A lot of buyers don’t know the difference between thermal receipt printers and dot matrix printers, but there are a few important ones. These include storage time, paper quality, and printing speed. Thermal printing involves a semiconductor heating element that is fixed to the print head. Like a thermal fax, this heats up and touches the thermal paper. The printer heats up to generate an image. It is much faster than a dot matrix printer because the paper of the thermal printer can reach the maximum speed due to the wide design of the print head. Here are our choices for the 3 top thermal receipt printers in 2020.
1. Star Micronics TSP100
This printer cover the full specter of POS connectivity needs. Thanks to the flexible connectivity features below, TSP100 series printers work with practically every small-business POS system on the market.
- Lightspeed Retail POS
- Lightspeed Restaurant POS
- QuickBooks POS
- ShopKeep
- PayPal Here
- Shopify POS
- Vend
Each TSP100 receipt printer features an auto cutter, reliable performance, fast printing of around 45 receipts per minute, simple drop-in paper reloading and de-curl feature that produces flat receipts. Below are some additional features:
- Plug-and-play connections with network equipment including Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and POS hardware
- Customize receipts with logo, graphics or other sales messages
- Print restaurant receipts with space for tips
- Print receipts for any type of transaction: cash, check, credit card or gift card
- Print regular store receipts
- Compact size: 6 inches wide by 6 inches tall by 8 inches long
- Communicate with a cash drawer
- Send digital receipts and provide paper receipts
- Thermal printing requires no ink or toner refills
- Most models come in either white or black. Some versions are available in off-white
- Prints 3-inch wide receipts on standard thermal receipt rolls
You might be able to do the following depending on the specific TSP100 printer version and your POS system:
- Directly connect to an iPad or iPhone using a lightning cable (USB versions only)
- Print wirelessly from mobile terminals or multiple registers via Wi-Fi (WLAN versions only)
- Print wirelessly via Bluetooth from mobile POS apps on iPads, iPhone, and Android devices (Bluetooth versions only)
- Print QR-code Micro Receipts to save paper (most models)
- Print return information, store policies, coupons, and promotions on the back of each receipt (most models)
2. Star Micronics TSP143IIIU Square
This series is available from Square POS. The price is a bit lower on Amazon. It’s very important that you select the USB version (TSP143IIIU) if you buy through another seller and you want to use this thermal receipt printer with Square POS. Star Micronics makes several versions of this thermal receipt printer. Square specifically connects its register and POS stand to the “U” version for plug-and-play compatibility.
Features:
- Connect to Square POS iPad Stand or the new Square Register
- Customize receipts with logo, graphics or other sales messages
- Print receipts for any type of transaction: cash, check, credit card or gift card
- Print regular store receipts
- Print restaurant receipts with space for tips
- Use with a cash drawer
- Send digital receipts and provide paper receipts
- Reasonable countertop footprint — about 6 inches wide by 6 inches tall by 8 inches long
- Choose black or white to match your Square POS Stand or Register hardware
- Prints 3-inch wide receipts on standard thermal receipt rolls
- Thermal printing requires no ink or toner refills
It’s a universal receipt printer that you can use to connect to lots of other sales and terminal software as well as a number of POS systems. This series isn’t only for Square POS users. You’ll have to check your particular system to see if it’s compatible.
3. Star Micronics SM-S230i for PayPal or Square POS
This option is best for those who need a fully mobile receipt printer. Wireless receipt printers that are portable, battery-operated, and Bluetooth-enabled are the best option for printing receipts for various services, mobile sales in food trucks, and markets and festivals. If you have such requirements, the Star Micronics SM-S230i won’t disappoint.
This printer is incredibly compact, weighing in at around 8 ounces and measuring just 3.25 inches wide, 4.5 inches long and 1.75 inches thick. It is portable and will go anywhere you need. The Star Micronics SM-S230i receipt printer automatically pairs your iPhone and iPad POS devices fast with PayPal Here and Square POS quickly. This makes it the best option for anyone focusing on mobile selling.
Price
On Amazon, you can get the SM-S230i for about $275. It comes complete with:
- Rechargeable lithium battery pack
- Battery charger
- USB cable
- Belt clip
- Paper roll
You can dispose of the following features if the printer connects to your system:
- Provides 13 hours of print time with a recharge time of about four hours
- Durable casing is drop-tested to a height of 5 feet
- Print receipts for any type of transaction: cash, check, credit card or gift card
- Configurable auto sleep mode can be set to power down after one to five minutes
- Print restaurant receipts with space for tips
- Customize receipts with logo, graphics or other sales messages
- Thermal printing requires no ink or toner refills
- Refill paper rolls drop in from the top
- Prints 2-inch wide receipts
- Connect the receipt printer directly to computers using the included USB cable
Its auto-detect Bluetooth pairing to Square POS and Paypal and great portability are the top features that set this thermal receipt printer apart from the competition. The USB plug option makes it possible to connect to Mac or Windows desktop and laptop computers directly to print from other sales software and POS systems. If you don’t use Square POS or PayPal Here, check your provider’s supported hardware list. Thank you for reading.
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