There’s one tool retailers can’t live without: a POS system. Why? A POS (point of sale) allows you to accept payments, track sales, and manage inventory seamlessly—whether you’re selling online, in-store, or both.
Since every retail business has unique needs, it’s essential to choose a POS system that aligns with your specific operations. But there’s one thing that matters across the board: unified data.
We think that Shopify is the best retail POS system because it acts as one centralized home for your business’ data. Sales, order, inventory, and customer data come together inside Shopify, applying the omnichannel concept to your front and backend operations.
That said, it’s useful to compare different vendors to find the best one for your needs. This article will explore seven of the best retail POS systems to help you find the perfect fit for your business.
The 6 most popular retail POS systems
What separates the best POS from the rest
The best retail POS systems make the customer experience seamless, regardless of where they’re interacting with your brand. Unification makes this possible by centralizing online and offline data into one solution. This lets you:
- Sell omnichannel
- See real-time inventory reports
- Reduce total cost of ownership
- Accelerate speed to launch
- Simplify extensibility—without extra costs and maintenance
- Provide dedicated customer support using data you’ve already collected on them
Shopify POS: Best for retail businesses of all sizes
Shopify POS is an all-in-one, scalable point-of-sale solution that’s perfect for any type and any size of brick-and-mortar or ecommerce store. As a unified commerce solution, retailers can manage all of their in-store and online operations—including sales, inventory, customer data, and payments—from a single platform.
With this 360-degree view of their business, it’s easy for retailers to capture and understand customer behavior and purchasing data, optimize inventory levels, and deliver personalized customer experiences that keep customers coming back.
This retail point-of-sale system also has an ecosystem of more than 8,000 integrations. Shopify POS seamlessly connects with any tech stack, making it easy to get started and tailor the platform to your specific business needs.
Whether you’re connecting accounting software, CRM tools, or inventory management systems, its flexibility helps you automate processes, reduce manual tasks, and create a unified, streamlined workflow that boosts operational efficiency. Shopify also offers POS UI extensions to customize your checkout flow and improve POS app performance.
Key features
- Omnichannel sales: Sell your products on any channel, including in your brick-and-mortar stores, across social media, and on your website.
- Retail analytics: Access detailed reports and real-time insights into your business performance, helping you make data-driven decisions.
- Staff management: Manage employee roles, track performance, and control access to sensitive information with detailed permissions.
- Inventory management: Keep track of stock across all sales channels, receive low-stock alerts, and perform inventory counts from a single platform.
- Clienteling: Help your staff create personalized shopping experiences with tools to track customer profiles and preferences.
- Secure hardware: Use Shopify’s secure and reliable POS hardware to process in-person payments.
- 24/7 support: Access dedicated customer service any time you need assistance.
- Shopify Payments: Accept payments with Shopify’s integrated payment gateway, supporting various payment methods.
- Refunds and returns: Process returns and refunds while keeping inventory up to date.
- Gift cards: Issue and redeem both physical and digital gift cards.
Top industries served
- Clothing & apparel
- Jewelry
- Sporting goods
- Furniture
- Home goods & supplies
- Hobby & toy stores
- Health & beauty
Third-party integrations
Shopify is unique in the sense that retailers have access to all the services and integrations needed from the first customer touchpoint all the way to post-purchase—but they don’t need to take them all at once. Or ever.
Instead, you can take what you need, when you need it, and swap out pieces when you no longer have use for them.
- Marketing automation tools such as Yotpo and Klaviyo
- Loyalty apps like Smile
- Subscription services like Recharge
- Warehouse management systems like ShipHero
- Shipping tools like Shopify Shipping
- Sales channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Etsy
- Analytics tools like Google Analytics and Triple Whale
- Finance and HR tools like Gousto and Quickbooks
Payments
Shopify Payments simplifies the payment process by integrating directly with Shopify POS. It eliminates the need for a separate payment provider. Once set up, you can accept all major payment methods (online and in-store) without incurring third-party transaction fees. For brick-and-mortar stores, you can split payments and accept tap, chip, or swipe.
Shopify POS also integrates with Shop Pay. It matches credit cards to customer profiles to give you instant visibility on your customer’s buyer information and purchase history for greater personalization at checkout. Customers also get more flexibility: they can pay for in-store purchases through interest-free payments using Shop Pay Installments.
Price
Payment processing fees: 2.6% + 10¢ USD.
Monthly fee: Shopify plans start at $5 per month.
Other retail point of sale systems to compare
2. Clover POS
Clover POS is a cloud-based point-of-sale system that supports payment processing, inventory management, employee management, and customer tracking. Clover POS is particularly popular amongst restaurants as it supports online ordering, table management, and customizable payment options. With Clover, you can also manage your menu, so you can easily make updates as your offerings change.
Key features
- Online ordering: Allows customers to place orders through a website or app.
- Table management: Helps organize and track seating arrangements in a restaurant.
- Inventory tracking: Monitors stock levels in real time to avoid shortages or overstocking.
- Real-time reporting: Provides instant insights into sales, performance, and operations.
- Employee management: Offers scheduling, time tracking, and task management tools.
- À la carte apps: Offers a selection of apps to help you manage online orders, handle reservations, and implement loyalty programs.
Top industries served
- Restaurants
- Pop-up shops
- Food trucks
- Salons
- Spas
- Health and wellness
Third-party integrations
- Gusto
- Menufy
- Time Clock
- QuickBooks
- Order Kiosk
- Appointments Pro
Payments
Clover uses its own payment processing system, allowing businesses to accept payments through credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, and contactless options like Apple Pay. It also offers secure transactions, next-day deposits, and fraud protection.
Price
Payment processing fee: From 2.3% plus 10¢ per transaction.
Monthly fee: Starts at $14.95 per month.
3. Lightspeed
Lightspeed is a POS designed for businesses in various industries, including retail, restaurants, and golf courses. It offers inventory management, payment processing, and real-time reporting.
Key features
- Self-check-in kiosk: Allows customers to check in independently upon arrival.
- Tee sheet management: Organizes and schedules golf course bookings and tee times.
- Pro shop management: Manages inventory, sales, and operations in a golf pro shop.
- Multilocation management: Centralizes operations and reporting across multiple locations.
- Food and beverage operations: Streamlines ordering, payments, and inventory for food and drink services.
- Golf booking and scheduling software: Enables online booking and scheduling for golf course tee times and events.
Top industries served
- Golf
- Toy
- Pet
- Vape
- Jewelry
- Restaurant
Lightspeed lacks important functionality for ecommerce businesses. Aviator Nation, for example, previously relied on Lightspeed POS and Adobe Commerce to sell online and in-person. This approach made it difficult to unify customer data and personalize the experience.
“Adopting Shopify was a huge moment for Aviator Nation,” said its director of ecommerce Curtis Ulrich. “If you look at our trajectory over the years, things really started to pick up after we migrated from disparate systems—Adobe Commerce and Lightspeed POS—to Shopify.
“With Shopify Plus, we have all the tools we need to provide a seamless omnichannel experience and serve more customers no matter where they shop with us.”
Third-party integrations
- Shopify
- Mailchimp
- Golf Genius
- QuickBooks
- WooCommerce
- Chronogolf by Lightspeed
Payments
Lightspeed Payments is a built-in payment processing system for businesses using the Lightspeed POS platform. It allows you to accept all major credit and debit cards and mobile payments.
Price
Payment processing fee: 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person transaction; 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction.
Monthly fee: Starts at $89 per month.
4. Square
Square POS helps small and medium-sized businesses process payments, manage sales, and track inventory. Square also offers the Square Appointments POS, which is designed for businesses like beauty salons and tattoo parlors. It helps these businesses handle booking appointments to simplify scheduling.
Key features
- Online booking system: Lets clients schedule appointments online.
- Free booking website: Provides a no-cost website for clients to book services.
- Client loyalty programs: Encourages repeat business with rewards for loyal customers.
- No-show and cancellation fees: Charges clients for missed appointments or late cancellations.
- Automated appointment reminders: Sends reminders to clients to reduce no-shows.
- Mobile app for managing appointments: Allows businesses to manage appointments on the go.
Despite these features, Square POS falls flat on its inventory management capabilities. Mandalyn Renicker, owner of Offbeat Bikes, experienced this first-hand when integrating Square POS with its Squarespace website.
“I was piecing together a lot of software, and it wasn’t working out,” says Mandalyn. “I had to use a third-party software to sync inventories between the Squarespace website and Square POS, which was complicated to manage. Even then, I still had to manually count inventory levels because we kept running into errors on both systems.”
Since migrating to Shopify and adopting the unified commerce approach, Mandalyn’s retail team have saved over four hours every month on inventory management.
Industries served
- Tattoo shops
- Beauty salons
- Restaurants
- Fitness and wellness
- Professional services
Third-party integrations
- SquareGo for appointment-booking
- Wix
- Shopify
- JotForm
- Homebase
- QuickBooks
- WooCommerce
Payments
Square Payments allows businesses to accept contactless, mobile, and online payments across various channels. It works with Square’s hardware and software and offers tools for security, fraud protection, and dispute management.
Price
Payment processing fee: 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction (in-person).
Monthly fee: Starts at $0 for the basic plan.
📚Compare:Shopify vs. Square
5. Toast
Toast is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system built specifically for restaurants. If you have a smaller operation, you may want to look into Toast as a viable alternative to Clover. It’s great for small vendors and food trucks because it provides a mobile, offline-capable system that can handle payments, orders, and inventory from anywhere.
Key features
- 24/7 support: Provides round-the-clock customer assistance.
- Mobile payments: Allows customers to pay using mobile devices.
- Order management: Streamlines the process of taking and tracking orders.
- Customizable reports: Generates tailored reports for business insights.
- Inventory management: Tracks and manages stock levels in real time.
- Restaurant-grade hardware: Durable hardware designed specifically for restaurant environments.
Industries served
- Bars
- Cafés
- Bakeries
- Breweries
- Food trucks
- Restaurants
Third-party integrations
- Opsi
- NEON
- Butter
- Klaviyo
- Loyalist
- Drink Exchange
Payments
Toast Payment Processing is a payment solution for restaurants that accept both in-person and online payments. It includes fraud prevention, PCI compliance, and offline payment processing.
Price
Payment processing fee: 2.49% + 15¢ per transaction (if you pay for hardware upfront).
Monthly fee: The Starter Kit plan starts at $0, and the Point of Sale plan starts at $69.
6. Heartland Retail
Heartland Retail POS is ideal for general merchandise and department stores because it integrates real-time inventory management, automatic reorders, and multichannel sales into one platform. It helps stores manage diverse product lines and maintain consistent operations across sales channels.
Key features
- 24/7 support: Offers continuous customer service assistance.
- Inventory tracking: Manages and tracks the receipt of inventory from suppliers.
- Reporting and analytics: Provides data insights on sales, inventory, and performance.
- Inventory management: Tracks stock levels, orders, and product movements.
- Flexible payment processing: Accepts a variety of payment methods with customizable options.
- Customer relationship management (CRM): Manages customer data and interactions to enhance relationships and retention.
Industries served
- Apparel
- Footwear
- Museums
- Sporting goods
- Health and beauty
- Home and lifestyle
Third-party integrations
- 99 Minds
- Mailchimp
- QuickBooks
- Blacks Retail
- BigCommerce
- Ready Set Retail
Payments
Heartland Payment Processing is a platform for managing various payment methods, including credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and ACH transactions. It provides secure payment solutions to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.
Price
Payment processing fee: 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person transaction.
Monthly fee: $89 per month for POS and Payroll+ services.
How to choose a retail POS system
Not all retail businesses and POS systems are the same. Multi-store retailers have a much more complex and diverse use case than those specializing in temporary pop-ups. The trick is finding the POS system that perfectly matches your company’s needs.
Here are five factors to consider to find the perfect match for your business.
Type of business
The first things to consider when picking a POS are your business type and growth goals. Here’s a closer look at the POS features different businesses would require:
Brick-and-mortar stores
Physical stores need a POS that integrates with a wide range of hardware and software. You’ll likely need a cash register, receipt printer, barcode scanner, and customer-facing display. You’ll also want software like inventory management to track stock across your stores. Also, consider a POS focused on customer experience (CX), with features that support loyalty programs.
Pop-up shops
For pop-up businesses, simplicity and mobility are key. You’ll need a portable setup like a tablet or smartphone with a card reader. Look for a POS that offers easy setup, mobile payment options, and offline functionality in case you’re in an area with limited internet access.
Ecommerce and retail
If you run both online and physical stores, you need a POS system that seamlessly integrates with your ecommerce platform. This ensures that your inventory is updated in real time across all channels. Look for software with unified customer databases, cross-channel sales tracking, and flexible payment options like gift cards and split payments (ahem … Shopify POS).
Restaurants
For restaurants, your POS should support order management, kitchen display systems, and table tracking. Hardware might include tablets for servers, kitchen printers, and receipt printers. You’ll also want features like tipping, split bills, and customer loyalty programs.
Multi-location retailers
Large retail operations need a POS that offers centralized control with synced data across locations. You’ll want hardware for each store and software that tracks inventory, sales, and employees in real time across all sites.
Hardware and software needs
Next, look at the hardware and software required to operate your business efficiently. Here’s a quick overview of the typical types of hardware and software.
Hardware:
- Register or tablet: For processing sales and managing customer transactions.
- Card reader: To accept payments, including chip, swipe, and contactless methods.
- Barcode scanner: Speeds up checkout and helps with inventory management.
- Receipt printer: Essential for businesses that provide printed receipts.
- Cash drawer: Important for businesses that handle cash transactions.
- Customer-facing display: Enhances transparency by showing customers their transaction details.
Software:
- Inventory management: Real-time tracking, low-stock alerts, and multi-location syncing.
- Payment processing: Support for multiple payment methods, mobile payments, and gift cards.
- Employee management: Features like time tracking, shift scheduling, and sales performance reporting.
- Customer relationship management (CRM): Track customer purchases, manage loyalty programs, and send targeted promotions.
- Sales reporting and analytics: Generate detailed reports on sales trends, top-selling products, and overall business performance.
Essential POS features
Regardless of your company’s size, there are some POS features every platform should offer at an affordable price, including:
- Sales tracking: Record and manage transactions in real time.
- Inventory management: Automatically track stock and get low-stock alerts.
- Payment processing: Accept multiple payment methods, including cards and mobile wallets.
- Customer management: Store customer info and purchase history for better service.
- Reporting and analytics: Access sales reports and performance metrics quickly.
- Employee management: Track hours and sales performance for each staff member.
- Receipt options: Offer both digital and printed receipts.
- Security features: Protect data with encryption and PCI compliance.
- Offline functionality: Process sales without an internet connection.
- Ease of use: Simple interface that’s easy to navigate for staff.
- Integrations: Sync with other software like accounting or ecommerce platforms.
- Customizable settings: Adjust features to match your business needs.
Costs
POS pricing can vary widely depending on the features, hardware, and software you need. Some systems charge a flat monthly fee, while others take a percentage of each sale.
Additionally, the cost of hardware (like tablets, scanners, and card readers) can add up quickly. It’s smart to weigh the upfront costs versus the POS system’s long-term value.
Integrations
POS solutions previously distinguished themselves on the variety of integrations available. The issue is: most of these integrations are customer-centric. The backend system is an afterthought. Is opening five different tabs to answer a single question really the most efficient way of working?
What’s unique about Shopify is that these integrations funnel data back to one unified backend. The Shopify admin merges customer data into unified profiles, no matter where this data comes from: your POS system, an email marketing app, or a marketplace.
Get started with the best retail POS system
By now, you have the information you need to decide on the best POS for your business.
Remember, every retailer has different POS needs. Consider which features you want, what fits your budget, and what will help you scale most efficiently as you grow your business. Start by checking out Shopify POS.
Retail POS FAQ
What POS system is best for retail?
The best POS to support your retail operations is the Shopify POS system. It provides an easy-to-use interface, integrates with Shopify’s ecommerce platform, and includes features like inventory management, sales reporting, and various payment options. It’s perfect for businesses of any size in any industry.
What is the average cost of a retail POS system?
Prices for retail POS systems vary widely, but they typically range from $50 to $150 per month. Some systems may also have additional setup fees or hardware charges.
Which company POS machine is best?
The best POS machine is the Shopify POS Terminal. It offers a reliable, integrated system with flexible hardware options, including countertop and mobile solutions. The Shopify POS Terminal ensures smooth transactions with features like customer-facing displays and connectivity over Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
What POS system is the cheapest?
It’s hard to pinpoint the cheapest POS system because costs depend on factors like setup fees, monthly fees, and payment processing charges. It also varies based on transaction volume and types. However, a good starting price for a basic POS system is typically around $50 per month.
