Pool hall POS system: table time, bar and rentals on one bill

A pool hall POS system has to collect table time, bar orders and cue rental into one table bill and print one receipt at the end. A retail POS can't do that: it sells finished products, while a pool hall's main product is time, and its price is only known once the game is over. Below: how a table bill adds up, what belongs on the receipt, how to close out a table, and what you need at the counter.

Why a retail POS doesn’t fit a pool hall

In a shop, an item is scanned, paid for, and the sale is done. At a pool table, the sale runs for hours:

• the table is opened, the amount grows every minute, and it's final only when the table is closed;
• over the evening, drinks and snacks keep landing on the same table;
• the rate depends on the time of day: day and night rates, VIP tables;
• guests move to another table, rent a better cue, or pay up front for "one hour".

With a retail POS, a hall usually keeps two records: time on paper or a simple timer, the bar in the POS. At the end of the game, the attendant adds them up by hand. That's exactly where mistakes happen: a forgotten second round, rounded-off minutes, a drink that was going to be "rung up later". A pool hall POS should see time, bar and rentals on one table bill from the start.

One table, one bill: what goes on it

A table bill has three parts: playing time, bar orders and equipment rental. For example, at $12 per hour:

Three rules keep the bill right:

• Orders go on the table straight away. The moment a drink reaches the table, not at the end of the shift. With five tables busy on a Friday night, nobody can remember who ordered what.
• Rentals go on the table bill too. Money for a cue or other equipment goes on that table's bill, not into a separate pocket.
• If the table changes, the bill moves with it. When guests switch tables, don't close the old session and open a new one. That is exactly how minutes and orders get lost.

In ClubTime, bar sales are added to the table's session and taken off stock, and equipment rental is added to the session bill and the shift report. A session can be moved to another table with its time and bill, and both tables show in the history. How to keep bar stock and cost of goods straight is covered in bar stock and FIFO costing.

What belongs on the receipt

A receipt is the cheapest way to end an argument. A guest who is sure they "came in at eight" usually lets it go once they see the start time printed. A good receipt shows:

• the club name and the date;
• the table number or name;
• start and end time, and the duration;
• table time, bar and rentals, each on its own line;
• the total, large and unambiguous.

If everything is rolled into one number, guests don't see what they're paying for and start asking questions. An itemised receipt gets fewer of them.

A ClubTime receipt shows the table, start and end time, duration, the time charge, bar, rentals and the total, with a QR code at the bottom. On Android it prints to a Bluetooth ESC/POS thermal printer; on Windows and Mac, to any system printer; paper width is 58 or 80 mm. Receipts can't be printed from an iPhone or iPad, so if you need them, keep an Android device or a computer at the counter.

Rules on official receipts and registered cash registers differ from country to country; check them with a tax adviser.

Closing out a table: payment, discounts and split bills

Closing a table is where most till mistakes happen. Guests are in a hurry, one pays by card, another in cash. Rules agreed in advance keep it calm:

• Record the payment method. Cash, card or transfer: each is reconciled separately at the end of the shift, and the cash drawer is checked only against cash payments.
• Discounts follow a written rule. Who can give a discount, how much and when. A verbal "two dollars off for a regular" is a classic source of shortages.
• Split bills. The table bill stays one bill. If four friends want to split it, the attendant states the total and takes payment in parts, but doesn't break up the table or delete lines. For example, $37.00 split four ways is $9.25 each.
• Running total. Tell a large group "you're at this much so far" every now and then, so the final amount is no surprise.
• Prepayment from new faces. Late at night or with guests you don't know, take time or an amount up front. ClubTime timers can be set for a fixed time or a fixed amount, the app warns before they run out, and the attendant closes the session.

How to count the till at the end of a shift and trace a shortage: see cash shortages and staff control.

The counter: device, printer and internet

A pool hall doesn't need a dedicated POS terminal. What it needs:

• A main device. A tablet or a computer at the counter, so every table is visible at a glance on a big screen. A phone can be the backup, or a second device for the bar.
• A receipt printer. 58 mm is compact; 80 mm is wider, and long receipts are easier to read. Keep spare paper rolls at the counter: run out on a busy night and you can't hand out receipts.
• Steady power. Keep the tablet charged; if it's a computer, put a UPS on it for short power cuts.
• No dependence on the internet. Tables must open and close, and receipts must print, even when the connection drops.

ClubTime runs on Android, iPhone/iPad, Windows and macOS. It keeps working without internet: everything is saved on the device first and syncs to the cloud on its own once the connection is back. Staff devices are free, and only the club owner pays, so a second device for the bar costs nothing extra. The owner can watch the club live from another phone and gets a Telegram message for every closed table, shift and sale.

How to test a POS during a free trial

One simple run-through tells you more than any advert. During the trial, go through it end to end:

1. Open a session on a table and wait 10–15 minutes.
2. Add two drinks and a cue rental to that table.
3. Move the session to another table.
4. Turn off Wi-Fi, close the table and print the receipt.
5. Also close a session that crosses from the day rate into the night rate.
6. Open the shift report: time, bar and rental totals should match the receipts.

If any step makes the attendant work something out by hand or jot it on paper, that's where the mistakes will show up on a busy night. Test on a quiet afternoon, but also on at least one busy evening. What ClubTime does for pool and billiard halls is on the billiards page.

FAQ

Can a pool hall use a regular retail POS?

For the bar, yes; for table time, no. A retail POS doesn't track time, so time is counted separately and added by hand at the end of the game, which is where mistakes creep in.

Can I print receipts from an iPhone?

Not with ClubTime: receipts can't be printed from an iPhone or iPad. On Android they go to a Bluetooth thermal printer; on Windows and Mac, to any system printer.

Does the POS work without internet?

ClubTime does: tables open and close, data is stored on the device, and it goes up to the cloud on its own when the connection returns.

Can I see table revenue and bar revenue separately?

In ClubTime, yes. They are separate lines on the receipt, and reports break revenue down by club type and by bar.

In short

• A pool hall POS should put time, bar and rentals on one table bill; a retail POS doesn't.
• Orders go on the table straight away, rentals go on the table bill, and the bill moves when guests change tables.
• An itemised receipt with time, bar and rentals on separate lines heads off arguments.
• Write down your rules for payment methods, discounts and split bills in advance.
• Test any POS with one full run-through: orders, a table move, closing offline, the shift report.

Try ClubTime free for 15 days, with every feature and no card needed. The plan depends only on the number of tables: see pricing.