A point of sale for events
Author: Matti Toorikka, Head of SalesUpdated
At an event the sale happens in a moment. Queues form quickly, there are many payments, and there is little room for a mistake. The till is part of whether the event works, not a technical detail beside it.
This guide covers what an event till needs in 2026. The weight is on speed, ease of use and what happens when something drops out. Those matter whether the event is small or large.
Event sales are a different room
Event sales are not a shop or a restaurant. Selling is often:
- limited to a short window
- sharply peaked
- dependent on the network and the devices
- part of the guest's experience of the event
When the till is fast and stays out of the way, the visit stays good. When it stops, the queue, the sales and the staff load show it at once. An event till has to be built for changing conditions, not only for a normal counter.
Why large events shape the system
A till used in arenas, festivals and trade fairs is built for:
- a high number of sales in a short time
- several points of sale at once
- a network or payment fault
- a fast setup and a fast pack-down
That shows up in how the system is built and in how faults are handled. A system that holds in those conditions also holds when the goal is simply a smooth sale without extra work.
Speed is the sale
Every extra second at the till lengthens the queue. A useful event till makes it possible to:
- take a payment in seconds
- offer the common payment methods on one device
- keep selling through the peak
When payment is fast, staff can stay with the guest. That matters most between sessions, sets and intervals.
Ease of use is a requirement
Several different people use the till during an event. The system needs to be obvious, quick to learn and still logical when the queue is long. That cuts mistakes, shortens the briefing, and lowers the load of running the event.
Faults are part of the plan
At an event, a dropout is normal work, not an exception. Networks, payment services and devices can fail, and the plan has to exist before the doors open.
A useful event till includes:
- a backup connection for a network drop
- offline payments with providers that support them
- a way to keep selling through a fault
- more than one payment service
- remote management and a view of the devices
The aim is simple: one broken link does not stop the sale.
An event can get its own 4G network with a fibre uplink. The backup can be Starlink, 5G or a second broadband line. Terminals can carry SIM cards from different operators, and the switch to the backup can happen without the seller doing anything. A team that knows the network can be on site. Terminals can also stay in use during a power cut.
Solmio can run two or three payment providers at the same time, on different devices or on the same device. Examples are Nets, Verifone, Viva.com, MobilePay and Solmio eVoucher. If one provider fails, another can continue. Some providers, such as Viva.com, also support limited offline payments, so selling can continue through a network drop.
Card payments are separated so card data cannot be read even in an exception. A lost or stolen terminal can be traced and locked remotely. Deposit returns have a time limit and a euro limit. Automatic protections stop a load spike before it shows up in sales. Payments run on Amazon AWS.
Arenas, fairs and many points of sale
When there are several points of sale, what matters is:
- one place to manage them
- reports as the sales happen
- the same way of working at every point
One view of sales makes it possible to move staff, restock in time, and adjust during the event.
How to choose
When you compare options, ask:
- Does it keep up when the queue is longest?
- Can it be set up quickly?
- Is a fault handled as part of the system, not as a surprise?
- Can you get support during the event?
- Can you see sales while they happen?
The system should fit the event.
In short
An event till is part of the sale, the guest's visit and the plan for when something fails. When it is fast, easy to use and able to keep selling, the event is lighter to run. Experience from large events is what makes that reliability ordinary. The right choice lets the organiser stay with the event.
More on the setup: point of sale for events.
Frequently asked questions
What if the mobile network gets congested at the event?
The event can have its own 4G network built on a fibre connection. The backup connection can be Starlink, 5G or another broadband line. Payment terminals can carry SIM cards from different operators, and switching to the backup can happen without any action from the seller.
Can one event use more than one payment provider?
Yes. Solmio supports two or three payment providers in parallel, either on different devices or on the same device, for example Nets, Verifone, Viva.com, MobilePay and Solmio eVoucher. If one goes down, another keeps going.
What happens if a payment terminal goes missing?
A lost or stolen terminal can be tracked and locked remotely. Card payments are kept separate so that card data cannot be read even in an exceptional situation.
How do volunteers learn to use the till?
A clear product menu and a short hands-on practice before the gates open are enough. Also practise removing a wrong item, an interrupted payment and closing a shift.
