Compare the upfront price of buying a POS terminal or soundbox with the rental you would otherwise pay, and see when buying pays back.
Enter the purchase price of the device, any discount or support confirmed in writing, and the yearly saving: the rental you would pay over a year minus what owning still costs (maintenance contract, SIM or data plan, paper rolls, repairs). The tool shows when the purchase is recovered and the net saving over the years you will use it.
Worked example (illustrative). A card terminal costs ₹15,000 to buy. The acquirer offers ₹3,000 off, so the net cost is ₹12,000. Renting the same terminal would cost ₹600 a month (₹7,200 a year); owning it still needs a ₹1,200 yearly maintenance and SIM plan, so the yearly saving is ₹6,000. Buying is recovered after 2 years. Over three years the saving is ₹18,000, a net gain of ₹6,000.
Read the terms first. Many rentals are waived when you meet a monthly sales target; if you would meet it anyway, the saving from buying is close to zero. Check who replaces a faulty device, whether a purchased device is locked to one acquirer, and whether switching provider makes it useless. For soundboxes, rentals are usually small, so the payback is often long.
Limits. It ignores the time value of money and resale. Use the device life you can reasonably expect. See soundbox rental vs purchase and POS terminal options.
Cost Examples and Choosing an Acceptance Set-up
How card terminal pricing works in India (rental, waivers, purchase, Android POS, mPOS and tap-on-phone), with a worked buy-vs-rent payback and contract points.
Cost Examples and Choosing an Acceptance Set-up
How soundbox pricing works in India (monthly rental, one-time purchase, waivers, SIM and deposit), a worked payback sum, and whether a static QR alone is enough.
