What does POS stand for? In stores, restaurants and on bank statements it means point of sale, the moment and place where a customer pays. A POS system is the register setup that rings up the order, takes the card and prints the receipt.
The letters carry other meanings in other places. On a lab report, POS is short for positive. On a health insurance card, it can name a point of service plan. In a grammar class it can mean parts of speech. Online, the same three letters double as a crude insult, so context matters.
Quick facts
Stands for
Point of sale (retail)Other meanings
Positive (lab results); point of service (health plans); parts of speechType
InitialismHow to say it
"P O S"Seen on
Bank statements, receipts, store job posts, lab reportsRelated terms
SKU, UPC, ATM, RFID
What does POS stand for in retail?
In retail, POS is the point of sale: the checkout counter, the tablet a server carries to your table, the self checkout lane or the online checkout page. The phrase covers both the place and the system that runs it.
A typical POS system has two halves:
- Hardware: a screen or register, a barcode scanner, a card reader, a cash drawer and a receipt printer.
- Software: the program that looks up prices, adds tax, applies discounts, records the sale and updates inventory.
Every scan of a barcode at the register pulls an item record by its UPC or the store's own SKU. That is how the store knows what sold and what to reorder.
POS on a bank statement
Many people first search the POS acronym after spotting it on a checking account statement. There, POS marks a purchase made with a debit card at a store or business.
Statement line: "POS DEBIT 10/14 CORNER GROCERY." This means you paid with your debit card at that store on that date, and the money came straight out of your checking account. It is not a fee or a cash withdrawal.
Some banks write "POS purchase" or "POS PIN" when you typed your PIN, and use a different label when you signed or tapped. An ATM withdrawal is listed separately. If a POS line looks unfamiliar, check the store name and date first; the business name on the statement can differ from the sign out front.
Other meanings of the POS abbreviation
| Field | POS stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Medical lab results | Positive | "Strep test: POS" means the test found strep |
| Health insurance | Point of service plan | A plan that mixes features of an HMO and a PPO |
| Grammar and school | Parts of speech | Nouns, verbs and adjectives on a worksheet |
| Logistics | Proof of shipment | A record that an order left the warehouse |
In health insurance, a point of service plan usually asks you to pick a primary care doctor and get referrals, but lets you see doctors outside the network for a higher share of the cost. Plan details vary, so check your plan papers.
POS in job posts and at work
Store and restaurant job listings often ask for "POS experience." That means the employer wants someone who has run a register system: ringing up items, splitting checks, handling returns and closing out the drawer at the end of a shift.
- "Training on our POS is provided on your first day."
- "The POS went down, so we are taking cash only for an hour."
- "Manager approval is needed in the POS for any refund over the limit."
For more letters used in stores and offices, see the business acronyms hub.
Saying and spelling POS
Say it as three letters, "P O S." Capital letters, no dots. Pair it with "a", as in "a POS system," since the first sound is "pee." When you write it in a report for readers outside retail, spell it out once: "point of sale (POS)."
In texting and comments, the same letters can be an insult. That use is crude, so in a work setting it is safer to write "point of sale" or "register system" if there is any chance of a misread.
Terms people confuse with POS
- POS vs ATM: a POS purchase buys something at a business; an ATM transaction takes cash from a machine.
- POS vs RFID: RFID is a tag technology some stores use for tracking stock; the POS is where the sale is rung up.
- POS vs NFC: NFC is the short range signal that makes tap to pay work at a POS card reader.
- POS vs PO: a PO is a purchase order a business sends to a supplier, not a sale to a customer.
Questions people ask
What does POS stand for on a bank statement?
It stands for point of sale. It shows a purchase made with your debit card at a store or other business.
What does POS mean on a medical test?
On a lab result, POS is short for positive, meaning the test found what it was looking for. A doctor can explain what a positive result means for you.
What is a POS system?
It is the hardware and software a business uses to ring up sales and take payment. It usually also tracks inventory and daily totals.
What is a POS health plan?
It is a point of service plan, a type of managed care health insurance. You usually choose a primary doctor and can go out of network at a higher cost.
Should POS be called an acronym?
Technically it is not one. Each of its letters is pronounced separately, so the label initialism fits better, although casual speakers lump both kinds together.