POS switching checklist: from the last export to the first close
Switching goes wrong in the gaps: a gift card balance nobody moved, a barcode that lost its zero, a cashier who never saw the new screen. Work through this list in order and tick as you go.
Your cutover checklist
Tick items as you go. Your ticks stay in this browser only.
Pick a quiet day, not a convenient one
Go live on your slowest weekday morning, never before a holiday or a sale. Leave at least two weeks between the first export and go-live day, so there is time to fix the data you find broken.
Money the customer already gave you
Gift cards, store credit, layaways and deposits are promises to customers. List every open one with its balance before the switch, load them into the new system and check a few by hand. If one can’t move, decide now how staff will honor it.
Cancel things one at a time
Ending the old POS software does not end a card processing contract or a hardware lease. Check each agreement for notice periods and early-exit fees, cancel them separately, and keep the confirmations.