Guide · For Maldivian owners

Choosing a POS in the Maldives: a practical guide

Most POS software is written for a US or UK high street: dedicated tills, card-first payments, staff who never see WhatsApp. That's not how a Maldivian café or shop actually runs. This guide walks through what to look for when you pick a POS that fits Malé and the islands, not one you have to fight.

1. Hardware or browser?

Traditional POS assumes a dedicated till, a cash drawer and a receipt printer. Great for chains, but expensive and slow to change for a small café. A browser-based POS runs on the phone or tablet you already own. If you ever want to move counters, add a delivery driver's device, or take an order from the back office, the browser wins.

2. Bank transfers as a first-class payment method

The reality: most Maldivian customers settle by MIB or BML transfer and send a slip. A POS that treats transfers as an afterthought, "mark paid manually", leaves the slips scattered across chats. Insist on a system where the customer can upload the slip at checkout and where staff can attach a slip to any order after the fact.

3. Island connectivity

Dhiraagu and Ooredoo mobile data isn't fibre. A POS that loads a 5 MB dashboard on every screen tap will be painful outside Malé. Test the tool on real island data before you commit. Small pages, minimal images, no auto-playing anything.

4. Flat pricing vs commission

Delivery apps take 15 to 30% per order. That's fine if the app also brings the customer. If you already have the customer (they're in your WhatsApp), commission is pure loss. A flat monthly price makes sense when your customer base is your own, and it means growth doesn't get taxed.

5. Where do the orders land?

A good POS shows one live list of orders, no matter where they came from. WhatsApp, Viber, the menu link, the counter. If your tool creates a second island of information (a separate inbox for online orders, a separate spreadsheet for delivery), you've bought yourself a coordination problem, not a solution.

6. Who owns the customer list?

Some platforms lock your customers behind their brand. Check: can you export names, phone numbers and order history any time? If the answer is no, you're renting your own customer base.

A short checklist

· Runs in the browser on devices you already own
· MVR pricing, bank-transfer slip capture at checkout
· One live order list across counter, chat and menu link
· Fast on Dhiraagu / Ooredoo mobile data
· Flat monthly price, no commission
· Your customer list is exportable and yours

See how Eveyla fits the checklist