replacement procedure for the exact model.
Separate screen
Some systems use a separate supported device as the customer view. Shopify, for example, documents an Android Customer View app that pairs with Shopify POS through the local network. That implementation shows why buyers should verify device requirements, network behavior, and reconnection steps.
Rotating seller screen
Another checkout design turns the main POS toward the customer for selected steps. This may reduce hardware on the counter, but staff and customers share one screen. Compare the handoff, visibility, stability, and reset-to-cashier workflow during a realistic transaction.
Workflow review
Decide which customer actions belong on the display
Start with the desired sequence from the first scanned item through the final confirmation. Decide whether the customer only needs to review the cart or should also respond to prompts, choose a receipt method, or complete a supported payment step. Ask for a demonstration using the exact software, display, payment device, and network arrangement being considered.
Run a representative checkout test
- Add, remove, and change the quantity of an item.
- Apply an ordinary discount and confirm how the total changes.
- Cancel a step and verify that both screens return to the correct state.
- Complete the available receipt-selection path without entering real customer information.
- Disconnect and reconnect the display using the provider's documented procedure.
- Confirm what staff see when the customer screen is unavailable.
Use test products and test customer details during evaluation. A smooth demonstration of one path does not establish how every tender, adjustment, or exception will behave.
Physical setup
Plan for visibility, reach, and counter traffic
Map the customer side
Place the screen where a buyer can view it without leaning over merchandise, cables, or another device. Check glare at different times of day, screen brightness, viewing angle, stability, and whether bags or countertop displays block important information. A retail checkout may need room for scanning and bagging, while a restaurant or food-service counter may need to preserve the handoff area for orders.
Map the employee side
Staff should know when the customer screen is ready, what prompt the buyer sees, and how to recover if the display disconnects or freezes. Confirm how the device is powered, mounted, cleaned, updated, and identified for support. If several lanes use similar equipment, label each approved display and its paired register according to the provider's instructions.
Decision criteria
Questions to ask before choosing a setup
Information shown
Ask which order details appear, when they update, and whether staff can preview the customer view. Confirm how voids, discounts, returns, tips, and receipt choices appear for the specific workflow without assuming a feature is universal.
Connection and recovery
Determine whether the display uses a dock, cable, local network, or another documented connection. Ask what happens during an interruption, how staff recognize a disconnected state, and which recovery steps are safe during an active checkout.
Administration and support
Review device assignment, permitted settings, software updates, replacement procedures, support ownership, and staff training. Keep the answers tied to the exact product version and configuration under review.
For broader context, review how a cloud POS system works and use the findings to compare the display as one part of the complete checkout environment.
Privacy-aware evaluation
Use safe data when testing customer prompts
A display can expose whatever the configured checkout sends to the customer view, so test the visible fields before rollout. Use sample items and fictional customer details. Do not enter cardholder data, passwords, bank credentials, complete account numbers, private access codes, or secret API keys during a sales demonstration or through a general inquiry form.
If a display offers receipt or marketing choices, document what the customer sees and how staff should respond to questions. Confirm the current provider workflow and the business's approved operating process rather than making assumptions from a screenshot or a different POS product. This page provides evaluation guidance and does not claim that a specific device meets a legal, accessibility, security, or compatibility requirement.
Common questions
Customer-facing display FAQ
Is a customer-facing display a payment terminal?
Not necessarily. Some customer displays are view-only, while some documented configurations also accept customer input or payment. Verify the role of each device in the exact proposed setup.
Does every POS need a second screen?
No universal design applies. A business may use a dedicated customer display, a separate supported device, or a seller screen that turns toward the buyer. The right arrangement depends on the documented workflow and physical checkout.
What should be tested before rollout?
Test cart changes, customer prompts, visibility, connection recovery, staff handoffs, and the fallback process with sample data. Record the product version and configuration used for the test.
A practical next step
Sketch the checkout before comparing displays
List what the customer should see, touch, and confirm at each stage. Then test that sequence on the exact proposed POS setup and document the fallback when the display is unavailable.
To learn more about how TSYS can help improve the way your organization accepts payments, markets to new customers, or manages its HR responsibilities, get in touch by calling 585-981-8463 to get started.
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