Buying a POS system in Alaska is not the same decision it is in Seattle or Phoenix. The distance from a vendor's nearest technician, the cost of shipping a replacement part, and what happens to your sales data when your internet drops for six hours are all different problems here. The questions below are worth asking any vendor, including us.
Who picks up the phone when something breaks at 10 p.m.?
This is the most important question for any Alaska business, and it is the one vendors answer most vaguely. "24/7 support" can mean a chat bot, a ticket queue, or a person. Ask specifically: is it a phone call, and does someone answer it at night?
For our customers, 24/7 support means a phone call to the number that comes with their system. Sales and new inquiries reach us Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Alaska time, at (907) 290-8555. Alaska runs one hour behind the West Coast and four hours behind the East Coast all year. A support line that closes at 5 p.m. Pacific closes at 4 p.m. here, before most dinner services start. That gap matters.
What happens when the internet goes out?
Every kit we sell includes a UniFi gateway that we monitor remotely. The pin pad in every kit keeps processing cards offline and syncs when the connection comes back. You do not stop taking payments because a fiber line goes down somewhere between you and Anchorage.
If a vendor cannot tell you exactly what their system does offline, press them on it. "Cloud-based" does not automatically mean the system stops working without internet, but it can, and you should know which one you are buying.
What does a POS system in Alaska actually cost, all in?
Transparent pricing is rarer than it should be. Here is what we publish, with nothing added at the end.
Hardware kits include installation and staff training:
- Countertop $1,800: 15.6" station, receipt printer, cash drawer, pin pad
- Handheld $1,000: handheld with built-in card reader and printer, Wi-Fi access point
- Bar & Nightlife $2,600: station, receipt printer, cash drawer, pin pad, a handheld for the floor, gateway and Wi-Fi access point
- Retail $2,300: station with customer-facing display, receipt printer, cash drawer, pin pad, barcode scanner
Software runs month to month on three tiers. Essentials is $99 a month and covers menus, modifiers, tabs, tips, split checks, staff logins and end-of-day reports. Core is $199 and adds online ordering, QR menus, DoorDash Drive dispatch and a kitchen display license. Growth is $299 and adds loyalty, gift cards, reservations, caller ID and text marketing. Pay annually and every tier is 10% less. Full pricing is at alyeskapos.com/pricing.
Card processing passes through at the processor's cost, about $34 a month, itemized on your first statement. No markup beyond that on the Own-it plan.
If you want to reduce upfront cost, the cash-discount plan cuts hardware 50% and waives software for 12 months; card-paying customers pay a 3.99% service fee, and cash prices stay as posted. Check with your accountant on how that applies to your setup. There is also a $0-upfront option by application for businesses with 12 months of history and recent processing statements. Both paths are on the same pricing page.
Is there a contract?
No contracts. Software is month to month. If you pay annually and leave early, you lose the remaining prepaid months, but there is no early-termination fee on the Own-it plan. The $0-upfront plan includes a hardware buyout if you leave before the hardware is paid back, which is fair to know going in.
One thing specific to Alaska that rarely comes up in standard POS conversations: seasonal closures. If you shut down for the winter, ask about our Winter Freeze option. Software billing pauses for the months you are closed and resumes when you reopen, on any tier.
When a local dealer changes the outcome
Square is worth naming honestly here. If you run a food truck, a pop-up booth or a single-register shop with straightforward inventory and low volume, Square's free tier costs you nothing but processing. It is a real product that works. Where it falls short is when you need a kitchen display, table management, offline card processing with a dedicated pin pad, or someone to call at midnight who knows your specific setup.
We keep spare hardware in Anchorage. If a device fails, we can put a replacement on a same-day flight. That is why we stock parts here rather than drop-shipping from the Lower 48. Hardware care is $15 a month or $150 a year and covers every device in the kit, including advance replacement and accidental damage.
What the software is
The platform is Quantic. It runs on the hardware in every kit, handles offline card processing and is the same software whether you are running a restaurant or a retail shop. We are the Alaska dealer, which means we do the install, train your staff and stay on the phone when something goes wrong, rather than routing you to a national support queue.
To talk through your specific setup, call (907) 290-8555, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Alaska time. Pricing is published without a form at alyeskapos.com/pricing.
Want a straight answer for your counter?
Prices are on the page, and a person in Anchorage answers the phone. (907) 290-8555.
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