Choosing POS and khata software for a building-material shop
Twelve questions to ask any POS or khata app before you put your shop on it, why each one matters for a steel, cement, hardware, sanitary, paint, electrical, tile or timber dealer, and KeyTup's own answers, including the ones that are "no".
Last updated: 12 November 2026. This page is written by KeyTup, so read it knowing that. The questions work for any software; ask every company you look at, and try each one on your own goods before you pay.
In short
- Most POS and khata apps are made for any shop. A building-material dealer needs more: trade units, udhaar with credit limits, challans and month-end bills, cheques, and staff at the counter.
- Test with your real items. Sell 2 ton 5 maund of sariya, 40 bags of cement and 12 feet of pipe on one bill in the free trial, and check the stock afterwards.
- Ask how you bring your data in, how you get it out, and what happens to it if you stop paying.
- KeyTup's answers are below. Where the answer is no, we say so.
Selling and stock
1. Does it sell in your units?
Why it matters: sariya goes by the ton, maund and kg, cement by the bag, pipe by the foot, tiles by the box or square foot. If the software only knows "pieces", your stock will never be right.
KeyTup: yes. Stock is kept in one base unit and sold in any unit you trade in, several on one bill. Sell 2 ton and 5 maund and stock comes down by exactly 2,200 kg. A new shop starts with its trade's units, categories and invoice charges already set up.
2. Can it deliver now and bill later?
Why it matters: contractors take goods many times a month and pay at the end. A big order goes in several trucks.
KeyTup: yes. Delivery challans take goods out of stock now; at month end you tick a customer's open challans and make one invoice. The driver's copy has no prices.
3. Does it add your charges?
Why it matters: loading, cutting, bending and kiraya are part of most bills.
KeyTup: yes. Charges are added on the POS with one tap, and the profit and loss report shows what they brought in.
4. Does it handle different rates for different customers?
Why it matters: dealers, contractors and walk-in customers rarely pay the same rate, and rates change every day.
KeyTup: yes. Price lists give a customer a percentage off or fixed rates, filled in on the POS automatically. Today's rate list prints or copies to WhatsApp.
Khata and money
5. Does it keep a khata with credit limits?
Why it matters: udhaar is where a dealer's money is. You need each balance at a glance, and a limit the counter cannot cross.
KeyTup: yes. Every customer and supplier has a khata with a running balance. The POS shows the balance and remaining credit; a cashier cannot sell over the limit, a manager or owner can.
6. Does it handle cheques the way they really work?
Why it matters: post-dated cheques are common, and some bounce.
KeyTup: yes. A cheque is recorded when you receive it but reaches the khata only when you mark it cleared; a bounced cheque does not touch the khata.
7. Can it remind customers to pay?
Why it matters: the reminder you forget to send is money that stays out longer.
KeyTup: yes. Payment reminders lists who owes you and for how long, and one tap opens a WhatsApp message. On the Business plan, KeyTup can send them every day by itself through the WhatsApp Business API; that needs your own WhatsApp Business API number and an approved message template.
Your shop and your team
8. Does it keep working when the internet goes?
Why it matters: load-shedding and weak signal are part of the day.
KeyTup: partly. The offline counter keeps selling without internet and sends the sales when the connection is back. The khata, reports and purchases need internet.
9. Can your staff use it without seeing your profit?
Why it matters: the counter needs to sell and receive money; it does not need your costs.
KeyTup: yes. Each person has their own login and role: owner, manager or cashier. Cashiers do not see reports, purchases or costs. Sales cannot be edited, so a bill cannot be quietly changed.
10. Does it speak your language?
Why it matters: your staff and customers may read Urdu more easily than English.
KeyTup: yes. The whole app switches to Urdu, right to left, for each person, and invoices print in English or Urdu. It works in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer; there is no app to install, and no app on the Play Store yet.
Your data and the price
11. Can you bring your data in, and take it out?
Why it matters: starting means entering your stock and balances; leaving should not mean losing them.
KeyTup: in, yes: products and customers and suppliers, with opening stock and balances, import from Excel (CSV). Out, not yet: there is no download to Excel today. Invoices, statements and rate lists print, and reports show on screen.
12. What does it cost, and what happens if you stop paying?
Why it matters: a low first price can hide limits on users, shops or features.
KeyTup: 14 days free with no card, then a monthly or yearly plan (a year has 2 months free). Plans differ in the number of team members and shops or godowns, and in FBR invoicing and automatic WhatsApp reminders; see pricing. If a plan runs out, your data is kept and comes back when you pay.
If you are sales-tax registered
Ask whether the software can send your invoices to FBR through Digital Invoicing, put the FBR invoice number and QR code on the bill, and keep trying when FBR is down. KeyTup is built for FBR Digital Invoicing through PRAL's API, on the plans that include it. Our FBR Digital Invoicing guide explains what is needed, and our list of HS codes for building materials helps you set up your products.
Questions
What is the best POS software for a building-material shop?
The one that handles your units, udhaar, challans and staff with your real items. Use the twelve questions on this page, and test each candidate in its free trial by selling your own goods before you pay.
Is there an app on the Play Store?
Not yet. KeyTup works in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.
Can I try KeyTup before paying?
Yes. Every new shop gets 14 days free with no card, on the Business plan with FBR invoicing and automatic WhatsApp reminders included.
Can I move from another software to KeyTup?
Yes, if you can get your stock list and customer balances out of it into Excel. Save them as CSV and use KeyTup's product and party imports, or ask us to help.