Welcome to the Boring Edition. It’s not flashy—it’s functional. The latest installment of Shopify’s twice-annual product release event delivered 150+ updates—all focused on what really matters: making your commerce technology work better, faster, and smarter.
In this Edition, Shopify prioritized practical improvements that keep your retail operations running smoothly. “Boring” looks like enhanced performance, stronger system resiliency, and deeper unification throughout the Shopify ecosystem—including point of sale (POS).
It's the same Shopify you know and trust, but now with meaningful upgrades that make a real difference in your day-to-day operations. Let's explore seven essential Shopify POS updates that demonstrate just how beautiful “boring” can be for your business.
Table of contents
- 7 Shopify POS updates from the Winter ‘25 Edition
- 1. Customer metafields: Powerful personalization made simple
- 2. Location-based filters: Boost local sales and foot traffic
- 3. Shopify Bundles for POS: Group items to sell more
- 4. Unverified returns: Process returns without receipts
- 5. Offline payments: Complete sales without internet
- 6. Tap to Pay goes global: Accept payments in more markets
- 7. Shopify POS UI polish: Faster, smoother checkout
- Shopify Editions | Winter 2025 FAQ
7 Shopify POS updates from the Winter ‘25 Edition
1. Customer metafields: Powerful personalization made simple
Customer metafields are custom data fields you create to collect and store specific customer information that matters to your business. These fields help make customer data more useful to your business and more tailored to your customers—whether you're tracking birthdays, loyalty status, style preferences, or tax IDs.
Customer metafields in Shopify POS help you turn basic information collection into a powerful engine for personalization, all within your existing POS system. These fields are particularly powerful because they enrich every shopping interaction. With Shopify for unified commerce, your staff can now capture and access important customer details across online and in-store.
Gone are the complicated data capture workarounds and repetitive customer conversations. Now you can use customer metafields in Shopify to build out customer profiles and strengthen your foundation for better inventory decisions and easily personalize each marketing touchpoint.
Consider a pet supply store, for example. Something as simple as noting whether a customer is a dog, cat, or bird owner becomes a practical tool for targeted marketing. With this information, the pet store could categorize its customers based on their pet ownership and get really precise with email marketing strategies about newly available pet food brands.
Want to set up customer metafields for your business? Our guide shows you how to use them for loyalty programs, personalization, and more.
2. Location-based filters: Boost local sales and foot traffic
Location-based filters make it possible to target your customer by their geographical proximity to your retail location. It’s a simple but powerful clienteling solution, only available with Shopify. These seemingly simple location-based filters quietly revolutionize how retailers connect with some of their most valuable customers—the ones right in their neighborhood.
It's a simple concept: identify shoppers within specific distances from your stores and combine that data with purchase history. No complicated algorithms or technical skills required. These basic geographic filters plug right into your existing marketing campaigns, too. They can help you reach out to customers in specific local categories—like “VIP customers within 5 miles who buy seasonally” or “first-time customers near the new Toronto location.”
Whether you're opening a new location or running a seasonal pop-up event, these filters do the heavy lifting without the complexity—and they take just minutes to set up. Check out our guide to location-based filters to get started.
3. Shopify Bundles for POS: Group items to sell more
Product bundling involves grouping items together and offering them at a special price. It’s Retail 101, but sometimes the most basic strategies drive the biggest results. That’s why Shopify Bundles are now supported in Shopify POS. Now you can sell product combinations seamlessly through your POS, just like you would online.
Bundling is a simple strategy, but it consistently delivers higher average order values, faster inventory turnover, and happier customers who feel they're getting better value. It's not revolutionary—it's just smart retail merchandising that works.
Shopify POS keeps it simple with two bundle types: fixed combinations at set prices, and multipacks for selling several units of the same product. Both types of bundles are practical tools that help you sell more effectively, whether you're clearing seasonal inventory or promoting new product combinations.
Supporting bundles in Shopify POS is the kind of basic, behind-the-scenes update that makes everyday retail operations run more smoothly. Visit the Shopify Help Center to get started with bundling for retail.
4. Unverified returns: Process returns without receipts
Returns are an inevitable part of retail, but they don't have to be a headache. Shopify POS now addresses one of the most common commerce challenges by enabling retailers to process unverified returns. These are returns you want to honor in case the customer doesn't have their receipt or order number.
When processing these returns, refunds are issued to gift cards and accounted for in the customer profile. Security still remains a priority, because retailers maintain full control over which staff members can process unverified returns. Now you don’t have to choose between keeping your records up-to-date and keeping your customers happy. Unverified returns in Shopify POS help you do both.
This was a highly requested update, so Shopify listened and delivered. Visit the Shopify Help Center to learn more about how to start processing unverified returns.
5. Offline payments: Complete sales without internet
It’s hard to run your business smoothly with poor internet connectivity. But now, internet outages no longer mean lost sales. Offline payments in Shopify POS keep your business running, allowing you to process credit and debit card transactions—even if your internet connection fails.
The system works seamlessly in the background. During offline periods, payment and order data are securely stored within the POS system until connectivity returns. When your internet connection is restored, all transactions automatically process, ensuring business continuity without missing a beat.
To maintain control and security, retailers can set specific dollar amount limits for offline payments, both per transaction and per device. This customizable approach lets you define exactly how much offline payment volume you're comfortable accepting during outages. Visit the Help Center to learn more about how to accept offline payments.
6. Tap to Pay goes global: Accept payments in more markets
Tap to Pay is a contactless way for customers to make purchases. Instead of swiping or inserting a card into a payment terminal, buyers tap their cards, smartphones, or compatible wearable devices.
Tap to Pay expansion is as practical as it gets. Now iPhone users in seven major markets—from the United States to Australia—can now accept payments with a simple tap. Android users get even more coverage, with nine countries, including Singapore, Germany, and New Zealand. No complicated setups, just basic functionality that works when and where you need it.
Tap to Pay on iPhone is available across:
- The US
- Canada
- The UK
- Australia
- The Netherlands
- Italy
- France
Tap to Pay on Android is now available across:
- The US
- The UK
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Ireland
- Italy
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Denmark
- Germany
- Belgium
- Finland
- Singapore
- France
This update is about removing barriers to doing business. By eliminating the need for additional payment hardware, we're making it easier for retailers everywhere to accept more types of payments in more places. And more countries will be added soon. Check out the Help Center to learn more about Tap to Pay for Shopify POS.
7. Shopify POS UI polish: Faster, smoother checkout
Fewer taps, less scrolling, and clearer buttons—all things that make Shopify POS easier to use. And now they’re part of Shopify POS’s updated user interface (UI). While interface updates might not make headlines, they're the type of fundamental improvements that add up to significant time savings throughout your day and for your business.
Split-screen search
Take the new tablet-friendly split-screen search update. It's a simple but powerful update that keeps the cart visible while staff search for other products—no more tab-switching or scroll fatigue. Your team can use their preferred search method (global search, barcode scanning, or Smart grid), see results instantly, and see items added to the cart with a single tap.
Condensed POS display
Shopify POS has a new streamlined tablet layout, designed to show more of what matters. Shopify optimized every pixel of screen space with compact text sizing and new windowed views that keep your cart visible while you work. With smoother navigation throughout the app, your team can build carts faster and serve customers more efficiently.
A more customer-focused POS
Shopify also focused the customer experience with simple but meaningful updates to the POS Terminal. Shoppers now see clear product thumbnails and more prominent buttons during checkout on the customer-facing display. Plus, they can select multiple receipt types at once—perfect for customers who want both digital and printed records. It's a simple update, but it makes the checkout experience clearer and more convenient for everyone.
Practical Shopify POS updates: When “boring” means better business
These aren't the kind of updates that win innovation awards. But they are improvements that make an impact for your business. And they’re updated based on what you told us would make your retail operations easier. From smoother returns to smarter customer data insights—every “boring” update we've made helps you connect with your customers, streamline operations, and grow your business.
At the end of the day, reliability isn't actually boring—it's the backbone of retail success. And Shopify is here to help you build that success, one practical improvement at a time.
Read more
- How Shopify’s Next Edition Makes Boring Upgrades Anything But
- Shopify POS: How 6 Updates Unify In-Store and Online Commerce
- Upgrade Personalization with Customer Metafields in Shopify POS
- Master Local Retail: Location-Based Customer Segments on Shopify
- What Is Tap To Pay? How It Works & Ways To Accept It
- If Your Business is Striving for Omnichannel, You’re Already Behind
- The Cost of Delaying Unified Commerce in Retail
Shopify Editions | Winter 2025 FAQ
How do I set up customer metafields in Shopify POS?
If you already use Shopify POS, you can create and customize customer data fields in the Shopify admin. You can use these custom fields to capture important information like birthdays, preferences, and loyalty status directly in your POS system. Get more details on setup in the Help Center.
Can I process returns without a receipt in Shopify POS?
Yes, you can now process unverified returns even when customers don't have receipts or order numbers. Refunds are issued to gift cards and tracked in customer profiles for security.
Which countries support Tap to Pay on Shopify POS?
Tap to Pay is available on iPhone and Android in the following countries (with more countries on the way):
Tap to Pay on iPhone is available across:
- The US
- Canada
- The UK
- Australia
- The Netherlands
- Italy
- France
Tap to Pay on Android is now available across:
- The US
- The UK
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Ireland
- Italy
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Denmark
- Germany
- Belgium
- Finland
- Singapore
- France
