The retail checkout experience has come a long way since the first cash register in the 1870s. What started as a simple tool to secure cash and track sales has evolved into sophisticated technology that helps retailers run their entire business.
Today's point-of-sale (POS) systems do much more than process payments. Today’s cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) systems help you understand your customers better, manage inventory across locations, and make smarter business decisions. But with so many options available—from basic cash drawers to complete retail management systems—choosing the right solution can be challenging.
This guide helps you understand your options, from traditional cash registers to modern POS systems, so you can choose the right solution for your business. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to figure out which cash register is best for your business.
Best cash registers for small businesses
| Cash Register | Fees | Monthly Subscription | Hardware Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Starts at 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction | Plans start at $24 per month | $0–$500 |
| Royal POS 1500 | Unavailable | None | $999.99 |
| Square | 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person transaction 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction |
Starts at $0 per month for Basic plan | $799 |
| Lightspeed | 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person transaction 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction |
Starts at $89 per month | Quote-based pricing for iPad and desktop hardware kits Pricing for individual hardware products vary |
| Clover | Starts at 2.3% + $0.10 per transaction | Starts at $13 per month | From $279 |
| Toast | 2.49% + $0.15 per transaction (if you pay for the hardware up front) 3.09% + $0.15 per transaction for pay-as-you-go pricing |
Starter Kit plan starts at $0 per month POS plan starts at $69 per month |
From $799 |
Businesses have a wealth of choices when it comes to picking a cash register. Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of various offerings will help you decide what’s right for your company. Here are six top options:
1. Shopify
Ideal for brick-and-mortar retail stores with a thriving online business, Shopify offers a fully customizable POS system that includes inventory tracking, staff management, and advanced sales tracking and analytics. Shopify’s POS offers built-in payment processing for standalone POS hardware and mobile devices.
Best features
- Omnichannel selling: Offer seamless shopping experiences in-store, online, and everywhere in between
- Smart inventory management: Keep accurate stock levels everywhere you sell with built-in tools for demand forecasting, tracking, and alerts
- Clienteling: Help staff deliver personalized shopping experiences with complete customer profiles that track interests, preferences, and shopping habits
- Staff management: Control permissions and track performance from one place
- Secure and reliable hardware: Process payments confidently with Shopify's POS hardware
- Shopify Payments: Accept multiple payment methods with built-in payment processing
- Advanced reporting: Make smarter decisions with real-time business insights
- Gift cards and loyalty: Offer digital and physical gift cards redeemable anywhere
- 24/7 support: Get assistance from Shopify’s dedicated customer support team whenever you need it.
Fees: Shopify plans start at $5 per month.
2. Royal POS 1500
Used for small businesses that require the ability to process both cash and contactless payments, Royal’s POS 1500 includes a touchpad and a separate cash drawer. Users are able to add:
- Optional attached credit and debit card readers
- Barcode scanners
- Radio frequency identification (RFID) readers for tap-to-pay
- Weight scales
- Wireless thermal printers
Best features
- Built-in thermal printer
- Locking cash drawer
- Detachable POS
- 1000 template images and customized titles
- WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth connectivity
Fees: The register costs $999.99. Although the Royal has add-ons for a variety of businesses, it lacks the ability to connect to the cloud, and its size might make it a tough sell for more technically minded business owners.
3. Square
Square offers a variety of POS systems, including a mobile tap-to-pay version and a remote invoicing program that sends e-bills and reminders for increased flexibility for mobile business owners.
Best features
- Dual-screen setup with seller display and detachable customer display
- Built-in Ethernet
- Offline payments
Fees: Square’s lowest-cost monthly POS plans are free, but add a processing fee per transaction. Square's flat-rate processing fee can prove costly for larger operations.
4. Lightspeed
The features that Lightspeed provides for small businesses include the ability to create product catalogs, stock-level management, setting up discounts and promotions, and tracking sales. It also provides integrations with popular payment providers and ecommerce platforms.
Best features
- Multi-store management
- Marketing and loyalty tools
- Open API for customization
- Integrated business funding
- Offline mode
Fees: Pricing is based on a monthly subscription model that starts at $89 per month and includes basic features, but for some businesses the basic plan may be too limiting when it comes to the number of users and stores they can manage.
5. Clover
In addition to sales data and inventory monitoring, Clover’s POS systems include employee management software that can integrate shift scheduling and performance measurement metrics to help managers check in on how their staff is doing.
Best features
- Inventory management
- Detailed sales analytics and reports
- Customer engagement tools
- Employee management
Fees: Depending on the plan, there is no cost to start using Clover’s POS systems, although there can be a payment processing fee (starting at 2.3% + $0.10 per transaction). Unfortunately, businesses looking to use Clover will need to buy Clover hardware, because its apps and software can’t be downloaded onto third-party systems.
6. Toast
Toast handles everything from tableside orders to kitchen displays, making it perfect for food trucks and small cafés. It offers a handheld device from which you can run your entire operation, complete with menu management, inventory tracking, payment processing, restaurant management tools, and offline functionality.
Best features
- Kitchen Display System
- Online ordering integration
- Menu management
- Gift cards and loyalty programs
- Customizable hardware setups
Fees: TheStarter Kit plan starts at $0 and the POS plan starts at $69 per month. Payment processing fees start at 2.49% + $0.15 per transaction if you pay for the hardware up front, and 3.09% + $0.15 per transaction for pay-as-you-go pricing.
Types of cash registers
While the need for businesses to have a place to process payments has remained constant over the years, there are now several different types of cash registers to choose from:
- Mechanical registers: The basic cash register, these typically metal boxes use physical buttons and levers (much like a typewriter) to record sales and create receipts.
- Electronic cash registers: First popularized in the 1970s, electronic cash registers (ECRs) use internal computer systems and digital readouts to add up sales numbers and the required amount of change. Many also include a function to print receipts.
- POS cash registers: Point-of-sale (also known as point-of-purchase) cash registers are the modern version of the electronic cash register, popular with retailers across the world. Sporting digital displays with internet access, these systems can be customized to include cash drawers and receipt printers.
- Cloud-based cash registers: Cloud-based cash registers look much like their POS counterparts, but with an important distinction: collected data is stored in the cloud. That means a business owner can access the register’s information remotely. Cloud-based registers can also track sales figures, inventory, and customer information.
How to choose a cash register for small businesses
Whether you’re opening your first store or considering switching from your old cash register, here are a few factors to consider when picking a cash register for your business.
Specify your needs
The size of your business and its cash flow can help you determine the right cash register.
Consider whether you're mainly selling products that need inventory tracking, providing services that just need payment processing, or both. This will help you pinpoint exactly what features you need without overpaying for what you don't.
For example, if you run a small clothing business with a dozen items, a basic POS with core payment processing and customer profile features might be all you need. But if you're managing a retail store with extensive inventory and staff, you'll want a more robust system that can scale with your growth.
Evaluate costs
The cost of a cash register isn't as straightforward as picking something off a shelf. You’re investing in both the physical hardware you'll use in your store and the software that makes it all work.
Most providers offer flexible monthly or annual payment options, but the total cost will depend on your specific needs and setup. If you run multiple locations, for instance, you'll need more hardware. If you want more advanced features like inventory tracking or customer loyalty programs, you might need a higher software subscription tier.
Map out exactly what you need before comparing prices, so you don't end up paying for devices or features you'll never use.
Consider the cashier experience
When choosing a cash register, consider the people who'll actually use it every day: your cashiers.
A confusing interface or clunky system is frustrating and slows everything down. Similarly, a modern cash register with more advanced systems can get quite complex for cashiers to learn to use, operate, and maintain.
The right cash register is intuitive enough for new hires to use on their first shift, with clear navigation, logical menu layouts, and quick shortcuts for common tasks like adding discounts or processing returns. Plus, it will have features that make your cashiers' lives easier, like quick product lookup or the ability to put transactions on hold when a customer forgets their wallet.
Offer staff training
Look for cash registers that offer comprehensive training resources such as detailed documentation, video tutorials, step-by-step guides, onboarding tools, and even live support for when things get sticky.
Plus, you'll want a system that makes it easy to train new hires, with practice modes that let staff ring up fake transactions without messing up your live sales data. Shopify POS, for instance, allows new hires to start with profiles set to “Training” mode so they can interact with the system without mistakes impacting your inventory counts and financial reports.
Evaluate the system’s ongoing support options, like 24/7 customer service, regular software update training, and access to troubleshooting resources, so your team can operate efficiently as your business grows.
Features to look for in a cash register
With many cash register options available, it can be hard to know where to begin. Whichever cash register you choose, make sure it has these seven key features:
Inventory management
Carrying too much inventory can hurt your business’s profitability. Cash registers with inventory management offer real-time tracking, low-stock alerts, and multilocation syncing across stores. Plus, they automatically update inventory levels as you sell, return, or exchange products in-store and online. That way, you can reduce the time spent on manual inventory counts and reconciling inventory, avoid stockouts and overstocks, and lower inventory costs and errors.
Shortlist options with inventory reporting tools that provide historical data so you can understand what sells, high-demand products, and peak periods to make smarter inventory decisions.
Retailers who run their businesses with Shopify get inventory management already built in, with access to inventory reports like average sales per day, product sell-through rate, and ABC analysis by product.
Receipts
Unlike classic cash register systems, which are designed to only print paper receipts, modern POS cash registers offer both printed receipts and digital options, like text or email receipts to customers.
Look for a cash register that enables receipt customization, including options to add business branding, transaction details, and customer information. This will ensure compliance with local regulations, improve your record keeping, and enhance your professional presentation.
Customer profiles
Retailers want to know who's buying what, when, and how often. A cash register that offers data on your customers’ preferences and shopping habits helps you make better business decisions and create personalized marketing campaigns that engage customers.
When you pair your cash register with Shopify POS, you can track comprehensive customer data, including their contact information, purchase history, and shopping preferences across online and in-store channels. This integration supports targeted marketing campaigns and loyalty programs, which leads to better customer service, customer retention, and lifetime value.
Spanish jewelry brand PDPAOLA wanted to unify their online and in-person sales channels and keep all their customer data in one place. Instead of juggling spreadsheets and losing track of who bought what, where, the brand switched to Shopify POS to get a unified view of each customer's shopping journey online and in-store under one system.
With Shopify, PDPAOLA has enjoyed:
- More efficient inventory management with fewer human errors
- 50% improvement on checkout times
- 5% boost in customer lifetime value
Joining Shopify has been one of the wisest decisions we as a business have taken. Its features have unlocked new possibilities that help us reach our growth aspirations.
Marketing
Shoppers get to know about your products and special offers through marketing and promotion.
Modern cash registers offer marketing features, like email marketing and integration with social media platforms, so you can keep your brand top of mind and bring online customers to your retail stores.
A cash register with POS software, like Shopify POS, lets you capture customer emails at checkout, send personalized promotions to shoppers, and encourage customers to leave product reviews, driving store visits and sales. Its native marketing automation tools let you create, execute, and analyze your promotional campaigns, targeted promotional materials, and tailored customer loyalty programs on a single system informed by unified data. This leads to better customer experiences and a higher return on investment (ROI).
Staff management
As your retail business grows, you’ll likely need to hire more staff. A cash register with employee management tools gives you precise control over employee permissions, performance tracking, and scheduling functionality from one place.
For example, if you want a cashier to process returns but require manager approval for anything over $100, look for a cash register with customizable access levels for different roles.
The system should also grow with your team without forcing you to upgrade plans every time you hire someone new, and should provide detailed reports on key metrics, such as daily sales per associate and average transaction values.
With Shopify, for instance, you can:
- Control who can open the cash register
- Track which employee processes cash transactions or balances your cash drawer
- Give staff members unique login PINs
- Attribute sales to employees for commissions or recognition
Reporting and analytics
Your cash register should show you what's working and what isn't. That way, you won’t have to jump between spreadsheets to figure out why a product is flying off the shelves in-store but sitting untouched online.
Look for a cash register that houses all your data in a single platform so you can spot trends and make smarter decisions about everything from inventory to staff scheduling, and more.
Shopify POS’s natively unified commerce approach brings together all employee, customer, and sales data across multiple sales channels. This gives retailers insights into key metrics like product performance, location- or store-specific sales patterns, and channel effectiveness, which are necessary to grow your business.
Payment options
The way customers want to pay has changed dramatically. A recent report by Adobe and PYMNTS Intelligence report found that 7 in 10 consumers choose where to buy based on payment options, and a McKinsey report found that 90% of all consumer transactions now happen digitally.
Shoppers expect flexibility at checkout, with access to their preferred payment method. For instance, they might split their purchase between cash and card, tap their phone to pay, or spread out payments for big-ticket items.
The best cash register systems make all of this feel effortless, handling everything from cash to cards to mobile wallets to contactless payments, so you never have to turn away a sale. Also, think about alternative payment options such as shopping apps like Shop Pay, buy now, pay later (BNPL), store credit, gift cards, and loyalty points, which customers can redeem for free products, discounts, or membership perks.
Find the right cash register for your store
Modern POS systems do much more than process payments—they're complete retail management platforms. The best solutions provide essential features like inventory management and payment processing out of the box, while letting you add specialized tools as your business grows.
For retailers who still handle cash, today's POS systems make it easy to manage both digital and cash transactions in one place. Look for a system that:
- Tracks cash drawer amounts accurately
- Provides detailed cash flow reports
- Manages multiple payment types seamlessly
- Grows with your business needs
Many POS companies offer guides for training users and employees on the intricacies of their systems (see our Shopify POS training guide, for example). These can be a helpful resource for business owners onboarding employees or when shifting to a new register system. Business owners can develop training modules for workers that incorporate these guides and offer incentives for their completion.
Cash registers FAQ
What system do most cashiers use?
Businesses often use retail POS (point of sale) systems, a combination of hardware and software that gives you the option to accept payments in cash, by credit, debit, or gift card, and via mobile payment—plus, it can integrate your online shop and other business activities.
What is the difference between a cash register and a POS?
A cash register is a mechanical box with a lock and drawer that helps you securely keep track of—and store—your business's cash. The drawer contains separated compartments for various denominations of cash and coins. By comparison, a POS system combines hardware and software to process your store's transactions.
What to use instead of a cash register?
A POS cash register is an all-in-one solution that combines POS system software with cash register hardware, making it a better alternative to a traditional cash register. Plus, POS cash registers can track inventory, collect customer data, and manage staff performance all in one place.
What replaced cash registers?
A POS system replaced the traditional cash register, managing everything from daily sales and inventory tracking across multiple store locations to employee schedules and customer data collection.
