Auto-Star Compusystems Inc., a leading provider of retail point of sale solutions, announced the release of Star-Plus Version 8.5, introducing new AI-powered tools and enhanced retail capabilities designed to help stores reduce manual processes, improve accuracy, and make smarter business decisions.
Automation and Real-Time Visibility
At the heart of Star-Plus 8.5 are new features designed to simplify workflows while providing faster access to critical business data.
- AI Receiving: Early Access
A new AI-powered tool converts photos of purchase orders or invoices into ready-to-import files, significantly reducing manual data entry and improving accuracy in receiving workflows.
- Menu Cards with Real-Time Insights:
New visual dashboards provide at-a-glance operational data, with a mix of real-time and end-of-day updates that help retailers quickly identify trends and take action.
- Redesigned Purchase Order and Import Tools:
A modern, intuitive interface simplifies creating, managing, and importing purchase orders, making core purchasing tasks faster and easier to complete.
“Star-Plus 8.5 represents a major step forward in our AI strategy,” said Ivan Long, Vice President of Operations at Auto-Star. “We’re focused on delivering practical AI tools that reduce manual work and help retailers operate more efficiently without adding complexity.”
Smarter Operations Through Data and Insights
Star-Plus 8.5 introduces new capabilities that help retailers better understand trends, optimize inventory, and make more informed decisions.
- Seasonality Helper:
Identifies products with seasonal sales patterns, helping stores refine forecasting, ordering, and inventory planning.
- Weather Integration:
Automatically incorporates daily weather data into reporting, providing additional context for sales performance and customer traffic patterns.
- Tax Holiday Editor:
Simplifies the management of tax-free events by automatically applying exemptions and clearly tracking them for reporting and auditing.
Enhanced Checkout and Customer Experience
Updates at the point of sale improve speed, flexibility, and the overall customer experience.
- Self-Checkout Enhancements:
New features include customer lookup by phone number, quantity prompts for faster transactions, and improved handling of age-restricted items. - Improved Rx Lookup:
Automatically retrieves prescription data from the primary server when not found locally, helping prevent delays at checkout. - Modern Payment Support:
Expanded hardware compatibility, including support for the PAX A35 PIN Pad, enables secure and streamlined payment processing.
In addition to these key innovations, Star-Plus 8.5 delivers broad platform improvements, including enhanced Item Editor functionality, expanded hardware support, and a modernized user interface. These updates reflect Auto-Star’s ongoing commitment to delivering practical, easy-to-use technology that supports retail operations.
Our goal is to give retailers smarter tools that fit naturally into their daily operations,” added Aaron Scherger, Software Development Manager. “Star-Plus 8.5 continues our work to improve the look, feel, and functionality of our applications. This release modernizes the platform while building the foundation for the significant innovations on our horizon.”
Availability
Star-Plus 8.5 is available now to Auto-Star customers and partners. AI Receiving is currently offered as an invite-only early preview in 2026. For more information or to schedule an upgrade, please contact your Auto-Star representative.
About Auto-Star Compusystems Inc.
Auto-Star Compusystems Inc. develops point of sale solutions for pharmacy, grocery, and health and natural products retailers across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. With over 40 years of experience, Auto-Star provides easy to use software with advanced features including customer loyalty, inventory management, integrated payments, reporting, ecommerce, and mobile delivery. For more information, visit www.auto-star.com.
