Point of sale in Panama: what a register system must do and what it really costs
Electronic invoice from the register, ITBMS per product, the retiree discount, cash-session close per shift. And a calculator for the whole bill, not just the combo.
Updated: 5 October 2026 · Sources: DGI, Law 256/2021, Law 6/1987 (Acodeco)
What is a point of sale (POS)?
It is the system you charge with: it builds the bill, applies taxes and discounts, takes the payment, prints or sends the receipt and records the sale. In Panama it must also issue the electronic invoice.
A cash register kept a total. A POS keeps every line: what you sold, to whom, how much ITBMS it carried, how they paid and who was at the register. That is the difference between "I sold B/. 1,240 today" and knowing what sold, what is left in stock and what goes to the books. A register that only adds up is like playing without saving: at the end of the day you don't know what happened.
What must a POS do in Panama?
Four things an "international" POS usually lacks: issue the DGI electronic invoice from the same sale, handle ITBMS per product (7%, 10%, 15% or exempt), apply the legal retiree discount, and close the cash session per shift with a count.
- Electronic invoice from the register. Since Law 256 of 2021 the invoice is mandatory on every sale and the SFEP is the method. If the POS does not connect to a PAC, you end up invoicing by hand on the DGI portal, sale by sale. Guide: electronic invoicing in Panama →
- ITBMS per product, not per ticket. One ticket can carry products at 7%, alcoholic drinks at 10%, tobacco at 15% and exempt medicines. The breakdown by rate goes on the receipt and in the return.
- Retiree and pensioner discount. Law 6 of 1987 requires it on the retiree's own consumption: 25% in restaurants and 15% in franchise fast food, per Acodeco's criteria. The 2026 reform was vetoed and returned to the Assembly, so those remain the percentages in force while the law is revised; Acodeco's criteria are the reference. The POS must apply it per line and keep a record.
- Cash-session close per shift. Opening float, sales by payment method, withdrawals, and the difference between what the system says and what is in the drawer. Where money gets counted, not assumed.
Sources: Law 256 of 26 Nov 2021; Tax Code art. 1057-V (ITBMS); Law 6 of 16 Jun 1987 and Acodeco criteria.
What changes in a restaurant?
The bill stays open: tables, orders that add up over an hour, split bills. The POS has to work by table, not by ticket. A table is not a ticket: it is a series with seasons.
- Floor plan with the state of every table: free, occupied, to be paid.
- Open checks that are kept, split or moved to another table.
- Recipes: every dish deducts its ingredients from stock when sold, not when bought.
- Retiree discount applied only to that person's consumption, as the law says.
And in a shop or mini-market?
Speed and barcodes: scan, charge, next. And every sale deducts stock so you know when to reorder.
- USB barcode reader: it works like a keyboard, no brand required.
- Variants: the same shirt in three sizes and two colors without creating six products.
- Low-stock alerts and stock entries with a reason.
- Walk-in customer by default; a client with RUC only when the invoice needs it.
What does a POS cost per year?
Calculator: the real cost of your point of sale
What almost nobody adds up: the licence is only part of it. Type what you were quoted. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent.
The grey example values are approximations based on common market prices. The result uses only the figures you type: licence + extra registers + users + electronic invoicing, times 12 months.
What equipment do I need?
Less than you are sold: a computer or tablet with a browser, an 80 mm thermal printer and, if you sell coded products, a USB reader. The cash drawer plugs into the printer. You do not need a spaceship to charge for a sancocho.
| Equipment | Works | Not needed |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | Any PC, laptop or tablet with a browser | A branded "POS terminal" |
| Printer | 80 mm thermal, USB or network | Fiscal printer: the electronic invoice replaces it |
| Reader | Keyboard-type USB reader | Proprietary reader |
| Drawer | Plugs into the printer | "Smart" drawer |
How do I choose? The 7 questions
The final boss before you sign: the ones that separate a point of sale from a cash register in disguise.
- Does it issue the electronic invoice from the sale, through a PAC, or do I have to go to the DGI portal?
- Does it handle ITBMS per product and break it down on the ticket?
- Does it apply the retiree discount per line and keep a record?
- Does it close the cash session per shift with a count?
- Does it deduct stock (and recipes, if I cook) when selling?
- Does it charge per user or per register? Add it up in the calculator.
- Can I export my sales to Excel and leave whenever I want?
Tadpole's point of sale charges at the counter or by table with your own floor plan, applies the retiree discount per line, opens and closes the cash session per shift, prints the ticket with QR and CUFE, and every sale deducts stock and reaches the books on its own. Unlimited users on every plan: levelling up costs nothing extra.
See the point of saleFrequently asked questions
Do I need a fiscal printer?
Not if you invoice electronically: the electronic invoice replaces fiscal equipment. Groups already obliged cannot keep using a fiscal printer.
Does a cloud point of sale work when the internet drops?
It depends on the system. Ask what happens to a half-finished sale and to printing when the connection drops; in Panama that is not a theoretical question.
Can I use a tablet as a point of sale?
Yes, if the system runs in the browser. To print on a thermal printer from a tablet, the system must support network printing.
What discount do retirees get in restaurants in Panama?
Law 6 of 1987 sets 25% on the retiree's own consumption in restaurants and 15% in franchise fast food. The 2026 reform was vetoed and returned to the Assembly; while the law is revised, those percentages remain in force. Reference: Acodeco criteria.
Sources: Law 256/2021 · Tax Code art. 1057-V · Law 6 of 1987 (text at MICI) and Acodeco criteria; reform vetoed 21 Sep 2026 · DGI. Reviewed 5 October 2026. This guide informs; it does not replace your accountant.