Rising Chip Costs Push POS Prices Higher: Act Now to Secure Lower Rates

Since late 2025, the global semiconductor market has entered another extended upcycle. Starting from October and accelerating through November, the prices of key components—including memory, solid-state drives (SSD), and central processing units (CPU)—have continued to rise sharply. This trend has significantly affected multiple downstream industries, particularly consumer electronics, industrial devices, and financial payment equipment.

Within the financial equipment sector, POS terminals—which rely heavily on computing and storage hardware—are experiencing noticeable cost increases and tighter supply conditions. As a result, many organizations are facing higher procurement costs and greater project planning pressure.

1. Global Component Price Increases Become a Market-Wide Trend

Industry reports indicate that the ongoing price hikes are the result of several overlapping factors:

• Surging demand for AI computing, which boosts consumption of memory and processors

• Limited semiconductor fabrication capacity, with priority given to AI servers and data-center chips

• Higher upstream manufacturing and material costs, creating an industry-wide price uplift

• Low channel inventory, combined with simultaneous restocking across multiple industries

Under these conditions, memory chips, SSDs, and CPUs remain at the center of the price surge, with no immediate signs of reversal.

2. How the POS Terminal Industry Is Being Affected

POS devices depend heavily on the very components that are experiencing significant price increases. As a result:

• Bill-of-materials (BOM) costs have risen across the industry

• Lead times for certain components have extended, requiring earlier production scheduling

• Pricing frameworks for finished products must be adjusted to reflect rising material costs

For many customers, this means that the same POS configuration now costs more than it did earlier this year—a trend driven by the entire industry rather than individual manufacturers.

3. Market Outlook: Upward Price Cycle Expected to Continue Through 2026

According to forecasts from semiconductor manufacturers and global market research institutions, the current pricing cycle is expected to last well into the future. AI-related demand continues to grow, while new production capacity for memory and processors remains limited.

Based on industry projections, prices for memory, storage, and CPUs may remain elevated throughout 2026, likely extending into the second half of 2026 or longer. For the financial equipment sector, this means supply chain costs will stay high and may continue to rise.

4. Procurement Recommendations: Plan Ahead to Mitigate Cost Increases

Given the ongoing upward trend, we strongly recommend that customers:

• Plan procurement schedules in advance and place orders early;

• Avoid last-minute bulk purchases for project deadlines, which carry higher cost risks;

• Consider phased purchasing strategies to balance budgets;

• Work with suppliers that maintain strong, stable supply chains;

Placing orders early is the most effective way to secure current pricing and reduce exposure to future increases.

Conclusion

The sustained rise in key semiconductor components has become a defining trend of the late-2025 market. As POS terminals rely heavily on these components, cost increases across the industry are inevitable. Our company will continue monitoring supply chain developments closely and maintain strong cooperation with upstream partners to ensure stable delivery and reliable product availability for all customers.

For detailed product information or procurement scheduling support, please contact our sales team.