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System Overview

Brother POS is a cloud-hosted point-of-sale system. This page explains how the system is structured, how your store connects to it, and how the two main interfaces — the POS Register and the Admin Panel — work together.

Admin Dashboard Overview

Deployment​

Brother POS is primarily a cloud-hosted system where you access everything through a web browser. Some stores may also run a local on-premise installation on a dedicated Mini-PC for fully self-contained operation.

Cloud Deployment (Most Common)​

  1. Your store gets a subdomain. When your store is provisioned, you receive a unique URL like yourstore.brotherpos.ca. This is your store's address for the admin panel, the POS register, and all APIs.

  2. Data isolation. Each store's data is isolated at the database level. No other store can see your products, sales, customers, or settings.

  3. Automatic updates. Cloud stores receive updates automatically when they are deployed — there is no manual update process.

  4. Remote access. You can access your admin panel from any device with a web browser and an internet connection. The POS register is designed for in-store use on a touchscreen but can technically be accessed from any browser.

Subdomain Format

Your store URL follows the pattern: storename.brotherpos.ca

For example:

  • yourstore.brotherpos.ca
  • greenleaf.brotherpos.ca
  • downtown-shop.brotherpos.ca

Your admin will provide you with your specific store URL during onboarding.

Local On-Premise Deployment​

Some stores run Brother POS locally on a Mini-PC at the store. In this mode:

  • The entire system (database, server, POS) runs on the local machine.
  • The store is accessed at pos.local via mDNS on the local network.
  • A license key is required for local deployments.
  • Updates are managed manually by the store administrator.
note

The rest of this documentation assumes a cloud deployment. If you are running locally, the navigation and features are the same — only the URL and update process differ.

Two Interfaces, One System​

Brother POS has two distinct user interfaces that serve different purposes but share the same underlying data.

POS Register — The Sales Interface​

URL: storename.brotherpos.ca/pos

The POS Register is a modern web application designed for speed and touch interaction. This is where cashiers work.

POS Register Interface

Key characteristics:

  • Touch-optimized. Large buttons, swipe gestures, and a layout designed for touchscreen registers.
  • Fast. Built for instant responsiveness. Product searches, cart updates, and payment processing all happen without page reloads.
  • Offline-capable. If your internet connection drops briefly, the POS queues transactions locally and syncs them when the connection returns. You can continue making cash sales even during an outage.
  • PIN login. Cashiers log in with a 4-digit PIN — no need to type an email and password between transactions.
  • Focused. The POS only shows what cashiers need: products, the cart, payment options, and customer lookup. There are no admin settings or reports to distract from the sales workflow.
PWA Installation

For the best experience, install the POS as a PWA on your register device. This makes it launch in full-screen mode without browser controls, just like a native app. Your admin can help you set this up.

Admin Panel — The Management Interface​

URL: storename.brotherpos.ca

The Admin Panel is designed for back-office operations. This is where managers and admins work.

Admin Panel

Key characteristics:

  • Full-featured. Product management, inventory tracking, sales reports, user accounts, system settings, integrations, and more.
  • Browser-based. Works in any modern web browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
  • Role-restricted. What you see depends on your role. Admins see everything. Managers see most operational features but not system-level settings. Clerks and drivers do not have admin panel access.
  • Email/password login. Admin panel users authenticate with their email address and password.

How the Pieces Fit Together​

Data Flow​

  1. Products, customers, and settings are created and managed in the Admin Panel.
  2. The POS Register pulls this data to display products and customer information.
  3. When a cashier completes a sale at the POS, the transaction is recorded in the database.
  4. Reports and analytics in the Admin Panel reflect sales made at the POS in real time.
  5. Inventory levels update automatically when sales are completed, and managers can make adjustments through the Admin Panel.

Supported Hardware​

Brother POS is a web-based system, but it integrates with common POS hardware:

HardwareConnectionNotes
Receipt PrinterNetwork (Ethernet/Wi-Fi)ESC/POS compatible (Epson TM-m30II recommended). Star CloudPRNT and Bluetooth also supported.
Label PrinterNetwork (Ethernet/Wi-Fi)ZPL/EPL compatible for product labels with barcodes.
Barcode ScannerUSBKeyboard wedge mode — plug in and scan. No drivers needed.
Cash DrawerPrinter DK portTriggered by receipt printer via RJ11/RJ12 cable.
ScaleUSBFor weight-based products. Auto-detection with manual fallback.
USB Printers

If your printers connect via USB rather than network, you will need the Printer Bridge utility running on a Windows PC. This small application bridges network print commands to USB. Your admin will set this up during installation. See Printer Bridge for details.

How Data Stays Current​

The POS Register and Admin Panel share the same database but refresh data differently:

  • POS product data is cached locally and refreshes periodically (every few minutes) or when you navigate between screens. If an admin updates a product's price, POS registers will pick up the change within a few minutes — not instantly.
  • Sales and inventory are recorded to the database immediately when a transaction completes. Admin reports will reflect new sales when the report page is loaded or refreshed.
  • Settings changes (tax rates, payment types, etc.) take effect on POS registers within a few minutes as the cached settings expire and are re-fetched.
  • Kitchen Display System (KDS) is the one interface that receives true real-time push updates via WebSocket — new orders appear on the KDS screen instantly as they are placed.
Force a refresh on the POS

If you need the POS to pick up a change immediately (for example, a price correction), the cashier can pull down to refresh the product list, or close and reopen the POS tab.

Security​

Brother POS takes security seriously:

  • Data isolation. Each store's data is completely isolated. There is no way for one store to access another store's data.
  • Role-based access control. Granular permissions ensure users can only access features appropriate to their role.
  • Encrypted communication. All data in transit is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.
  • Password security. Admin passwords and POS PINs are securely hashed — they are never stored in plain text.
  • Audit trail. Critical data changes are tracked, providing a complete history of who changed what and when.
  • B2B encryption. Wholesale/B2B communications use end-to-end encryption so that messages between businesses are private.

Offline Capabilities​

The POS Register is designed to handle intermittent network issues gracefully:

  1. Product catalog is cached locally so products remain browsable even if the connection drops.
  2. Cash sales can be queued offline and synced when the connection returns.
  3. A visual indicator on the POS shows the current connection status so cashiers always know if they are online or offline.
Offline Limitations

While offline, the POS cannot:

  • Process card payments (these require a live connection to the payment processor)
  • Check real-time inventory levels from the server

Customer accounts, loyalty balances, and loyalty rewards are cached locally and remain available offline, though the data may be stale if changes were made on another device. Cash sales will still work and will sync automatically when the connection is restored.

Multi-Store Support​

If your business operates multiple locations, Brother POS supports multi-store management:

  • Store owners get an Owner Dashboard to view analytics and manage settings across all their stores.
  • Store switching allows store owners to move between stores from the Owner Dashboard without logging out.
  • Stock transfers enable moving inventory between locations.
  • Cross-store reporting provides consolidated views of sales and performance across all your stores.

Feature Flags​

Not every store needs every feature. Brother POS uses feature flags to enable or disable capabilities per store:

  • Cannabis-specific features (THC/CBD display, strain types, compliance)
  • Quality tier pricing
  • Weight-based selling with preset weights
  • B2B wholesale ordering
  • Local delivery and shipping
  • Label printing
  • Time tracking for employees
  • Consignment inventory
  • Scale integration

Your admin configures which features are active for your store. Disabled features are hidden from all interfaces — they will not clutter your experience.

What's Next?​