California Enforcing Little-Known POS Law

California booksellers should be aware that some local governments are now enforcing a little-known point-of-sale (POS) law, according to the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) newsletter.

NCIBA recently heard from two booksellers who had been visited by local government representatives who told them that they needed to comply with a law that requires any retailer using a point-of-sale system to display sales information to the customer as the sales person inputs prices.

The NCIBA newsletter noted, "With local governments sniffing around for money wherever they can find it, we wouldn't be surprised to hear of other 'compliance' visits."

Most bookstore POS systems have hardware available that will allow booksellers to comply with the law. NCIBA is urging booksellers to check with their POS provider to see what they offer. The cost should be in the $260 - $275 range, according to NCIBA.