The question on the mind of an owner looking at cloud-based POS software is usually the same: "If my sales data isn't on my computer but somewhere else, is it safe?" Behind it is a real worry: what if one day I open the till and the past sales aren't there?
In this article we answer by putting the two models side by side. Each has strengths and weaknesses; what matters is knowing which risk belongs to whom.
Where does your data physically live?
In a locally licensed program, data sits on the disk of the computer at the till. The upside is obvious: the data is inside your business and sales continue even if the internet goes down. The downside is just as obvious: if the disk fails, the computer is stolen, or there is a fire or ransomware, the only way to get data back is the last backup you took.
In the cloud model, data is held on a server infrastructure and the till computer is just a screen connected to it. In Genu, data is kept with an infrastructure provider certified to SOC 2 Type II, in a data centre in the European Union (Ireland). Panels open in the browser; the only piece that needs installing is the optional Genu Desktop app on the till computer.
What if the till computer breaks or is stolen?
This is the clearest difference between the two models.
- In a local program: When the computer fails, the data may go with it. If you have a recent backup, you install on a new computer and restore; if not, past sales, customer accounts and stock records are lost.
- In the cloud: Because the data doesn't live at the till, losing the till computer doesn't lose the data. You sign in from another computer or a tablet through the browser and carry on where you left off.
A stolen till computer also raises an access question: what can the person holding it reach? In Genu, staff PINs are stored one-way encrypted and lock for 5 minutes after 5 wrong attempts.
Who holds the backup?
The word "backup" means different things in the two models.
In a local program, the backup often depends on the owner's habit: copying to an external disk, dropping it in a cloud folder, having it taken when a technician visits. Businesses that remember are protected; those that forget pay for it one day.
In the cloud, the provider takes the backup, but asking how it is taken is your right. In Genu, a daily automatic backup of the database is taken on the server side; you don't have to remember anything. If you have installed Genu Desktop on the till computer there is one more layer: the app runs an integrity check on the local database at startup, takes a consistent local backup once a day and at end of day (3 copies), and if the database is corrupted it recovers from the latest local backup.
Does selling stop if the internet goes down?
In a cloud program that runs only in the browser, an outage affects sales; that is the honest weak point of this category. Genu's answer is the hybrid model: on the Pro plan, Genu Desktop installed on the till computer runs the till locally when the connection drops.
- New orders (table, takeaway, delivery, counter), payments, split payments and closing bills continue.
- Suspending a bill, selling on account, collecting account payments, till expenses, cash counts and end-of-day closing are all possible.
- Bills and kitchen tickets print from the printers connected to the till computer.
- The cashier's PIN is verified at the till.
Transactions made during the outage are written to an event ledger at the till. When the connection returns, they are processed to the cloud in order, each exactly once, without the cashier doing anything. Outage times are listed in the end-of-day report.
Let's be clear about the limit too: during an outage the waiter phones and the kitchen display depend on the cloud. When the internet is down, orders are entered at the till. For the full story see Keep Your POS Running When the Internet Goes Down and the POS that works without internet comparison.
Who can access what, and who did what?
Data isn't lost only through disk failure; sometimes it is lost through a wrong or malicious action. So access and traceability are part of security too.
- Staff sign in with a PIN; PINs are stored one-way encrypted.
- After 5 wrong attempts, sign-in locks for 5 minutes.
- A reason is mandatory for voids and price changes.
- These actions land in the audit trail (log records): who changed what, when and why.
When it is clear who did what after a bill closes, "why doesn't the till balance" stops being a guessing game. These records are also the basis for internal control: instead of asking at month end why something was voided or a price changed, you see the reason immediately.
Is transmission encrypted, and where is card data?
In Genu all data transmission runs over an encrypted connection (TLS). Card numbers and CVV are not stored in Genu. On the personal data side, the 72-hour notification obligation under KVKK in case of a breach is written in the privacy policy.
A scenario: Saturday evening, the till screen went black
Let's make it concrete. The room is full, the till computer suddenly won't start.
In a local program the first question is "when was the last backup?" If backups are weekly, a week of sales, open bills and account movements are at risk. Until the computer is repaired or a new one is set up, the till is down.
In the cloud the first question is "which device do we open?" Open bills, the menu, customer balances and past sales are on the server; you sign in from a tablet or another computer through the browser and carry on serving. This isn't cloud magic; it is the natural result of the data not being tied to the till computer.
What are the real risks of the cloud, and how are they managed?
The cloud doesn't remove every risk; it changes the type of risk. The honest list:
- Internet dependence. A browser-only program struggles when the connection drops. The answer is an app that can run locally at the till; the hybrid model described above exists for exactly this.
- Staff discipline. Shared PINs, sessions left open, everyone holding every permission. Technology doesn't fix this; permission design and habit do, which is why the audit trail matters.
- Dependence on the vendor. It means your data sits on someone else's infrastructure. The way to reduce it is to make sure the data can be exported in standard formats.
We took the vendor dependence topic to a separate article: What happens to my data if the software company closes.
Three common misunderstandings
- "Cloud means everyone can see my data." No. Access depends on the permission defined by account and PIN. The screen a cashier sees is not the screen a manager sees.
- "A local program means the data is surely safe." No. The data sits in your business, but protecting it is also your job. Without a backup there is no safety.
- "The cloud is independent of backups." No, but who is responsible for the backup changes. That is why asking the vendor how it takes backups is legitimate.
Updates, regulation and maintenance
Security isn't only about backups; outdated software is a risk too. In the cloud model, updates arrive on the server side on their own. Genu Desktop also updates automatically. The subscription covers all updates; there is no separate licence or update fee. In locally licensed programs, updates and regulatory changes often come at extra cost or with a technician visit. We compared the cost and risk balance of the two models on the cloud subscription or licensed program page; for the architectural difference, the cloud, local and hybrid POS comparison is at hand.
6 questions to ask when choosing a cloud system
Whichever provider you are looking at, ask the vendor these questions in writing:
- Where does the data live? In which country, on which certified infrastructure?
- How are backups taken? Automatically, how often, and who is responsible?
- What can the till do when the internet drops? Which actions continue, which stop, how are records merged afterwards?
- Can I see who did what? Are voids and price changes recorded with a reason?
- How are cards and personal data handled? Is card data stored, is there a time commitment for breach notification?
- Can I take my data out? Which data, in which format? We covered this separately in what happens to my data if the software company closes.
If the answers to these six are in writing, your decision rests on information, not a feeling.
See it for yourself
You can try Genu's panel, till and kitchen display free for 30 days; no credit card needed. See the pricing page for current plans and prices, start the trial and test the answers to the questions above in your own venue.