Retail in India runs on speed at the counter and accuracy in the back office, and most shops keep the two in separate tools. In ERPNext the screen that bills the customer is the same system that holds your stock, your GST and your ledger, so every sale updates inventory and accounts as it happens.
Quick answer
ERPNext POS gives Indian retailers a billing counter with barcode scanning, GST invoices, multi-store stock and loyalty, backed by full ERP accounting. It suits single shops and chains that want billing, stock and books in one system they own. It needs a live connection to its server; if the counter must bill through outages, plan for that separately (see below).
A standalone billing app gives you a fast invoice, but the stock count, the GST return and the books live somewhere else and are reconciled by hand. ERPNext's POS is a front end on a full ERP: the bill at the till is also a stock movement, a GST entry and a ledger posting.
What ERPNext POS is
ERPNext POS is a point-of-sale screen inside ERPNext. The cashier works on a fast, keyboard- and scanner-friendly screen; behind it sit the item master, stock ledger, pricing rules, customers, GST setup and accounts. A cashier opens a shift (POS Opening Entry), bills through it (POS Invoices), and closes it (POS Closing Entry), which merges the shift's sales into Sales Invoices that post stock and accounts.
That is the difference from a billing app. With a billing-only tool you get the invoice, then re-enter sales into accounting and adjust stock separately. With ERPNext, billing is the stock and accounting event. The counter demo shows a shift from opening to close on a demo company. If the close ever misses sales, POS invoices before the Opening Entry explains the usual cause.
How does GST billing work at the counter?
GST has to be right and invisible to the cashier. In ERPNext, GST comes from the India Compliance app (it moved out of ERPNext core in v14), which gives you:
- Item tax templates by item or category, so the CGST and SGST or IGST split is computed on every bill.
- Tax invoices with your GSTIN, HSN codes and the tax breakup.
- Return data from the same sale: sales post to the ledger, so the figures behind your GST returns come from one source rather than an export.
If e-invoicing applies to your turnover, see the GST e-invoicing setup guide. Whether a B2C counter sale needs an e-invoice is a question for your CA.
What if the internet drops at the counter?
Stock ERPNext POS from version 13 onward needs a connection to its server to bill. The browser-cache offline mode ended with version 12 (Frappe forum, 2020). Event Streaming, offered in v13 for syncing separate ERPNext sites, left Frappe core in v15 and its separate app is now archived. If the counter must keep billing when the network drops, CounterFlow, our offline-first POS, saves each sale on the till and sends it once the line is back.
What works today:
- A second line. Broadband with automatic mobile-data fallback solves most outages and costs the least.
- A server in the store. ERPNext on a machine in the shop keeps the counter billing over the local network when the internet is down. Getting those sales to a head-office site then needs its own sync, built on the REST API.
- An offline-first POS app. A separate counter app stores each sale on the device and sends invoices to ERPNext over its API when the line returns. Test conflict handling and stock before go-live.
Does ERPNext work offline? goes through the choices in more detail.
How does stock update as you sell?
Because the POS sits on the ERP, stock is live:
- Every sale reduces on-hand quantity across the system.
- Barcode scanning for fast billing with fewer errors.
- Batch and serial tracking for items that need expiry or warranty tracing (pharmacy, electronics).
- One warehouse per store, with transfers between outlets and a combined view.
- Reorder levels and stock reports, so you restock before you run out.
If you also distribute, the same stock and order engine runs the supply side: see ERP for distributors and wholesalers in India.
Pricing, promotions and loyalty
ERPNext applies pricing rules and promotional schemes at the counter: quantity discounts, customer-group prices, time-bound offers. A loyalty program lets you award and redeem points against a customer. All of it runs on the same customer and item data, so the reports agree.
Single shop or chain?
| POS counters | One or a few | Many, across stores |
| Stock | One warehouse | One per store, with transfers |
| Reporting | Store level | Combined, with per-store drill-down |
| Pricing | Simple | Store- or region-specific rules |
| Accounting | One company | One company with cost centres or branches |
Adding an outlet means adding a warehouse, a POS profile and terminals, not a new system.
ERPNext POS or a standalone billing app?
| Accounting | Sale posts to the ledger | Export and import into separate accounts |
| Stock | Live, multi-store | Often basic, kept separately |
| GST return data | From the same sale | Re-keyed or exported |
| Licence | Open source, no per-terminal fee | Often per terminal, per month |
| Changes | Full, on the Frappe framework | Limited |
| Works without internet | Not on its own (see above) | Depends on the app |
If all you need is a quick bill, a billing app is the easier start. When you want billing, stock and accounts to be one reconciled system across one or many stores, ERPNext is the stronger base.
When ERPNext POS is the right call
- You run several outlets and need combined stock and reporting.
- You want sales, stock and accounts in one system that reconciles itself.
- You carry items that need batch, serial or expiry tracking.
- You are already considering ERPNext for accounting or distribution.
- Per-terminal fees and disconnected data have become a drag.
It is less compelling for a single-counter shop that needs nothing beyond a bill. If you also sell online and need one stock figure across the website and the shops, the Medusa POS post covers when a headless commerce layer helps.
How we set it up
We set up ERPNext POS for your catalogue, GST, store structure, barcodes and pricing rules, choose the outage plan that fits your stores, and connect the counter to the rest of ERPNext. More on how we run an implementation is on the ERPNext implementation page.
Frequently asked questions
+Is ERPNext POS GST compliant for India?
ERPNext POS applies GST through item tax templates from the India Compliance app and prints tax invoices with your GSTIN, HSN codes and the tax breakup. Because every sale posts to the ledger, the data behind your GST returns comes from the same source. Where e-invoicing applies, India Compliance generates the IRN and QR code.
+Does ERPNext POS work offline?
Not on its own. Stock ERPNext POS from version 13 onward needs a connection to its server; the old offline mode ended with version 12. To bill through outages, give the counter a mobile-data fallback, run an ERPNext server inside the store, or put an offline-first POS app in front of ERPNext that syncs sales back over the API.
+Can ERPNext handle multiple stores?
Yes. Each outlet is its own warehouse, with stock transfers between them, store-specific pricing rules, and combined and per-store reports, all in one company. Adding a store means adding a warehouse, a POS profile and terminals.
+Is there a per-terminal licence fee for ERPNext POS?
No. ERPNext is open source with no licence fee. Your costs are the implementation (catalogue, GST, stores and workflows) and hosting. For what moves that cost, estimate your price.
+Does ERPNext POS support barcode and batch tracking?
Yes. The POS screen takes barcode scans, and ERPNext tracks batches and serial numbers for items that need expiry or warranty tracing, such as pharmacy and electronics stock.
+How long does it take to set up ERPNext retail?
It depends on catalogue size, the number of stores, the outage plan and integrations. Estimate your price for your stores, or talk to us.
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Manoj · Published on 27 June 2026
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