Washington, Michigan

FAQ

General

Which version of SOS is right for me?

There are three different versions of SOS—the Basic, Lite, and Premium—all designed to accommodate the size and needs of your store. Call our sales staff at 888.527.2643 (toll-free) and they will ensure you choose the right version.

What features come with SOS?

Does SOS do barcoding?

Not at this time, but it is in development!

Do you need to have internet to run the system?

No, internet is not required. It is beneficial to have if you wanted to email customer or dealers information from the system, uplaod their sales to Mall Central, or have our support staff remote into your computer.

Does SOS have the ability to electronically communicate sales with dealers?

Yes, for those users within their first year of purchase, or after their first year of purchase are participating in the Annual Support Plan, SOS has a nice email feature. This allows you to send messages to your dealers/consigners, send messages to your customers, send daily sales information to dealers/consigners, as well as recent sales to dealers/consigners. SOS also can communicate with a third party program, Mall Central. In this scenario, the store uploads sales data at the end of the day and dealers/consigners can log in and check their sales information. Note that there are additional costs charged by this third party program.

Do we need on site training?

Nope! Many users have mentioned how user friendly and guided they have felt when beginning to use SOS. We provide an extensive user manual (electronically & hard copies available for purchase) to answer most any questions you have. Also, an Installation Checklist is built into the program and available in the manual to walk you through setting up the program to best work for your store. The manual also has numerous tutorials to assist in learning the program and training your staff. It’s nice to have quick reference on your desktop or internet browser, and to be able to search the document by keyword! As always, our support staff is available via phone/email/fax to address any questions you have. If your computer has internet access, we can create a session to remotely log in to your computer (provided we are granted permission!). You can always feel free to visit the Help page built into the program as well.

How long has SOS been in business? How many stores utilize your product?

SOS has been serving professional mall owners and managers since 1987. We have had over 1,500 stores purchase our software in 48 of the 50 United States, Canada, and Australia. 

What is your Support Policy

Learn more about our support and support policy here

How are updates to the program handled?

Enhancements to SOS are constantly in development. Releases of updates are done when updates are ready and complete. We aim to release at least one update per year, however, moving from mailing updates to electronic updates will allow for more frequent releases for our users. We are always excited to hear suggestions for enhancements to our product

Purchasing

How much does SOS cost?

Pricing depends on which version you choose and if any additional modules are added (applies to Basic or Lite). Please reference our Features Comparison Chart.

Is this a one time or monthly fee?

When purchasing SOS, it is a one-time fee. After your first year of purchase, you are eligible to participate in our Annual Support Plan. The price for 2022 ranged from $120-$260 for the year.

How long will it take for me to receive my software once it is ordered?

Orders are provided electronically, typically within an hour of purchase.

Shipped product is guaranteed to be shipped out the following business day unless overnight is specified and ordered before 2pm ET.

Shipping Options & Fees

  • Standard Ground Shipping (Generally 3-5 Business Days): $15
  • 2-Day Service: $35
  • Overnight: Price provided after shipping, as it depends on the shipping location

What do I receive when I purchase SOS?

  • Install Download
  • Networking Download (applicable to Lite & Premium purchases)
  • User Manual link (downloadable)
  • Physical copies available for purchase a la carte

What are your terms of payment?

Check out our payment terms.

Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee?

We offer a 60 day (from date of purchase) guarantee. Learn more about it here.

Sales in SOS

What different types of sales can SOS perform?

  • Taxable/Retail Sale
  • Non-Taxable/Wholesale
  • Shipped
  • Layaway
  • Pending ($85 add-on for Basic)
  • Approval Sale ($95 add-on for Basic or Lite)
  • Sale of Gift Certificates ($95 add-on for Basic or Lite)

What methods of payment does SOS accept or offer?

During setup, the store’s accepted methods of payment are selected from:

  • Cash (required)
  • Traveler Check (required)
  • Check
  • Gift Certificate
  • Canadian Funds
  • Seller Purchase Credit
  • Other
  • Store Credit
  • Money Order
  • Split Pay
  • Visa
  • MasterCard
  • American Express
  • More methods of payment can be added. Many stores like to add Debit and Discover as accepted methods of payment as well.

Does SOS handle Canadian HST (Sales Tax)?

Yes! We have many stores using SOS in Canada too.

Can SOS accommodate multiple tax rates?

Yes, SOS is set up to accomidate State, County, and Local tax rates (if applicable).

Can we sell taxable and non-taxable/different tax rate items such as coins, food, etc. in the same sale?

Yes, SOS allows for creation of special tax codes for items that are not taxed or are taxed at a different percentage than the state sales tax rate.

Is it possible to record customer/dealer resale numbers?

Yes, resale number is a field in our customer record file. This is a required element when processing a wholesale.

Can dealers be charged different commission rates?

Absolutely. The commission rate is something that is assigned individually to each tag ID.

How does SOS manage discounts when individual dealers are running a sale?

In Lite/Premium licenses, promotional discounts can be entered in for individual dealers, with a date range. This allows for dealer items to be automatically discounted when entering them in at the point of sale .

Users/Clerks

Can we create different user identifications in SOS? Can users be restricted from accessing different functionalities in SOS?

Yes, there is no limit on the number of users/clerks in your program. When a user/clerk is entered into SOS they are assigned a user group level:

  • 1-Top Level
  • 2-Manager
  • 3-Superviosr
  • 4-Clerk

Under task security and report security, you can restrict what users have access and ability to change features and reports in SOS.

Can we track sales by clerk?

Yes, SOS can be set up to record each clerk ringing up each sale. We have a nice report to reflect that information.

Hardware

What are the computer/hardware requirements to run SOS?

How does SOS work with a credit card terminal?

SOS knows what credit card is being used and how much is charged based on what is entered at the point of sale. The credit card terminal is something completely separate from SOS. You are free use whatever company or bank you prefer.

Can I use SOS on a Mac?

SOS is a Windows operating system program. It will not run on Mac operating systems, however, you can get Macs with Windows using a tool called Parallels. You can check with Apple to get it configured this way.

Can I use SOS on a tablet?

SOS is not designed for tablet use at this time.

Do I need a certain type of cash drawer?

SOS is compatible with most cash drawers. We don’t recommend buying them second hand. We also sell cash drawers that are guaranteed to be compatible with SOS. The user manual also helps with the setup of these cash drawers. The cost for one of these printers is $265, which includes shipping and tax*. They are shipped separately from SOS orders.

All hardware sales are final. Exceptions allowed for extremely rare circumstances including defective/damage upon delivery.

*Shipping/sales tax included Applies to Continental US. EXCLUSION: Shipments to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Tennessee, or Canada are subject to sales tax and/or freight charges, destination dependent. Fright charges for AK and HI also destination dependent.

Do I need a certain type of receipt printer?

SOS is compatible with most receipt printers. Our format requires 3″ paper. We don’t recommend buying them second hand. We also sell a thermal printer or dot matrix printer that is guaranteed to be compatible with SOS. The user manual also helps with the setup of these printers. The cost for one of these printers is $245, which includes shipping and tax*. They are shipped separately from SOS orders.

All hardware sales are final. Exceptions allowed for extremely rare circumstances including defective/damage upon delivery.

*Shipping/sales tax included Applies to Continental US. EXCLUSION: Shipments to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Tennessee, or Canada are subject to sales tax and/or freight charges, destination dependent. Fright charges for AK and HI also destination dependent.

Demo

Can the demo be downloaded more than once?

Yes, there is no limit to number of downloads of the demo.

Is there a time limit on using the demo?

There is no time limit. Take the time you need to explore the demo!