Best POS for a salon in Nairobi
Last reviewed 2026-08-05 · by the RetailPOS team
A one-chair barber in Westlands and a multi-stylist salon in Kilimani have different needs, but both are badly served by a generic retail till that can't attribute a sale to a stylist. Here is what to look for, and where RetailPOS fits.
What a Nairobi salon POS must do
1. Per-stylist attribution. Each service is tied to the stylist who performed it, so commission and tips are theirs — not pooled across the shop.
2. Services + retail on one ticket. A colour service and the shampoo a client buys on the way out ring on the same bill, with product stock depleting correctly.
3. Product depletion. Colour cream, developer and consumables draw down as used, so you reorder on real usage.
4. M-Pesa as a tender. M-Pesa is how Nairobi pays. It must be a first-class tender the POS reconciles, not a note in the cash drawer.
5. KRA eTIMS. Electronic tax invoicing via eTIMS applies broadly; the POS should support compliant invoices.
How the options compare
| RetailPOS | Generic retail POS | Appointment-first app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-stylist commission & tips | Built in | No | Yes |
| Service + retail on one bill | Yes | Retail only | Varies |
| Product/colour depletion | Yes | Basic | Rare |
| M-Pesa as first-class tender | Yes | Sometimes | Varies |
| KRA eTIMS support | Yes | Varies | Rare |
| Multi-branch on base plan | Yes | Higher tier | Higher tier |
Where RetailPOS fits — and where it doesn’t
Pick RetailPOS if you want stylist-level commission, service-plus-retail billing, product depletion and M-Pesa in one flat-priced product that also runs your inventory.
Look elsewhere if your business is appointment-led first and the POS is secondary — a booking-first platform with online scheduling, reminders and calendar management may suit better. RetailPOS is a point-of-sale with strong service handling, not a full salon-booking system.
Frequently asked
- Can each stylist earn their own commission and tips?
- Yes — services are attributed to the stylist who performed them, so commission and tips are individual rather than pooled.
- Does it take M-Pesa?
- Yes, as a first-class tender that reconciles at end-of-day. See the M-Pesa merchant setup guide.
- Does it handle KRA eTIMS?
- Yes — it supports compliant electronic tax invoices; see the KRA eTIMS guide.
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