When opening a cafe or coffee shop in Ukraine, owners almost always ask: “Which cash register should I buy?” In 2026 the right answer is often: no separate device at all. Here is what to choose from, what it costs and what a cafe really needs besides a fiscal receipt.
Does a cafe need a cash register
Yes. Cafes run by sole proprietors (FOP) of the 2nd or 3rd single-tax group and by companies must process every sale through a registrar of settlement operations — an RRO or a PRRO — and issue a fiscal receipt. The 1st single-tax group does not fit a cafe. Read more in “Does a FOP of groups 1, 2 and 3 need a PRRO”. Selling without a receipt is fined 100% of the goods’ value for the first violation and 150% for each next one — see “Fines for working without a PRRO”.
Option 1. A classic cash register (RRO)
A separate device with fiscal memory. You have to buy it, register it with the tax service, sign a contract with a service center and maintain it regularly. If the device breaks, sales stop until it is repaired.
- pro: works on its own and is familiar to inspectors;
- con: separate costs for the device and service, tied to one place, and the menu and stock still have to live in another program.
Option 2. A software register (PRRO) on a tablet or smartphone
A PRRO is software that does the same job as a cash register: it creates fiscal receipts and sends them to the tax service online. It runs on the tablet, smartphone or computer you already have. You register it in the taxpayer’s Electronic Cabinet in minutes, and receipts are signed with the cashier’s qualified electronic signature.
- pro: no device to buy and no service-center fees;
- pro: the till is wherever the waiter is — at the counter, in the hall, on the terrace or on delivery;
- pro: offline mode when the internet drops — up to 36 hours in a row and up to 168 hours a month; receipts are sent to the tax service automatically later.
Comparison
- Hardware: RRO — a separate device; PRRO — your tablet, smartphone or computer.
- Registration: RRO — through the tax service and a service center; PRRO — online in the Electronic Cabinet.
- Maintenance: RRO — a service-center contract; PRRO — software updates.
- Receipt: RRO — paper; PRRO — paper via a receipt printer or electronic with the guest’s consent.
- Accounting: RRO — receipts only; a POS with PRRO — sales, menu, stock and reports in one place.
What a cafe needs besides a receipt
A cash register only makes a sale fiscal. To run a cafe fast and transparently, the till also needs:
- a menu with modifiers: size, milk, syrup, extras;
- kitchen tickets and a kitchen screen so orders don’t get lost;
- tables and open checks for the hall;
- stock and recipe cards: ingredients written off with every sale and cost of goods;
- reports: revenue, average check, best sellers and X and Z reports.
For paper receipts and kitchen tickets you will need a receipt printer — see “How to choose a receipt printer for a cafe”.
How it works in Goovii
PRRO is built into the Goovii POS at no extra charge. The POS runs on Android, iPhone, iPad and Windows, while the menu, stock, loyalty and reports live in one back office. If the connection drops, the POS keeps working offline. Everything a cafe needs is on the “Cafe automation” page.
If you want to do without any separate hardware, read “A cash register on your phone”.
Conclusion
In 2026 a cafe doesn’t have to buy a separate cash register. A PRRO on a tablet or smartphone plays the same fiscal role, costs less and immediately gives you menu, stock and sales accounting. Try Goovii free for 15 days and connect PRRO in one evening.