Trading in a city that runs on peaks
A Saturday afternoon on the Meir has nothing in common with a Tuesday evening in Berchem, yet the same till has to handle both. In central Antwerp the turnover arrives in waves : the lunch rush in the office district lasts barely ninety minutes, and the terrace on het Zuid fills up the moment the sun comes round.
Traders here tend to name the same three worries. Take payments fast enough that the queue stops growing. Print a receipt that matches what the law expects. And find the figures in the accounts without keying them in again, because after a double service nobody feels like copying out tickets.
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Brasseries and restaurants around het Zuid and the Eilandje, with a terrace from April to September
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Sandwich bars and snack shops along the Leien, where almost everything happens between twelve and two
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Shops on the Meir and in the Kammenstraat, with many small receipts and peaks on trading Sundays
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Caterers serving on site in the port area and at company events
Antwerp has a striking number of businesses with a second outlet : the shop in the centre plus a branch in Berchem or Wilrijk. Pick a system that brings both into one report from the start, or you will be comparing two exports by hand within the year.
The 25 000 euro threshold in practice
In hospitality, the obligation to use a certified cash register hangs on a single figure : 25 000 euros excluding VAT per year in meals consumed on the premises. Drinks are left out of that calculation, even though they are what fills the till fastest.
Above the threshold, every transaction goes through the system and the customer gets a receipt, including for a single coffee. Below it, the system is not required, but your takings still have to be justified and the usual invoicing rules keep applying.
The calculation covers twelve months of actual trading. A good spring on the terrace is sometimes enough to tip the counter over, and you would rather notice that in June than at year end.
What counts towards the threshold and what needs a receipt
| What you sell |
Counts towards the 25 000 euros |
Receipt once you fall under the scheme |
| Meals eaten inside the premises or on the terrace |
Yes |
Yes |
| Drinks at the counter or with the meal |
No |
Yes |
| Sandwiches and dishes to take away |
No |
Yes |
| Service at the customer's place or at a company event |
Yes |
Yes |
Set your till up so you can read the turnover from meals eaten on the premises on its own. That single report tells you month after month how close to the threshold you are.
Several tills, one set of figures
As soon as you combine a counter, a terrace till and a second address, the problem changes shape. It is no longer about speed but about who entered what, and whether the closing figures of all the tills add up.
Under the Belgian certified register scheme, the VSC card identifies the person taking the money. Every member of staff therefore needs one, and it pays to agree straight away who may give a discount and who may void a receipt. That saves awkward conversations later.
A compliant setup always rests on three parts : approved till software, the control module that signs every transaction, and the establishment's VSC card. A touchscreen till on a tablet is perfectly acceptable, the device is not the criterion.
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One product file for all your tills, with the right VAT rate per item
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Rights per employee : discount, void, opening the cash drawer
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A closing report per till and a total for the business
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Stock that drops with every payment, even when the sale happened on the terrace
Splitting VAT without thinking about it
The second classic source of errors is the rates. Meals on the premises, drinks and takeaway do not follow the same regime, and at the counter there is no time to work it out.
The fix is dull but often postponed : give every item the correct rate once, and let the till do the rest. The VAT return then becomes a check rather than a reconstruction.
Rates and the conditions attached to them can change. Have your menu and your settings reviewed at least once a year by your accountant.
From till receipt to electronic invoice
Plenty of Antwerp businesses do not only sell to consumers. A caterer serving a company in the port, a sandwich bar with a standing lunch contract, a shop delivering to an office : a receipt no longer covers it and an invoice has to go out.
Since 2026 that invoice between Belgian VAT registered businesses travels over the Peppol network, in a structured format rather than a pdf attachment. Keeping your till and your invoicing in the same tool saves a lot of back and forth.
In practice, the counter sale and the invoice to the business customer start from the same items and the same rates, and land in the same set of books.
What Novadesko brings to Antwerp
Novadesko puts the till, invoicing, stock and bookkeeping in one platform. A counter sale feeds your figures right away, with no end of day rework and no export you have to load yourself.
Most tools aimed at Belgian self employed people cover invoicing and tax returns but leave the point of sale aside. That is exactly where a shopkeeper or a restaurateur loses time.
For activating the certified register scheme with a control module, the NovaResto offer covers the hardware and the black box. Certification of the system and the FDM distributor agreement are in progress : ask us where things stand before you plan your installation.
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Receipts, daily closing and a split by payment method
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Sales that reach the bookkeeping automatically
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Peppol invoices to business customers, from the same product file
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Runs on tablet, phone or pc, with synchronisation between tills
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certified cash register for my business in Antwerp ?
If you take more than 25 000 euros a year from meals eaten on the premises, yes. The rule is federal, so it applies just as strictly in Antwerp as anywhere else in the country.
Can I use one system for my shop in the centre and my branch in Berchem ?
Each outlet has its own equipment, but the data can come together in the same management tool. You then read one report per outlet and one total for the company.
What does a POS system really cost ?
The advertised price says little. Count the control module, the maintenance and above all the time spent copying figures from one system to another. Over three years, that last item weighs heaviest.
Does a tablet till hold up in a busy venue ?
Yes, provided the software version is approved and talks to the control module. The shape of the hardware has never been the criterion.
Do I have to invoice electronically if I run a shop ?
For private customers the receipt is enough. If you sell to a Belgian company, that invoice has had to travel over the Peppol network since 2026.
Is Novadesko a certified cash register ?
The POS module handles receipts, daily closing and the link with the accounts. Activating the certified register scheme with a black box goes through NovaResto, whose certification and FDM distributor agreement are still in progress. Write to us for the current status.
Worth reading too
This page is informative. The rules on the registered cash register system depend on your actual activity and are adjusted from time to time : have your situation confirmed by the FPS Finance or by your accountant before ordering equipment.
