Five POS touchscreen terminals with receipt printers lined up on a workbench in a dimly lit workshop
Certified Refurbished

Refurbished POS Systems
for Small South African Retailers.

Updated

Yes, refurbished POS terminals are a good option for a small South African retailer when the unit is tested, runs your POS software and comes with a written warranty. Every refurbished POS system we sell is inspected, cleaned, tested and certified in our Cape Town workshop, and costs less than buying new.

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5

Stage Certification

Inspect, clean, test, certify, warranty

Tested

Before Dispatch

Units that fail inspection are not sold

Yes

Warranty Included

Parts and labour covered on all units

Full

Software Compatible

Pre-tested against Quantum POS platform

Small retailers

Are refurbished POS terminals a good option
for a small South African retailer?

Yes. Refurbished POS terminals are a good option for a small South African retailer when the unit has been tested, runs your POS software and comes with a written warranty. A refurbished POS system gives a first shop, a second till or a backup counter commercial-grade hardware for less than new, so more of your cash goes into stock. Buy new for the counter that carries the most trade if you can, and rent if you would rather not buy at all.

For scale: the Toshiba TCx touch terminal we supply new is R12,995 to R24,995 excluding VAT, depending on the configuration. TimeWorks also carries refurbished terminals as a lower-cost option, professionally reconditioned, tested and backed by the same support as new units. We quote refurbished stock by model and condition, so ask us for a refurbished quote. If your current till is already failing, read the five signs it is time to replace your POS hardware first.

What to check before you buy a refurbished terminal

  • A test record. Ask how the unit was tested. Ours go through the five-stage certification process: inspect, clean, test, certify and register for warranty. Units that fail are not sold.
  • Your software. Make sure the unit runs the POS software you will use. Every refurbished unit we sell is pre-tested on Timeworks Quantum POS, and the software is R350 or R500 per month excluding VAT per branch.
  • The warranty, in writing. Our refurbished units carry a warranty covering parts and labour, and the term depends on the product, so get it in writing. The full manufacturer warranty applies to new POS hardware, not to refurbished units.
  • The model's specification. A refurbished unit is still the model it was built as, so check its spec sheet. Zebra's LI2208 specification sheet, for example, rates that scanner for over 100 drops from 1.5 m at room temperature and 547 scans per second, and warrants new units for 60 months from the date of shipment. That 60-month term is for new units: ask how a refurbished one is covered.

Your rights and your costs in South Africa

Buying refurbished does not mean giving up your rights. Under section 56(2) of the Consumer Protection Act, a consumer may return goods within six months of delivery if they fail the Act's quality standards, and the supplier must repair or replace them, or refund the price, at the consumer's direction (National Consumer Commission, Explanatory Note 7 of 2023). A company buyer is covered only below a size limit: SAICA's guide to the Act explains that it does not apply where the consumer is a juristic person whose asset value or annual turnover equals or exceeds R2 million.

Budget for VAT as well. Our prices exclude VAT, which SARS levies at the standard rate of 15%. A VAT vendor can deduct the VAT it is charged as input tax, but a small retailer that is not registered cannot, so VAT is a real cost on top of the quote. SARS has raised the compulsory registration threshold from R1 million to R2.3 million of taxable supplies a year, from 1 April 2026, so more small shops now trade without VAT registration.

When renting beats buying refurbished

If you need a till now but would rather keep the cash, rent a complete POS instead. Monthly rental starts from R995 per month excluding VAT, with the hardware, the software and support included, month to month, and a loaner unit while yours is in for repairs. Daily rental for a market or event is quoted per job: contact us for pricing. To compare every option side by side, see what a POS system costs in South Africa.

Value Proposition

Why Buy Refurbished?

Smart businesses choose certified refurbished hardware for the same reason they choose proven software: reliability without overpaying.

savings

Lower Cost Than New

Allocate your capital to staff, stock and growth, not overpriced hardware. Refurbished units give you commercial-grade hardware at a lower entry cost than new.

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Same Software Compatibility

All refurbished hardware is pre-tested against the Timeworks Quantum POS platform. Plug it in, set it up, start trading. No compatibility headaches, no custom drivers.

verified

Tested and Certified

Units pass a five-stage quality process: visual inspection, deep clean, component stress test, software certification, and final QA sign-off. No corner-cutting.

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Warranty Included

Every certified refurbished unit ships with a warranty covering parts and labour, with the term set by product. You are covered, without paying new-hardware prices to get there.

Precision Components

Certified hardware designed for the Timeworks platform.

Refurbished mini cash drawer with its till open ID: Q-MCD-01

Mini Cash Drawer

Ultra-compact footprint with heavy-duty ball bearing rollers and reinforced steel construction.

Refurbished thermal receipt printer ID: Q-TRP-03

Thermal Printer

80mm thermal receipt printer with an auto-cutter and USB, network and serial ports.

Toshiba 10-inch rear customer display ID: Q-T10-FD

Toshiba Rear 10"

Crystal-clear customer-facing display. Ideal for promotion playback and itemized receipts.

Industrial Scanning

The Zebra LI2208 series delivers fast, accurate scanning. Reads reliably from paper, screens, or damaged labels in the most demanding environments.

Zebra LI2208 Elite
Zebra LI2208 handheld barcode scanner
architecture

Setup Planning

Consult with our hardware specialists to plan the right terminal positions, cable runs, and peripheral placement for your space.

Talk to a Hardware Specialist
Quality Assurance

The Certification Process

Every unit passes through five stages before it earns the Timeworks Certified Refurbished label.

01

Inspect

Full visual and mechanical inspection. Cosmetic grading, port integrity, and structural assessment. Units failing threshold are not progressed.

02

Clean

Industrial deep-clean: chassis, internals, fans, contact points. Thermal paste replaced on processors. Zero bio-contamination tolerance.

03

Test

Component-level stress testing under full load for a minimum of four hours. All ports, drives, displays and print mechanisms tested individually.

04

Certify

Software image installed and tested against Timeworks Quantum POS platform. Compatibility confirmed before certification is issued.

05

Warranty

Certified unit registered with warranty. Documentation issued at delivery. Our workshop handles all warranty claims directly. No third-party runaround.

Ideal Use Cases

Perfect For

Refurbished hardware is the smart choice for businesses that want enterprise reliability without the enterprise price tag.

storefront

Startup Businesses

Launch your store or restaurant with professional-grade POS hardware without overextending your startup budget. Redirect savings into opening stock, staffing and marketing.

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Seasonal Operations

Markets, pop-ups, festivals, and seasonal venues benefit from capable hardware that does not require a twelve-month ROI cycle. Trade strong, then store it safely.

backup

Backup Systems

Every serious operation should have a failover terminal. A certified refurbished unit on standby means your business keeps trading even when your primary hardware needs attention.

add_business

Budget-Conscious Expansion

Opening a second lane, a new branch, or a satellite kiosk? Equip additional points of sale with certified refurbished hardware and keep your capital expenditure under control.

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Ready for Certified Refurbished?

Tell us what hardware you need and how many units. Our team will put together a tailored refurbished quote, usually within one business day.

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Common Questions

Straight answers on buying refurbished POS equipment for a small shop.

Yes, refurbished POS terminals are a good option for a small South African retailer when the unit has been tested, runs your POS software and comes with a written warranty. A refurbished POS system gives you commercial-grade hardware for less than a new terminal, which costs R12,995 to R24,995 excluding VAT for the Toshiba TCx we supply. If you would rather not buy at all, renting a complete POS from TimeWorks starts from R995 per month excluding VAT, with the hardware, software and support included.
Less than it sounds, if you buy from a supplier that tests the unit and puts a warranty in writing. The risk sits with unknown sellers: no test history, no warranty and nobody to call. Every TimeWorks refurbished unit is inspected, cleaned, tested under load and certified on our POS software, and units that fail are not sold. In South Africa, section 56(2) of the Consumer Protection Act also lets a consumer return goods that fail its quality standards within six months of delivery, and choose repair, replacement or a refund (see the National Consumer Commission's Explanatory Note 7 of 2023).
Three things. The unit has been used, so it may show cosmetic wear. It is an earlier model than what is on sale new, so check that it runs the software version you need. And the warranty is usually shorter than a new unit's: new hardware from TimeWorks carries the full manufacturer warranty, while a refurbished unit carries our own warranty on parts and labour, with a term that depends on the product. Ask for the model, its condition and the warranty term in writing before you pay.
Buy new for your busiest counter if you can, because you get the current model and the full manufacturer warranty. Buy refurbished when the budget is tight, for a second till, or for a backup terminal that keeps you trading when the main one is in for repair. You can mix the two on the same Timeworks POS network. If neither fits your cash flow, rent instead: from R995 per month excluding VAT, with hardware, software and support included.
There is no honest single number. It depends on the model, its age, how hard it was used before and how it is looked after in your shop. Ask the supplier for the model and its age, check that the warranty covers the first months of trading, and keep it on a UPS so power cuts do not damage it. Commercial terminals are built for daily trading, which is why a tested refurbished unit is a sounder buy than a second-hand consumer PC.
Because it has been used before. The price reflects the unit's age, any cosmetic wear and a shorter warranty than new hardware carries. It does not mean the unit is faulty: at TimeWorks, units that do not pass inspection and testing are not sold.
A system you can start small on and grow. For software, the TimeWorks Cloud-Based Entry POS is R350 per month excluding VAT for up to two users, and the Full Business Solution is R500 per month excluding VAT with unlimited users, both priced per branch (see our POS software plans). For hardware, a small shop can buy a tested refurbished terminal, buy new, or rent a complete POS through POS rental from R995 per month excluding VAT with the hardware, software and support included.
A tested refurbished unit is built to the same commercial specification as when it was new. Every refurbished unit goes through a multi-point inspection, deep cleaning, component-level testing and software certification before it leaves our workshop, and units that do not meet our quality threshold are not sold. It is still an older unit, so the warranty is shorter than on new hardware.
All certified refurbished units are supplied with a standard warranty covering parts and labour. Warranty duration varies by product category. Ask our team for the specific terms applicable to the unit you are purchasing. All warranty claims are handled directly by our Cape Town workshop, not a call centre. The full manufacturer warranty applies to new hardware.
Yes. Every refurbished unit sold by TimeWorks is pre-tested against our Quantum POS platform. We only stock hardware that is fully compatible with our software, so there are no integration surprises after installation. The software image is installed and verified before delivery.
Yes. Refurbished and new hardware run on the same Timeworks POS network, with no separate setup. You can run a new primary terminal with refurbished secondary or backup terminals. This is a cost-effective strategy we actively recommend for multi-lane and multi-branch operations.