(2) Point of sale (POS) or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs in exchange for goods or services. The point of sale often refers to the physical electronic cash register or dedicated POS hardware (or “terminal”) used for checkout, but the POS is simply the location where the sale is conducted, money changes hands and a receipt is given, which can also occur on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or mobile POS device when the right hardware and POS software is combined with the mobile device. The combined software, hardware, and peripheral devices at a POS station manage the selling process, typically driven by a sales associate or cashier. Modern POS systems now have stations created for the customer to check themselves out by scanning and bagging their own items, then paying with a debit or credit card.