KORONA POS: Multi-Location Prowess For QSR & Retail
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Updated: January 7, 2024
KORONA POS is a customizable and affordable point-of-sale software for retailers and other business types. Their software solutions are offered by Combase USA, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are designed to be versatile, easy-to-use, and reliable for both single-location and franchise businesses. As such, they present as a compelling option to many merchant businesses, but would they work for you?
Let us help you explore KORONA's features, pricing, customer experience, and more. Read this review and discover if they fit your needs!
Pros
Cons
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Quick Stats
KORONA at a Glance
The KORONA POS software caters specifically to businesses within the retail, quick-service restaurant (QSR), and ticketing landscape. As such, they serve a vast range of client businesses, including restaurants, bakeries, health stores, music stores, shops, bookstores, cafes, etc. They accept companies of all sizes, with around 11,000 small businesses to enterprise-level clients already using their solutions. They also entice new clients through personalized demos, an unlimited free product trial, and a generous 60-day money-back guarantee, among other perks.
Their software provides industry-specific features, including robust inventory and analytics tools for retail stores, an online ticketing platform, and group rates for ticketing companies. They also boast in-house customer support, available 24/7 via live chat with actual agents and an automated chatbot. Additionally, they have an extensive manual and YouTube tutorial channel with a lot of helpful, informative content. KORONA POS is a cloud-based system that encrypts sensitive data using tokenization. It runs on a unique Linux OS to prevent unauthorized access and offers customizable security features such as retail theft prevention and cashier permission management. Preventing cyber-attacks and chargebacks may save you a lot of hassle and money.
They have a good reputation in their industry. They have established a solid reputation among their peers, receiving recognition and positive reviews from various sources. For example, in the G2 Winter 2024 Reports, KORONA POS was honored with seven new awards and ranked #4 on G2's list of Top 13 Easiest-to-Use Retail POS Systems. They are also accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
KORONA POS Features
KORONA POS strives to be a comprehensive solution that caters to the needs of both single-location and multi-location businesses. They offer a wide range of features on both the software and hardware level, which include:
- POS software: They boast a robust all-in-one software system that works for you whether you have a single location, multiple locations, or run a franchise business. The cloud-based software can be customized to fit a variety of business types, and houses solutions for inventory, payments, product grading, employee management, e-commerce, payroll, analytics, and more. It also integrates with the accounting software Quickbooks
- Payments: Their software and integrations make various payment options available, including secure contactless NFC and EMV chip payments. They consolidate reports and statistics across multiple locations, help in cash control, and provide useful suggestions and automation tools for better inventory management to fight against card fraud and ensure nothing goes missing
- Inventory management: The system offers flexible user permissions and mobile inventory management capabilities. The system tracks inventory issues and automates counting, generating count lists, and shipment tracking. KORONA POS simplifies ordering and receiving processes, accommodates multiple product codes with barcode scanning, and supports receiving at the back office, point of sale, or via the mobile app
- Employee management: They have tools to track employee working hours, and you may simplify your accounting and payroll with their QuickBooks integration. You can also generate individualized sales reports to evaluate employee reliability and limit staff member access to necessary functions with staff control
- CRM and loyalty: The system integrates loyalty programs and customer relationship management (CRM), which helps consolidate sales data, facilitates targeted marketing with real-time metrics, and enables personalized customer engagement through various channels. With its in-depth reporting insights, point-based loyalty program, and easy creation of gift cards, your business can benefit from fostering customer retention and database building. KORONA's approach encourages a personalized shopping experience and empowers you to reconnect with lapsed customers for increased store visits
- eCommerce: They offer a customizable eCommerce solution integrated with their POS system, automating inventory updates and marketing campaigns. Their platform synchronizes inventory and supports multi-location setups, streamlining the eCommerce experience. It also facilitates product management, admission ticketing, and email subscriptions while empowering you to control marketing and optimize SEO for your online store
- Hardware: They offer many POS and peripheral equipment options, including cash registers, kiosks, credit card terminals, customer-facing displays, scanners, receipt printers, and so on; or you may choose to integrate your existing POS hardware. You may also choose to lease the hardware, and they have flexible payment plans
- Loss prevention: KORONA POS provides practical techniques for retail loss prevention, which result from their authorization measures, robust inventory management, and customizable security features. Other features include accurate balance verification, receipt void authentication, preventing blank receipt cashouts, and restrictions on item voids. The software is flexible and can be customized to meet specific business needs
KORONA POS Pricing & Plans
KORONA POS pride themselves on their transparent and flexible pricing structure with no hidden fees or contracts. The plans come with free 24/7 customer support and the ability to choose your credit card processor. With an unlimited free trial, personalized product demos, credit card processing agnosticism, flat-rate pricing without contracts, and industry-specific custom features, your business may be able to find the right plan tailored to your unique needs. And once you decide to purchase, you have 60 days to cancel and get your money back.
Their introductory plan, KORONA POS Core, requires a monthly subscription of $59 and allows you to work with any processor, and has features like unlimited users and sales, customizable dashboard, core checkout, product database, reporting, an eCommerce store, manager functions, promotions or gift cards, and API access. For more advanced automation and inventory management on top of Core features, they offer KORONA POS Retail for $69 a month. Features include inventory counts, customer tracking, stock management, barcode automation, supplier interface integration, price and shelf labels, real-time tracking, item combination, and order automation.
They also offer optional modules that you can add on for extra fees, tailored for your specific business type, which include:
- Food: This is geared towards table-service establishments, like cafes, bakeries, and quick-service restaurants. For an additional $10 a month per terminal, you get tools for server and table management, KORONA menu, time tracking, graphical layouts for tables, helpful courses, and more
- Plus: For an additional $20 a month per terminal, you get advanced tools for stock management, store ranking, key performance reporting, custom ABC analysis, movement reporting, and so on
- Invoicing: If you need to send customers or suppliers invoices, you can $10 more monthly per terminal for uses that include quotes, rentals, delivery notes, and collective or singular invoices
- Ticketing: If you have an admission-based business, such as a museum or amusement park, you can pay an additional $50 per gate monthly for ticket printing, entry gates, customer management, and other tools to help you manage memberships, online ticketing, and groups
- Franchise: If you have a franchise and want more fluid operations and contact between franchisees and franchisors, they will help you achieve that for an extra $30 per franchise a month. With that, you get tools for product syncing, royalty systems, centralized inventory management, franchisee scalability, and more
- Integration: If you require custom development of niche integrations through the KORONA POS open API, you can access suitable tools by paying an extra $45 per month per token
KORONA POS Perks
There are many things to recommend this company over competitors, among which are:
- Franchise and multi-location capabilities: They empower businesses to scale to new locations with multi-location and franchise management, and offer such clients several benefits like consolidated operations, customizable reporting, franchise and multi-location features, company-wide promotions, inventory management, and automated royalty payments. With this, they aim to be an ideal choice for expanding businesses that require a simple, inexpensive POS system
- Flexible payment processing: They allow businesses to choose from any major payment processor, providing flexibility and convenience in managing transactions
- Tailored for regulated industries and ticket sales: They accept and offer features well-suited for high-risk and high-volume retailers, businesses that rely on ticket sales, and regulated industries such as vape stores and cannabis dispensaries. They offer built-in settings for managing age-restricted products, which is ideal for businesses that require strict register controls and ID verification
- Customizability: The system brings more customizability, allowing businesses to set specific permissions for each employee, create unique promotions and offer vertical-specific features for various retail niches
- Responsive customer support: KORONA POS provides 24/7 customer service, in-house, and can be reached by telephone, email, or live chat
- Notable reporting functionality: Their reporting functions are easy to use, and seamlessly integrate with systems for apps, online ordering, website, and delivery/curbside pickup
- Month-to-month agreements: With them, you don't need to sign a contract. Subscription is month-to-month and can be cancelled anytime without extra fees
Disdvantages of KORONA POS
There are a few potential disadvantages that should be considered when evaluating KORONA POS for your needs. Those include:
- Limited hardware options and integrations: The system cannot be run on iPads, and some of its hardware options are limited. Furthermore, KORONA POS only integrates with WooCommerce for e-commerce and has limited integrations, which may not be sufficient for businesses that require a wider range of hardware and software options
- Not ideal for all restaurant types: KORONA POS may not be the best fit for full-service restaurants, as it lacks native subscription management tools, employee productivity reports, or marketing campaign features, which are commonly required in this industry
- Limited inventory management: According to some insiders, the inventory management capabilities of KORONA POS are limited, as it lacks features for tracking and including product variables. This may prove to be a disadvantage for businesses that require more comprehensive inventory management features and on-site support
The KORONA POS Customer Experience
KORONA POS enjoys an overwhelmingly positive online reputation among their client base, although from a moderate amount of reviews. They have a 4.7 out of 5 score on Capterra, 4.8 out of 5 on G2, and 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot. They received an A+ rating from the BBB and have no complaints against them there.
Positive feedback
Users of KORONA POS praise them for their exceptional reporting capabilities, customizable buttons, easy staff training, and responsive support. Some say the transition to their system is very successful and intuitive, providing solutions for sales data analysis, inventory management, and business uniformity across multiple locations. Users appreciate the fast, reliable platform for business growth, highlighting speed, reliability, and robust feature sets as critical for retail.
Clients say that KORONA provides a platform that is future-proof, supporting various retail types and enabling them to grow and expand as they need to; this makes running the business easier, especially with inventory tasks, responsive and quick customer service, easy system installations, and the minimal trouble employees experience during daily use. They also recognize the platform's versatility and ability to handle custom modules and integrations, as well as its efficient inventory management and report creation abilities, among other things.
Critical feedback
Some users have faced challenges with KORONA POS, such as having issues with the Quickbooks integration or with a purchased tablet's performance. After necessary add-ons, the overall cost is criticized as too high, and a few users express a desire for ID scanning and a "Legal Birthdate" feature on the POS screen. Also, although positive overall, there is a suggestion for the initial training to be in-person rather than over the phone. Users noted that changes in shelf label appearance are a drawback, and found the inability to see sales by location due to setup issues to be a limitation.
Challenges include finding the rental inventory management insufficient for clients' needs and slower-than desired software updates that sometimes remove functionality or are not properly tested on all platforms. Users find the program challenging to learn initially, with a less accessible back end requiring a higher tech skill set. They would like an updated program without outright payment and improvements in customer profiles. Also, a few found the numerous features can be daunting and desired more customization options for reports as well as some improvements to be made to the back-end user interface for better navigation and understanding.
By and large, reviews mostly highlight KORONA POS's strengths in features, customer support, and ease of use, while also identifying areas for improvement, such as specific feature requests and minor challenges with integrations and initial training.
Customer Support at KORONA POS
They have an always-available, dedicated support team that can be reached by telephone at 1-(833)-200-0213, or by emailing them at [email protected]. You may also access their live chat support by logging in to KORONA Studio.
If you prefer to troubleshoot by reading their documentation, you can consult the KORONA POS manual, and you may find some other guides with useful information at their online resource center.
Wrapping Up
KORONA POS is a versatile and feature-rich point of sale software designed for retailers and other businesses in various industries. It offers a wide range of features, including robust inventory management, customizable reporting, and integration with popular accounting software like Quickbooks Payments. Their platform also provides a comprehensive suite of tools for employee management, customer relationship management, and loyalty programs. They have an outstanding reputation among their industry peers and business owner clients alike.
However, some users have reported challenges with the software's learning curve, limited hardware options, and the need for improved customer profiles and training. Overall, KORONA POS has a strong reputation for its features, customer support, and ease of use, making it a solid choice for many businesses. Still, it may not be the best fit for all types of businesses or users with specific requirements.
If you're unsure whether KORONA POS would fit your needs, we suggest you look at our reviews page of top providers and explore various POS systems and service providers. If you have multiple options that you're considering, use our comparison tool to compare them and make an educated decision. If you need help with industry-specific standards and terminology, check out our blog articles for valuable insights. Choosing the right POS for your business can be overwhelming, but our aim is to simplify the process.
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