POS integrations help make selling across multiple channels easier by sharing product, inventory, sales, and customer information between both systems. This ensures your data is reliable, whether you’re checking store inventory or reviewing your sales for the week.
If you want to run your entire business from one place, a point of sale system integration may be the ideal solution.
In this article, you’ll learn everything about how POS systems integrate, alternatives to POS integrations, and how to bring offline channels and online sales together with Shopify.
What is a POS integration?
A POS integration links your point-of-sale system with another platform and shares data between the two systems. When these platforms integrate, they share products, pricing, inventory, sales, and other data, which helps you get a unified view of your business.
For many retailers, the POS system is the system of record—meaning that’s the main system you use to run your business. This can lead to inefficiencies where data isn’t shared between systems quickly or at all, resulting in a fragmented, inaccurate view of your business. To solve this, you may find yourself manually reconciling inventory and sales at the end of each day.
What is an integrated POS system?
An integrated POS system connects different business tools and platforms to share data between them. This typically involves connecting your point-of-sale system with other business software like loyalty programs, inventory management systems, or ecommerce platforms. For example, a POS system might integrate with Klaviyo for customer loyalty and marketing automation, or connect to a separately-built online store.
Your POS and ecommerce solutions should be unified, not just integrated
While integrations can connect different systems, a unified commerce platform like Shopify POS offers a fundamentally different approach. Rather than connecting separate systems, unified commerce provides a single platform to manage your entire business from day one.
With Shopify's unified commerce platform, your online store and POS system are built to work together seamlessly. All your data—from both online and physical stores—flows to one system of record and updates in real time. From a single dashboard, you can:
- Add and manage products
- Set consistent pricing across channels
- Fulfill orders from any location
- Track inventory across all sales channels
- Access complete customer purchase history
- Customize your setup through apps and integrations
- This unified approach eliminates the complexity of managing multiple integrations, reduces technology costs, prevents data silos, and provides the flexibility to adapt as your business grows.
How does a POS integration work?
You connect your online store to your POS system using an API, which is short for “application program interface.” APIs are usually built and updated by a third party and are charged monthly.
To install a POS integration, you’ll need to install it as an add-on in your system of record and import your product catalog either manually with a CSV file or automatically. The more products you have, the longer this process will take.
15 best retail POS integrations
- Accounting software
- Payroll
- Team scheduling
- Ecommerce integration
- Inventory management
- Order fulfillment
- Product discounts and bundling
- Receipt printing
- Email marketing
- Customer loyalty programs
- Payment processing
- Post-purchase feedback
- Returns and exchanges
- Reporting and analytics
- POS hardware
1. Accounting software
Syncing POS data with accounting software allows you to automate financial tasks like tracking sales, expenses, and taxes. This ensures accurate bookkeeping and simplifies the reconciliation process. For example, a retailer might integrate its POS system with accounting software to be able to generate detailed reports and simplify tax filings.
2. Payroll
Integrating POS with payroll software automates employee wage calculations based on sales data, reducing manual errors and saving time on payroll processing. For example, a restaurant chain could integrate its POS system with payroll software to accurately calculate staff wages, including tips and bonuses, based on sales performance.
For Shopify POS, EasyTeam supports all types of payroll and includes features for sales performance and commissions. Gusto is another great option as a compatible comprehensive human resources (HR) software.
3. Team scheduling
Integrating POS with team scheduling software helps retailers in a number of ways. You can use these integrations to optimize staffing levels based on sales trends and peak hours, ensuring efficient labor management, for example.
A retail store could integrate its POS system with scheduling software to create employee schedules that align with anticipated sales volumes, reducing overstaffing during slow periods.
Check out the following team scheduling POS integrations for Shopify:
4. Ecommerce integration
The best retail POS systems don’t just connect to your online store; they work in perfect harmony with it and have built-in omnichannel selling and order fulfillment features.
Connecting POS software with ecommerce platforms enables retailers to synchronize inventory, streamline order processing, and provide a seamless omnichannel shopping experience for customers. You can let shoppers buy and receive products however is most convenient for them.
POS integrations also allow store staff to follow up with indecisive in-store shoppers by sending them email carts that include products they are interested in. Think of it like an abandoned cart email but for in-person selling.
Plus, you can use ecommerce POS integrations to create more offerings and features on your site for online shoppers. Gift Card Hero, for example, enables the sale of gift cards, and Ordersify: Restocked Alerts creates urgency by showing how many units are left and giving the shoppers a chance to subscribe to low-stock and restock alerts.
5. Inventory management
Inventory management integrations can help you save time and increase accuracy since you’re not updating stock levels manually. POS integration with inventory management software enables real-time inventory tracking, automatic stock replenishment, and better control over stock levels to prevent stockouts or overstocking.
A retailer could integrate its existing POS system with inventory management software to track inventory levels accurately, automate purchase orders, and optimize stock rotation.
Some inventory management POS integrations to try include:
- Stocky - Inventory Management for Shopify POS Pro
- Inventory Planner Forecasting - Inventory Planner by Sage
- Stock Take: Count Inventory
6. Order fulfillment
Integrating POS with order fulfillment systems streamlines the entire process, from order receipt to delivery, ensuring timely and accurate order processing for online and offline sales channels.
A coffee retailer with both dine-in and delivery services could integrate its POS solution with order fulfillment platforms to receive and fulfill delivery orders seamlessly alongside in-house orders, for example.
If you’re looking for an order fulfillment POS integration, consider the following:
7. Product discounts and bundling
Discounting and bundling POS integration enables retailers to create and apply promotions easily, boosting sales, clearing excess inventory, and driving customer engagement.
For example, a supermarket could integrate its POS system with discount and bundling software to offer buy-one-get-one-free deals on perishable items approaching their expiration date, reducing food waste and increasing sales.
Look into the following product discount and bundling POS integrations for your store:
8. Receipt printing
POS integration with receipt printing solutions help retailers customize receipts with branding, promotions, and personalized messages, enhancing the customer experience and promoting brand loyalty.
A retailer might integrate its POS system with a receipt printer to print branded receipts that include a discount code for the customer’s next visit, encouraging repeat business.
If you’re in need of a receipt printing POS integration, check out the following options:
📌Pro tip: Shopify lets you print paper receipts with compatible hardware. Alternatively, ask for their email address to send a digital receipt at checkout. This saves paper while also collecting customer data for retargeting.
9. Email marketing
POS integration with email marketing platforms enables retailers to connect with customers on a deeper level. The integrated systems can segment customers based on purchase history, send targeted promotional campaigns, and nurture customer relationships to drive repeat sales.
A beauty salon could send personalized follow-up emails after appointments, offering product recommendations or special discounts, for example.
Some email marketing POS integrations to try on Shopify include:
10. Customer loyalty programs
Integrating POS with customer loyalty programs allows you to reward repeat purchases, encourage brand advocacy, and gather valuable customer data for personalized marketing initiatives.
You can integrate your POS system with a loyalty program app to offer points for every purchase. Allow customers to redeem points for discounts or free products, helping to foster loyalty and increase customer lifetime value.
Customer loyalty program POS integrations to check out on Shopify include:
11. Payment processing
Taking payment from your customers is one of the most important parts of the checkout process. It needs to be as friction-free as possible—customers who can’t pay for their goods are unable to walk out of your store with their goods in hand.
POS systems like Shopify have native payment processing features to take accept multiple payment methods in-store, including:
- Cash
- Credit and debit cards
- Contactless cards
- Mobile wallets
- Buy now, pay later through Shop Pay Installments
12. Post-purchase feedback
POS integration with post-purchase feedback platforms lets you collect customer feedback and reviews, identify areas for improvement, and enhance the overall shopping experience.
A POS integration can also send post-purchase emails. This feedback tool can automatically send review requests to customers after they receive their orders, gathering valuable insights to improve service quality and product offerings.
Check out these post-purchase feedback POS integrations:
13. Returns and exchanges
Integrating POS with a returns management system like Narvar Returns and Exchanges can streamline the returns process. The integration can ensure consistency in refund policies and create a hassle-free return and exchange experience for customers.
You can use these integrations to process returns in-store or online, issue refunds or store credits, and update inventory levels automatically.
14. Reporting and analytics
POS integrations can unlock sophisticated data. You can get actionable insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and inventory trends, enabling data-driven decision-making and retail business growth.
For example, a bookstore could integrate its POS system with analytics software to track bestselling titles, identify customer demographics, and optimize marketing strategies based on sales data.
Shopify POS users should check out the following report and analytics integrations:
Women’s jewelry brand PDPAOLA leverages this type of POS integration in its business. “We use Shopify on a daily basis to monitor sales and key performance indicators, both in-store and online,” explains Miquel Cardona, chief business development officer at PDPAOLA. “The user-friendly way that this information is presented is so important and it makes it easy to see what is working.”
15. POS hardware
In many cases, you need to integrate POS software with compatible hardware devices. This might include:
- Barcode scanners and printers
- Card readers—both fixed and mobile
- Cash register and drawer
- Receipt printers
- Device stands
Many physical stores integrate their POS systems with hardware to accommodate both traditional and self-checkout. These integrations expedite checkout processes, reduce wait times, and create a positive customer experience.
Benefits of using a POS integration
Limit manual data entry for operational efficiency
When your POS and ecommerce solutions are natively built on the same unified platform inventory quantities automatically update whenever you make a sale online or in person. This saves you time that would otherwise be spent counting and reconciling inventory and mitigates mistakes.
Shopify merchant tokyobike has tapped into a number of these advantages by integrating Shopify POS with its ecommerce site and other business tools.
“There were things we wanted to do that we couldn’t, mostly around how we wanted to blend online and store experiences, show in-store stock availability online and offer order fulfillment like in-store pickup,” explains Juliana Di Simone, tokyobike’s Partner and Director.
“The interaction between physical and digital should feel like a natural part of your customer experience. To do that, you need your systems to speak the same language. That’s why we use Shopify POS.”
Prevent stockouts and overselling
Integrating systems reduces the risk of overselling inventory online that you don’t have in stock. If you’re out of the size or color an in-store shopper wants, you can use integration features like ship-to-customer to close sales in-store and ship purchases to customers from your warehouse or another store location with inventory.
More comprehensive reporting
If you’re a multichannel seller, the last thing you want is data that’s siloed by the sales channel. You’ll spend countless hours in spreadsheets to find real-time data points you want.
POS integrations and data analysis can provide a unified view of your online and brand’s performance. This will help you understand the big picture or get as granular as you need to—track inventory across each store location, see revenue per sales channel, discover which products are selling or languishing on shelves, and more.
📌Pro tip: Shopify has native reporting features to analyze sales performance across all sales channels or individual stores.
Offer better shopping experiences
Modern consumers expect a convenient shopping experience that lets them use whatever mix of online and in-store shopping they want. While bridging another POS system with your Shopify online store with an integration can work, it isn’t ideal—especially if you want to offer customers the best experience possible.
Shopify shines with its flexible approach, offering most core commerce functions out-of-the-box while supporting a vast ecosystem of third-party apps that seamlessly integrate. This design ensures smooth data flow between systems, preventing communication gaps and delivering a unified experience for both businesses and their customers.
Increase repeat purchases
When all sales are unified, you can learn more about your customers, their shopping habits, and their preferences without exporting transaction data from two systems.
Use that data to create impactful retention marketing campaigns. With quick access to their order history, you can offer more personalized service when they shop in-store and easily create tailored email campaigns to increase repeat purchases and boost lifetime value.
Bring online and in-person selling together with Shopify
Modern consumers expect a convenient shopping experience that lets them use whatever mix of online and in-store shopping they want. While bridging another POS system with your Shopify online store with an integration can work, it isn’t ideal—especially if you want to offer customers the best experience possible.
The best way to bring your sales channels together is by using one powerful platform to run them both. With Shopify POS integrations, you get everything you need to sell in person, accept payments, and manage your store’s day-to-day—backed by the most powerful ecommerce platform available.
Read more
- What Is An Invoice? All You Need To Know To Get Paid (2024)
- What Is Inventory Management? How to Manage and Improve Stock Flow
- How Much Does a POS System Cost?
- Shopify Editions: Introducing the Most Powerful Version of Shopify POS Ever and New Hardware Coming Soon
- How LIVELY's Omnichannel Approach Increased Average Order Value by 80%
- 18 Signs It’s Time to Switch POS System Providers
- How Multichannel Sales Can Help Your Retail Business Prosper
- Lightspeed vs Shopify POS: The Best of All Lightspeed Alternatives
- How Retail Store Owners Can Optimize Their Mobile Presence
- 5 Strategies to Future Proof Your Brick-and-Mortar Store
Retail POS integration FAQ
What does integrated POS mean?
Integrated POS, or point-of-sale, refers to the connection between a retailer’s POS system and other software or hardware solutions. It allows for seamless communication and data exchange between various business tools, streamlining processes such as inventory management, sales tracking, and customer relationship management.
What is a POS connection?
A POS connection is the link between a point-of-sale system and other software, devices, or platforms. This connection can transfer data between the POS system and these external solutions, facilitating functions like inventory synchronization, financial reporting, and customer loyalty programs.
Why do we integrate POS?
- Spend less time on manual processes
- Prevent stockouts and overselling
- More comprehensive reporting
- Prevent manual error
- Offer flexible fulfillment options
- Increase repeat purchases
Can I integrate my POS with Shopify?
Shopify’s POS integrations allow retailers to connect third-party apps with their POS system, including accounting, staff scheduling, loyalty, marketing, and payment processing apps.
What POS works best with Shopify?
Shopify POS works best with Shopify because it's built natively on the Shopify platform and you can unlock the benefits of a unified commerce strategy instantly. If you’re an ecommerce business that’s looking to sell in-person, Shopify POS combines inventory, order, and customer data with your online sales channel.
