An EPoS system rarely works alone. Behind the till sit card terminals, receipt printers, accounting software, booking platforms, loyalty schemes and, in many businesses, a kitchen, a stockroom or a fuel forecourt. When these pieces talk to each other, staff re-key less, errors fall and the owner gets a clearer picture of the business. When they do not, someone ends up copying numbers from one screen to another.
This guide explains what EPoS integrations are, the main types Irish retail and hospitality businesses ask about, and what to check before you commit to a system. It draws on the partners CBE works with, and you can see the full list on our EPoS integrations page.
On this page
- Why EPoS integrations matter
- Payment integrations
- Reservations and guest management
- Hardware and peripherals
- Accounting, ERP and back-office software
- Loyalty, online ordering and kitchen systems
- Sector-specific integrations
- What to ask before you choose a system
- How CBE approaches integrations
- Frequently asked questions
Why EPoS Integrations Matter
An integration is a connection that lets your EPoS system share information with another product automatically. Sales data goes to your accounts, a booking appears at the right table, a loyalty reward is applied at the till. Without that connection, the same task is done by hand.
The benefits are practical rather than technical:
- Less re-keying. Information is entered once and reused, which cuts typing mistakes.
- Faster service. Fewer manual steps between the customer, the till and the payment terminal.
- Better data. Sales, stock and payment information sit in one place instead of several.
- Room to grow. A system that connects to other products is easier to extend as your business changes.
Here is a quick view of the main integration categories and what each one connects:
| Category | What it connects | Examples on CBE’s partner list |
|---|---|---|
| Payments | Card terminals and payment services to the till | Verifone, Strikepay, Payzone, PayPoint |
| Reservations and guest management | Bookings and guest records to the till | OpenTable, ResDiary, Guestline, GuestDiary |
| Hardware | Printers, scanners, scales and cash handling to the software | Epson, Star, Datalogic, Bizerba, Glory |
| Accounting and back office | Sales data to accounts, workforce and inventory tools | Xero, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Fourth, Time Point, Nory |
| Loyalty, ordering and kitchen | Customer rewards, online orders and kitchen stations | Lynked, Como, Ordu, Crunchtime, Kitchen Armor |
| Sector-specific | Forecourt equipment and ticketing | Gilbarco Veeder-Root, DOMS, PDI, Ticketmaster, tickets.ie |
Payment Integrations
Payments are the integration most businesses ask about first. When the card terminal is connected to the EPoS system, the sale amount passes across automatically instead of being typed in a second time. That speeds up each transaction and removes a common source of mistakes.
CBE’s partner list includes payment and terminal providers such as Verifone, alongside payment and bill-pay services including Strikepay, Payzone and PayPoint. CBE also offers its own integrated card payment solution, CBE Pay. For a closer look at why joined-up payments matter, see our guide to integrated card payments for retail and hospitality.
Reservations and Guest Management
For restaurants, bars and hotels, the booking system and the till should agree on who is at which table, and on what they ordered. Connecting reservations to the EPoS system means staff are not working from two separate pictures of the evening.
CBE’s partner list includes reservation platforms such as OpenTable and ResDiary, and hotel and guest management platforms such as Guestline and GuestDiary. If you run a restaurant, our guide to the best POS system for restaurants in Ireland covers what else to look for.
Hardware and Peripherals
An EPoS system is only as dependable as the equipment around it. Receipt printers, barcode scanners, scales and cash handling devices all need to work reliably with your software, and swapping one out should not mean replacing the whole system.
Well-known hardware brands on CBE’s partner list include Epson and Star for printers, Datalogic for scanners, Bizerba for scales and Glory for cash handling. Electronic shelf label providers such as Vusion and Solum also appear, which matters to retailers who change prices often.
Accounting, ERP and Back-Office Software
The till produces the figures your accountant needs, so connecting it to your back-office software saves time at the end of every day, week and month. It also means the sales you see in your accounts match what was rung through the till.
CBE’s partner list includes accounting and business software such as Xero and Microsoft Dynamics 365, as well as workforce and inventory tools including Fourth, Time Point and Nory. Separately, CBE Cloud, CBE’s cloud back-office platform, is hosted on Microsoft Azure and gives multi-site operators real-time insights and remote management from any device.
Loyalty, Online Ordering and Kitchen Systems
Customer-facing integrations connect the till to the way people find and order from you. Loyalty schemes reward repeat custom at the point of sale. Online ordering and delivery platforms bring orders into the same system as counter trade, and kitchen systems move those orders to the right station.
CBE works with loyalty partners including Lynked and Como, ordering partners such as Ordu, and kitchen partners such as Crunchtime and Kitchen Armor. You can read how loyalty works through the till in our guide to customer loyalty and your EPoS system, and the news of our Lynked loyalty integration. For ordering and kitchens, see online ordering and kitchen automation.
Sector-Specific Integrations
Some integrations only matter to certain businesses. Fuel retailers need the till to work with forecourt equipment, and CBE’s partner list includes forecourt names such as Gilbarco Veeder-Root, DOMS, PDI and EDGEPetrol. Event and entertainment venues may need ticketing connections, and the list includes Ticketmaster and tickets.ie. If your sector has its own specialist software, always ask whether it is on a provider’s list before you choose.
What to Ask Before You Choose a System
A logo on a partner page tells you a relationship exists. It does not tell you how deep the connection goes. Before you commit, ask each provider:
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the integration live and in use? | A partner logo does not always mean a working connection. Ask for a customer who uses it. |
| What information passes between the systems? | Some integrations send sales totals only. Others share items, customers or stock. |
| Which direction does the data move? | You may need information to flow both ways, not just out of the till. |
| Who supports it when something goes wrong? | One provider owning the problem is faster than two companies pointing at each other. |
| Is there an extra cost or set-up work? | Ask what is included, what needs configuring and who does it. |
| Can you add integrations later? | Your business will change, so check the system can grow with it. |
How CBE Approaches Integrations
CBE has supplied and supported EPoS systems for Irish businesses for over 45 years, and its partner network covers payments, hardware, reservations, back-office software and more. Our third-party integration service explains how CBE connects your system to other products, and our integrations page lists a sample of our partner network. If you rely on a specific product that is not on the list, ask us about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
An EPoS integration is a connection that lets your EPoS system share information automatically with another product, such as a card terminal, accounting software, a booking platform or a loyalty scheme. It removes manual re-keying and keeps your data consistent across systems.
Many can. CBE lists accounting and business software such as Xero and Microsoft Dynamics 365 among its integration partners. Because the depth of each connection varies, confirm with your provider exactly what data is shared and how it is set up for your business.
It depends on the EPoS provider. CBE’s partner list includes payment and terminal names such as Verifone, Strikepay, Payzone and PayPoint, and CBE also offers its own integrated card payment solution, CBE Pay. Ask any provider which terminals and payment services it supports.
Yes, some do. CBE’s partners include reservation and guest management platforms such as OpenTable, ResDiary, Guestline and GuestDiary. Check that the one you use is supported before you choose a system.
CBE publishes its partner network on its integrations page. If you rely on a product that is not listed, contact the team and ask, as there may be a way to connect it.
This varies between providers and integrations. Ask what is included, what needs configuring and whether any set-up work is involved, so there are no surprises later.
Choose a System That Connects to Your Business
The right EPoS system fits into the way your business already works, with payments, hardware, bookings and accounts connected rather than separate. Checking integrations early saves time and money later.
To find out whether CBE connects with the products you use, get in touch with our team for a free, no-obligation demonstration.
Niall Dooney is Marketing Manager at CBE, having joined the company in 2015. Over that time, he has held a range of roles across the business and now leads strategic marketing initiatives that drive brand growth and customer engagement.
