Migration Guide
Switching POS Without Losing Your Data
Last updated: August 2026
The fear that keeps restaurants on a POS they have outgrown is rarely the new system — it is the data: years of sales history, the customer list, the gift cards someone paid for and will one day walk in holding. The good news: with the right sequence, all of it either transfers or stays safely readable. The bad news: the sequence matters, because some exports are only possible while the old account is still active.
This guide covers the four kinds of POS data, what genuinely transfers, and the checklist to run before you cancel anything. It is based on migrations we have actually done — including gift-card balances recovered from photographs.
The Four Kinds of POS Data
Menu — transfers fully
Items, prices, modifiers, and categories all rebuild in the new system, by CSV import, AI extraction from a menu file, or manual entry. This is the one migration every switch does, and with AI-assisted setup it takes about 30 minutes rather than a weekend.
Sales history — usually stays behind; keep it readable
Most systems will not import another vendor's transaction log, and for accounting you rarely need them to. What you need is the reports you actually use — sales summaries by period, tax reports — exported as CSV and PDF before cancellation. Some vendors leave read-only access for a period after you cancel; get that duration in writing.
Customer data — partially transfers
Names, phones, and emails export as CSV from most systems and import into the new one. Per-customer order history usually does not. For loyalty points, decide the policy up front: honor them manually from a snapshot, or convert them to a one-time credit.
Gift cards — the trap
Outstanding balances are money you owe customers, and they do not transfer automatically. The old vendor may charge for the export or have no export at all. What you need is card numbers and balances as of cutover day, loaded into the new system before the first card gets handed across a counter.
Two Real Migrations
Years of history, reconciled to the cent
When we ported one restaurant's multi-year sales history for reporting continuity, we reconciled the imported totals against the old system's reports period by period until they matched to the cent. That is the standard to hold any migration to: not that it looks right, but a reconciliation you could show your accountant.
46 gift cards, rebuilt from photographs
Another restaurant arrived with no gift-card export at all — the old system could not produce one. The working record was photographs of its card screens. We rebuilt all 46 funded cards, $2,156.79 in outstanding balances, and spot-verified them against the photos. The lesson: imperfect source data is workable; missing source data is not. Photograph everything before you lose access.
The Export Checklist: Run This Before You Cancel
- -Sales summaries for every period you report on — monthly at minimum — as CSV and PDF.
- -Tax reports for every open filing period.
- -The customer list with contact fields, as CSV.
- -Gift card numbers and balances as of a stated date — and photos of the screens if no export exists.
- -A menu export or your current menu file, to seed the new system.
- -Employee records you need for payroll history, and any open house accounts.
- -Written confirmation of how long read-only access lasts after cancellation.
Sequence the Cutover So Nothing Falls in the Gap
Parallel-run, then pick a cutover day
Run both systems on test orders first. Then choose one specific day: the old system's last business day ends, final exports are taken the next morning, and the new system owns everything after. A defined moment beats a vague transition month — data falls into gaps, not into days.
Gift cards cut over at a moment, not a month
Take balances as of the cutover moment, sell and redeem on the new system from then on, and keep the balance snapshot where staff can check it for disputes for a few months. Two live gift-card systems is how balances get honored twice — or not at all.
Ginger migrations include AI menu setup in about 30 minutes from a menu file, customer and gift-card imports from whatever your old system can produce — exports or photographs — and a parallel run before cutover. Free POS, no contracts, hardware included for eligible restaurants. Talk to us about your migration
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my sales history to a new POS?
Usually not into the new system's live database — and for accounting you rarely need to. What matters is that history stays readable: export the reports you use before cancelling, and get the old vendor's read-only access period in writing. Where reporting continuity matters, summary imports are possible — we have reconciled one to the cent — so ask the new vendor what they support.
Do gift card balances transfer when switching POS systems?
Not automatically — outstanding balances are a liability you owe customers, and they move only if you carry them: card numbers and balances as of cutover day, loaded into the new system. If the old system cannot export them, photograph its screens; we once rebuilt 46 funded cards worth $2,156.79 from photos alone.
What data should I export before cancelling my POS?
Seven things: sales summaries for every reporting period, tax reports for open filing periods, the customer list as CSV, gift card numbers and balances as of a stated date, a menu export, employee records needed for payroll history, and written confirmation of post-cancellation read-only access. Run the list while the account is still active — some exports are impossible afterward.
Will I lose my customer list when I switch POS?
No — names, phones, and emails export as CSV from most systems and import into the new one. What usually stays behind is per-customer order history. Export the list early, and decide your loyalty-points policy (honor from a snapshot or convert to a credit) before cutover day.
How long does POS data migration take?
With clean exports: menu in about 30 minutes with AI-assisted import, customers and gift cards typically within a day. The long pole is almost always waiting on the old vendor to produce exports — request everything the day you decide to switch, not the week you plan to cut over.
Bring the Data With You
Send us whatever your old system can produce — exports, reports, or photographs — and we will tell you exactly what transfers and how. Free POS, no contracts, hardware included for eligible restaurants.
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