A UK buying brief for ecommerce, EPOS and payments

Define one order journey across every channel

Start with a customer buying two variants online, collecting one item in a shop and returning the other later. Give the same scenario to each shortlisted supplier. Ask where stock is reserved, which system creates the receipt and when the accounts package learns about the sale. Add a second location and repeat the exercise. This makes differences between a standalone terminal, a retail EPOS system and a commerce platform visible without assuming that every business needs the most complex setup.

• Name the system responsible for products, customers, stock and payments.
• Document the point at which stock becomes unavailable to another customer.

Compare payment costs using your own trading mix

Create a sample month with transaction counts, average basket size, online versus in-person sales, overseas cards and refunds. A percentage-only comparison hides the fixed fee on small purchases, while an online rate tells you little about a shop terminal contract. Add platform fees, hardware, paid integrations and any charge for using an external processor. Keep Direct Debit and card acceptance separate when the business uses both. Ask for settlement timings, currency conversion and cancellation terms in the same written proposal as the headline rate.

• Use ordinary rates after introductory offers expire.
• Separate recoverable tax, quoted tax and any tax basis that still needs confirmation.

Design the customer information deliberately

Review the full mobile journey, including product information, basket totals, delivery choices and the order confirmation. GOV.UK's distance-selling guidance identifies information customers must receive, including business details, prices, delivery arrangements and cancellation information. Work through the rules and exceptions that apply to the actual goods or services with the person responsible for the shop's terms. A tax setting or checkout template does not write those policies for the business. Test representative UK addresses and any overseas or Northern Ireland routes you intend to serve.

• Verify tax presentation and delivery charges before payment.
• Check that customers can retain their order information.

Spend demonstration time on exceptions

A clean sale is only the beginning. Ask for a partial refund after collection, a damaged return, a failed payment and an order split between locations. Disconnect a till in a controlled demonstration and observe exactly which operations remain possible, which queue for later and which require an alternative procedure. Never assume that offline catalogue access also means offline payment authorisation. Follow each exception into inventory and reporting so a manager can distinguish returned stock, damaged stock and a payment still awaiting resolution.

• Record who may refund, discount and override stock.
• Check recovery after connectivity returns and how duplicate actions are avoided.

Assess automation and AI through observable changes

Choose a repetitive task such as creating a product description, analysing slow-selling stock or preparing a replenishment suggestion. Ask the supplier to show the input, the proposed result and the human review step. Compare the result with known data rather than judging how fluent the explanation sounds. For workflow automation, deliberately provide an incomplete address or unavailable item and inspect the exception queue. Record whether the capability is included, requires a partner extension or carries a usage charge. Leave unsupported functions unverified in the shortlist.

• Confirm which staff permissions an assistant inherits.
• Keep generated customer-facing claims subject to editorial review.

Agree the first trading week and the exit route

Run a small migration with real product complexity before importing the complete catalogue. Reconcile opening stock and test receipts, refunds and reports with the people who will work at the till and fulfil orders. Plan a support contact and fallback process for the first trading week. Finally, export products, orders, stock and customer records and assess what can be reused elsewhere. The strongest shortlist explains both the working capability and the unresolved questions, with evidence coverage shown beside the score so a sparse public website is not mistaken for a poor product.

• Set acceptance criteria for the busiest trading scenarios.
• Agree who owns integration support when two suppliers are involved.

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