From sign-up to your first sale.
Most shops go from request to their first sale within a few days. Here is exactly what happens, what to prepare and how to switch without disrupting the counter.
To get started with poso: request a free trial at app.poso.co with your business name, type of shop, country and email; the poso team sets up your shop and sends your login, usually within one business day. Then import your products from Excel, add payment methods, enter opening stock (with batch and expiry dates for medicines and chemicals), invite your staff and open the till. The 30-day trial is free and needs no card.
Step by step
- Request your trial (2 minutes)Go to app.poso.co/start. Enter your business name, type of shop, country, name and email, and your preferred web address, such as
yourshop.poso.co. - We set up your shop (usually within one business day)The poso team creates your shop for your type of business, with your currency and, where available, your country's chart of accounts, and emails your login.
- Import products (1–3 hours)Use our Excel template: name, barcode, category, unit, cost, price and whether it is batch-tracked. We help with your first import during the trial.
- Add payment methods (5 minutes)Cash, mobile money such as M-Pesa or MoMo, card, bank transfer, customer account.
- Count opening stock (an evening)Enter quantities per product; for batch-tracked items enter each batch with its expiry date. See how to count stock.
- Invite staff (10 minutes)Add cashiers, store keepers and managers, each with their own login and role.
- Open the tillSell. Stock, batches and accounts update with every sale.
What to prepare
- Your product list (Excel, a supplier price list, or your old system's export).
- Cost and selling prices, or the margin you want per category.
- Barcodes, if your products have them (most medicines do).
- A computer or tablet with a modern browser; a barcode scanner if you have one.
- A quiet time to count opening stock.
Switching from another system
| From | What to do |
|---|---|
| Notebook | Type or import your product list, then count opening stock. |
| Excel | Clean up your sheet and import it as your product list. |
| Other software | Export products, customers, suppliers and (optionally) opening balances to Excel and import them. |
Go live on a quiet day, and stop using the old system the same day: running two systems doubles the work and halves the accuracy. Chains and wholesalers can ask for guided onboarding.
After the trial
Choose a plan before the 30 days end. Everything you set up stays as it is. If you don't choose a plan, your shop becomes read-only so nothing is lost while you decide. See pricing.
Getting started questions
How long does it take to set up poso?
Requesting a trial takes two minutes and we usually have your shop ready within one business day. Importing products and counting opening stock usually takes a day for a single shop.
Do I need technical skills?
No. If you can use a spreadsheet and a smartphone, you can set up poso. We help with your first product import.
Can I import my products from Excel?
Yes. poso imports products from Excel or CSV, and we provide a template.
What if I need help?
Use Help inside poso, contact us, or book a demo.
Last updated by the poso team.