How to choose a self-service kiosk

A self-service kiosk is a small system, not a single product: an enclosure and touchscreen, perhaps a printer, a scanner and a bracket for a card terminal, and software that connects it all to the way your business takes orders, payments or bookings.

Begin by writing one sentence that describes the job: who uses the kiosk, what they need to finish, and what happens next in your business. "Customers order and pay for takeaway food, and the order goes to the kitchen" leads to a very different kiosk from "visitors find a department and print a pass". Then note where it will stand: indoors or outdoors, on a counter, a wall or the floor, and how close to power and a network connection.

Screen size should follow the content and the distance, not the other way round. A short menu with large buttons works well on a 15.6 or 21.5 inch screen at arm's length. A long menu with photographs and modifiers is easier to use on a 24, 27 or 32 inch portrait screen, where more items fit without scrolling.

Portrait suits menus and lists. Landscape suits maps and forms. Bigger is not automatically better: a large screen on a narrow counter blocks sight lines, and controls at the top of a tall portrait screen can be out of reach for a seated user. Ask for the interactive area to be designed within comfortable reach, whatever the panel size.

The ordering kiosk range is described from 15.6 to 43 inch at range level, with 15.6 to 32 inch designs pictured. A size range does not prove that every size is offered in every enclosure, so treat the enclosure design and the screen size as one decision.

The ordering kiosk range is stated with 10-point projected capacitive (PCAP) touch, the glass-fronted technology familiar from phones and tablets. Larger information kiosks are listed with infrared or PCAP touch. Most ordering software only uses one touch point, so ask practical questions instead. Does the screen respond reliably with damp hands or gloves? Is the glass easy to clean?

Hardware capability does not mean the software integration already exists. A scanner can read a voucher code, but something must check that code against your voucher system.

List the systems the kiosk must exchange information with, such as your till, stock, bookings or loyalty records, and find out whether each offers a documented way to connect. Decide who will change menus, prices and screens day to day. Then agree the platform: kiosks are offered in Android or Windows configurations, and the supported platform version is confirmed with your quotation.

Kiosk Craft scopes and builds bespoke kiosk software per project, including integrations and, for food service, restaurant ordering. For the business process around the kiosk, see self-service ordering.

A kiosk needs power, a network connection, a fixing method and somebody responsible for it. Wall-mounted units need a wall that can carry them, freestanding units may need floor fixing, and outdoor units need groundworks and a protected supply. With several sites, pilot one first, then repeat the agreed configuration.

Ask how faults are reported, who holds spare paper rolls and how software updates are handled. Hardware, software development and ongoing management are described and quoted separately, and the agreed warranty and support terms are set out in your quotation. See installation and rollout and support and maintenance.

Find your solution narrows the ranges in a few questions, and compare lines up products of the same type. When you are ready to discuss a specific site, request a quote and tell us the task, the location and the systems involved.