In today’s competitive landscape, retailers need functionality beyond simply ringing up sales and processing payments. Retail point-of-sale (POS) systems must also have robust inventory management tools, multichannel sales management, streamlined customer relationship management (CRM) features, staff management, and reports and insights into which products and employees perform best.
The best POS systems for retail should offer all these functions in an affordable and easy-to-use package.
Based on our evaluation of 16 POS systems across 26 data points, feedback from small businesses, and our own firsthand experience testing and using these systems, the best retail POS are:
- Square for Retail: Best overall and best free
- Shopify: Best for ecommerce and omnichannel
- Lightspeed Retail: Best for inventory management
- Clover: Best for choosing your own payment processor
- KORONA POS: Best for high-risk sales and event management
While the following systems didn’t score high enough in our evaluation to make the final cut, they are worth considering for specific situations:
- eHopper: Best for small specialty shops
- Helcim: Simple free POS app with low processing fees
- PayPal Zettle: Accept PayPal, Venmo, and other payment methods
Best Retail POS Systems Compared
Our Score | User Reviews* | Monthly POS Software Fee | Card-present Transaction Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4.63 out of 5 | 4.65 out of 5 | $0–$60 | 2.6% + 10 cents |
 | 4.54 out of 5 | 4.05 out of 5 | $0–$89** | 2.7% |
 | 4.49 out of 5 | 4.05 out of 5 | $89–$269 | 2.6% + 10 cents |
 | 4.26 out of 5 | 4.0 out of 5 | $14.95–$64.90 | Varies |
 | 4.06 out of 5 | 4.0 out of 5 | $59–$89 | Varies |
*Scores averaged across several review sites
**Ecommerce subscription required – additional $39 per month
Why We Don’t Recommend These Popular Retail POS Systems
There are several obvious omissions from our best-for list, so we wanted to address why we’re not recommending the following POS systems:
- ShopKeep: ShopKeep was acquired by Lightspeed in 2020 and, to the best of our knowledge, is no longer available for purchase. Though, existing ShopKeep users are still supported. Previously, we did highly recommend ShopKeep as a user-friendly, budget POS.
- Vend: Vend was also acquired by Lightspeed, but more recently, in 2021. The Vend brand was discontinued October 2, 2023, so we recommend all new customers sign up with Lightspeed, which has adopted some of Vend’s key features, including its mobile scanning app. Previously, we did recommend Vend for single and multilocation brick-and-mortar retailers.
- QuickBooks POS: QuickBooks POS is being discontinued in October 2023. After this date, the software will no longer be supported, and QuickBooks Payments will not be available through the POS. QuickBooks recommends all existing and prospective POS users consider Shopify instead.
Square for Retail: Best Overall Retail POS System
Pros
- Forever-free plan
- Plus plan offers incredible value—advanced reporting tools and inventory features
- Scalable; grows with your business
- Works on any internet-enabled device (via app or online account)
Cons
- Free plan has limited inventory functions
- Not available on Android devices
- Limited customer support hours
- No layaway payment methods
What we like:
Overall, Square offers some of the best POS systems for small businesses of all types. Square for Retail is no exception. It stands out as a user-friendly system offering unbeatable value and smart tools to grow your business.
The system is cloud-based and runs on iPads, Square Register, and Square Terminal. Every plan comes with built-in payment processing via Square Payments, a free online store for ecommerce and curbside pickup, digital receipts and customer feedback collection, and customer profiles with marketing insights.
- 30-day free trial for paid plans
- Monthly fee: $0 (Standard plan), $60 (Plus plan)
- Card-present transaction fee: 2.6% + 10 cents, discounted to 2.5% + 10 cents with Plus plan
- Online transaction fee: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Custom fees available for businesses processing over $250,000 annually
- Hardware options:
- Square Terminal: $299 or $27/month with financing
- Square Register: $799 or $39/month with financing
- Square Stand: $149 or $14/month with financing (iPad not included)
- Operate on any iPad or iPhone
2023 Feature Updates: Square is now available in Spanish, and its POS mobile app now supports tap to pay. Square also rolled out a bevy of new features, including the first three in our list below.
- New automated marketing campaigns: Order Online CTAs, Google Reviews campaigns, and new Vanity Coupon Codes give business owners the ability to offer easy-to-share discounts outside of a campaign. You can also include images in your texts!
- New POS dashboard features: Product Store, Subscription Management, Square Banking integration, updated Transactions Reporting, and new Metrics and Performance Chart.
- Improved inventory tools: Bundling (in beta, to launch soon), Inventory full counts, Sellable / Non-Sellable, Connected Terminal feature, which lets retailers use their Square Terminal as a buyer-facing display, and the Retail Inventory Applet to manage stock and purchase orders (POs).
- Checkout tools: Barcode-based user interface comes with advanced product search, save carts for later, and return and exchange processing. Online orders automatically appear in the POS registers. There are options for mobile, contactless, QR codes, gift cards, and online payments.
- Inventory management: Perform variant tracking and control, set up low stock alerts, create and print barcodes, receive stock from the app in bulk, create and track purchase orders as they come in, manage vendors, and perform stock counts and cost of goods sold (COGS) tracking.
- Sophisticated hardware: In addition to running on iPads, Square for Retail operates on Square Register, a countertop POS terminal with a detachable customer-facing display that includes built-in chip, swipe, and contactless payments.
- Omnichannel features: Every account comes with a free online store, features to sell on Instagram, an innovative website builder, automatic inventory sync, and omnichannel tools, like in-store pickup and local delivery.
- CRM tools: Automatically generate customer profiles based on the payment method, create and segment customer groups, add shopper details, and send digital receipts with feedback surveys.
- Square ecosystem: One of the most significant benefits of using Square is having seamless integration with all of its additional business tools, like payroll, team management, appointments, loyalty, invoicing, and an online store. You can add and remove software at any time to build a solution customized for your business.
- Employee management: Square for Retail Plus includes advanced team management features like shift scheduling and swapping, custom permission settings, activity logs, and advanced reporting.
- New retailers with growth plans: Its forever-free plan is practical for retailers just starting, while its advanced plans are perfect for scaling businesses.
- Businesses on a tight budget: Square is our top pick for a free POS system, even for complex retailers like pharmacies.
- Businesses switching over from cash registers: Square’s user-friendly interface and overall simplicity make it a great option for those upgrading from a cash register.
- Mobile sellers: Square has the best POS app on the market and offers affordable mobile hardware options.
Learn more about Square:
- What is Square? Guide to products and services
- Our Square Online review and guide to setting up an online store using Square
- More details on Square fees and a monthly cost calculator
Shopify POS: Best for Online & Omnichannel Sales
Pros
- Best-in-class ecommerce features
- Intuitive mobile app interface
- Customizable mobile checkout
- Advanced POS plan available
- POS is only available with ecommerce plan
- Limited inventory features in the free plan
- Minimal offline payment options
- Advanced plans can be pricey
What we like:
Shopify POS is an add-on to Shopify’s industry-leading ecommerce platform. It’s only available to Shopify ecommerce sellers, so it’s best for online stores looking to expand to in-person sales or small businesses looking to sell online and upgrade their in-store software program.
What makes this provider shine is its powerful, comprehensive omnichannel selling features that make it the best option for retailers wanting to grow online sales or emphasize curbside pickup—a necessity for retailers today. In our evaluation, Shopify earned a near-perfect score for register features and ease of use.
- 3-day free trial, $1/month for first three months
- Monthly POS fee: $0, $89 for Pro plan
- Monthly ecommerce fee: $39–$399
- Discounts available for POS and ecommerce subscriptions with annual payment
- Card-present transaction fee: 2.7%
- Online transaction fee: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Lower processing fees available with certain plans
- Hardware options:
- POS Go: $399
- Retail Kit: $219 (iPad or Tablet sold separately)
- Download POS app onto iPhones, iPads, or Android tablets
2023 Updates: Shopify’s mobile app can now accept tap to pay. It also introduced a mobile POS terminal called Shopify Go to power on-the-go sales and replaced the Lite plan with the Starter plan. Shopify also raised prices from $29 to $299 to $39 to $399 per month for ecommerce subscriptions.
- Omnichannel sales: Customers can browse in-store and have items emailed to them, scan QR codes to open product pages on your website, and get real-time shipping updates. You can offer curbside pickup, accept returns and exchanges for online purchases in-store, and ship in-store purchases to customers’ homes. All data seamlessly syncs between ecommerce and in-store.
- Checkout: Customize the register screen, add shortcuts, sell on mobile, customize receipts, and save carts.
- Products and inventory management: Create collections and item variants, manage multiple locations, track stock levels, manage purchase orders, receive vendor shipments, set up low stock alerts, forecast product demands, and get suggestions for items to discount. These tools, along with the ability to integrate with consignment software, make it our top pick for consignment store POS systems.
- Reporting: View stats at a glance, see cash flows, review finance reports, and track cash and daily sales.
- Staff management: Assign individual PINs, set custom permissions, and attribute sales to award commissions.
- Customer management: Create customer profiles, segment customers, add notes to profiles and individual orders, set marketing preferences, and build loyalty programs.
- Marketing: Collect product reviews, create email marketing campaigns, integrate social media accounts, and create Google Ad campaigns.
- Retail businesses that primarily sell online: Shopify is our pick for best ecommerce platform, and Shopify POS comes free in any of its ecommerce subscription plans.
- Multichannel retailers: Shopify tops our list of leading multichannel POS systems. It lets you sync online and in-person sales, process curbside and pickup orders, and start sales in-store and finish them online.
- Businesses that already use a Shopify ecommerce store: Every Shopify ecom account comes with Shopify’s basic POS already integrated.
- Furniture stores: Shopify performed well in our evaluation of the best POS systems for furniture stores.
- Sellers needing to manage preorders: Artists, influencers, and authors needing to set up presales and preoders can do so with Shopify, which made the cut in our list of the best bookstore POS.
Lightspeed Retail: Best for Advanced Inventory Management
Pros
- Detailed, actionable analytics
- Granular inventory management, including matrices
- Built-in (Retail Access Control Standards) RACS compliance
- Strong integrated ecommerce platform
- Can handle custom products and work orders
Cons
- Complex interface
- No built-in local delivery tool
- Not available on Android devices
- High price point
- Learning curve for management and checkout features
What we like:
Lightspeed Retail is a robust retail POS system that includes more than 40 sales and inventory reports, analytics tools, and detailed inventory management. It also has top-of-the-line ecommerce and loyalty add-ons.
Overall, Lightspeed Retail is one of the best retail POS systems because of its sophisticated inventory and analytics tools. In fact, Lightspeed is our top-recommended POS for inventory management.
- 14-day free trial
- Monthly software fee: $89–$269
- Discounts available with annual payments
- Card-present transaction fee: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online transaction fee: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Custom fees available for businesses processing over $250,000 annually
- Hardware options:
- Operates on iPads and desktop computers
- Quote-based pricing
Since our last update:
Lightspeed Duo, the dual-screen POS terminal with a customer-facing display, has been discontinued.
- Inventory management: Manage custom orders from shoppers, bundle items for gift baskets, and anticipate inventory needs. This forecasting tool and ability to predict shopping trends are part of what sets Lightspeed apart from the competition.
- Supplier market: Lightspeed POS comes with over 8 million products loaded in the supplier directory, so you can create, manage, and submit purchase orders from within the system and easily import accurate product information. View updates on orders in real time.
- Customer management: Create customer profiles, track transactions, assign VIP status, manage promo codes, and sell and redeem gift cards. Automated loyalty program available with Standard and Advanced plans.
- Reporting and analytics: Lightspeed includes more than 40 built-in reports that cover inventory, sales, employee performance, and more in one analytics dashboard. What sets it apart is it translates data into actionable business tips. For example, Lightspeed can take sales and traffic data and translate that into staffing and inventory reports to help you prepare for peak hours.
- Ecommerce and omnichannel tools: Lightspeed eCom integrates seamlessly with the POS software. Choose from several mobile-responsive and customizable online store templates and manage inventory, product pages, shipping, returns and exchanges, marketing, and reports. Lightspeed eCom is available in multiple languages and currencies, with international shipping options. Boost traffic by connecting your social accounts, utilizing its SEO tools, and sending newsletters and notification emails.
What Lightspeed Retail is missing:
The main drawback of Lightspeed Retail is that all of its robust inventory and analytics tools result in a busy and complex interface. It also comes with a big price tag. If you are looking for a user-friendly and affordable option, consider Square for Retail.
- Businesses that need an advanced inventory management system: Lightspeed Retail is great for storefronts with high SKU counts with its product tracking and customizable matrix inventory.
- Specialty retailers—bike shops, repair businesses, and electronic shops: Lightspeed’s unique native features for processing custom and work orders make it especially great for specialty shops like bike stores or jewelers that need to process repairs or order individual parts.
A well-run inventory management system starts by barcoding your products. Learn how to create barcodes and utilize our barcode generator with our article How to Make a Barcode + Free Barcode Generator.
Clover: Best for Choice of Payment Processor
Pros
- Variety of sleek hardware options
- Easy to use
- Many apps and add-ons
- Affordable software
Cons
- No free trial
- Contract terms vary
- Poor support through Fiserv
- Hardware tied to merchant account (cannot be reprogrammed)
What we like:
Clover is a flexible system—it has many different versions, apps, add-ons, and configurations to customize it to suit your business. It also comes in a variety of mobile and countertop hardware options.
The best and worst thing about Clover is that it can be purchased through many different resellers and supported payment processors. Clover is owned by Fiserv, and you can purchase directly through Fiserv (which we don’t recommend) or through resellers, some of which we do highly recommend (such as Payment Depot and Dharma Merchant Services).
So, your contract terms, pricing, and support can all vary greatly depending on where you purchase Clover. And, it is not possible to reprogram the payment processing on Clover hardware, so you cannot switch providers.
If you purchase Clover through a reputable and transparent merchant service provider with low fees, Clover can be an excellent choice.
Many of the other POS systems on this list, including Square and Shopify, require you to use their built-in processors. However, they are not compatible with high-risk businesses. Opting for Clover gives you a lot more flexibility to find the right merchant services for your business and purchase Clover through them.
- Monthly software fee: $14.95 (Starter Plan), $49.95 (Standard Plan), $64.90 (Advanced Plan)
- Software fees are standardized no matter where Clover is purchased
- Card-present transaction fee: Varies depending on merchant service provider
- Online transaction fee: Varies depending on merchant service provider
- Hardware options:
- Clover Flex
- Clover Mini
- Clover Station
- Hardware pricing will vary depending on where it’s purchased. However, the Clover website lists FISERV’s prices.
- Inventory management: Clover’s retail POS includes automated product tracking, stock level adjustments for returns and exchanges, location transfers, bulk editing tools, and detailed filtered views.
- Expanded payment processing methods: In addition to the standard chip, swipe, and contactless payments, Clover has the ability to accept Venmo, scan-to-pay, store credit, layaway, gift card, and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) payments. Clover also has offline payment processing, something Shopify lacks.
- Customer relationship management: In addition to standard features like profiles, sales histories, and reward programs, Clover lets you save photos of customers so you can greet them by name. You can also solicit feedback on receipts and reply directly through the POS.
- Ecommerce: Clover can work with multiple ecommerce platforms, including BigCommerce, Shopify, and WooCommerce. Your inventory and data will sync across channels.
- Businesses that already have a merchant account: If you already have a payment processor that you are happy with, you can inquire about whether or not they sell Clover hardware. Most of our recommended retail POS, including Square and Shopify, require you to use their built-in payment processors.
- Those looking for a Square alternative: Clover is often seen as a top alternative to Square because of its mobile POS apps and compatibility with many business types.
KORONA POS: Best for High-risk Sales & Events Management
Pros
- Option to choose from major payment processors
- Ability to designate age-restricted products
- Shelf-life reports and settings for perishable items
- POS features for wineries, cannabis, vape shops, events/ticketing, and convenience stores
- Self-service kiosk functionality and compatible hardware
Cons
- No in-house payment processor option
- No free POS option
- Hardware pricing is not transparent
- No in-house subscription management
What we like:
KORONA is a leading POS system for businesses that process age-restricted or high-risk sales and retailers that need ticketing or event management functionality.
This POS has tools to help retailers keep track of perishable goods and process age-restricted transactions, along with ticket management tools. Thus, KORONA is ideal for retailers that host events that serve alcohol or other high-risk goods and businesses that handle both food and beverage as well as non-perishable goods.
Overall, KORONA earned a 4.06 out of 5 in our evaluation, getting top marks for its ease of use and niche management tools for high-risk and event-based retailers but losing points for its lack of a free plan and modifier/variant inventory management tools.
- Unlimited free trial
- Monthly software fee: $59 (Core plan), $69 (Advanced plan), $89 (Plus plan)
- Card-present transaction fee: Varies based on processor
- Online transaction fee: Varies based on processor
- Hardware options:
- Terminal and tablet options
- Ticketing and scanning hardware
- Self-checkout kiosks
- Pricing is quote-based
- Integrated state compliance software: When you set up your KORONA account, you will designate your state so that the POS system can integrate state compliance features into your inventory management and checkout procedures for age-restricted products.
- Time-based promotions: Create time-based promotions so that you can host happy hours and other discounted events.
- Ticketing: Sell tickets to your event in-store and online, offer group discounts, membership pricing, and time-sensitive entry.
- Events management: In addition to ticketing tools, event management allows you to sell goods and services within your event, create recurring events, create event-specific inventory, and allow customers to pay on-site, at pick-up, by a link, or through an invoice.
- Payments: KORONA does not have an in-house payment processor, but it lets you integrate with any merchant account of your choice absolutely free.
- High-risk retailers: With tools for marking age-restricted products and ID scanning built into checkout, high-risk retailers like vape shops, liquor stores, and c-stores will be able to process transactions with confidence.
- Retailers that host events: If you run a gift shop, museum, winery, amusement park, or any other similar events-based small business, KORONA’s ticketing tools and events management features, along with basic retail POS tools, are a good fit for you.
- Retailers with perishable and non-perishable goods: While not enough to manage a grocery store, KORONA comes equipped with shelf life tools to help you manage perishable inventory. This is alongside normal inventory management tools, like low stock alerts and reporting insights, for your non-perishable goods.
KORONA earned top marks in many of our POS system buyer’s guides, including:
Notable Runners-up
Our Score | Best For | Monthly POS Software Fee | Card-present Transaction Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 3.65 out of 5 | Small specialty shops | $0–$39.99 | Varies |
 | 3.36 out of 5 | Simple POS with low payment processing fees | $0 | Interchange plus .4% + 8 cents* |
 | 3.15 out of 5 | Casual mobile POS, accepting PayPal & Venmo payments | $0 | 2.29% + 9 cents |
*Lower rates automatically applied if processing over $50,000 monthly
eHopper: Good Option for Specialty Shops
Pros
- Free plan
- Surcharging options
- Accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payments
Cons
- Buggy software
- Limited support
- Basic features
What we like:
eHopper is a popular software that offers a free POS, and free processing through surcharging for qualifying businesses. eHopper has a few features that are harder to find on low-cost systems, like the ability to sell products by custom measurements (ideal for spice shops, fabric stores, etc.), and the ability to track perishable goods.
These two features make eHopper a good option for specialty shops and markets.
Helcim: Cheapest Processing Fees
Pros
- Free POS
- Free online store
- Very low processing fees
- User-friendly software
Cons
- Limited integrations with other software
- Not meant for complex inventories
- Not meant for complex inventories Very low processing fees Best for established, steady businesses
What we like:
Helcim is one of our top-recommended payment processors. In fact, it offers the cheapest credit card processing for most businesses. It also has a free POS. It’s important to note that Helcim’s POS is rather basic—it doesn’t compare to Square or even eHopper’s free software.
However, if you’re looking for the lowest processing fees, a stable merchant account, and only need basic register tools, Helcim might be a good fit for you.
PayPal Zettle: Accept PayPal & Venmo Payments
Pros
- Easy to use
- Accept PayPal & Venmo payments
- Low transaction fees
- Free POS software
Cons
- No offline processing
- Potential for frozen funds and accounts
- Basic inventory tools
What we like:
PayPal Zettle is a free, easy to use POS app that you can download onto any smartphone. Card reader and terminal hardware options are available. You can also use Tap to Pay, PayPal, Venmo, and Invoice payments right from the POS app for hardware-free sales.
The app’s inventory and reporting features aren’t very robust. And surprisingly, Zettle does not connect with PayPal’s online sales.
However, if you’re looking for an easy mobile POS app that gives your customers many ways to pay, Zettle is a great option. It’s especially ideal for artists, vendors, hobbyists, and similar mobile retailers.
How We Evaluated Retail POS Systems
We prioritized POS systems that are affordable, reliable, and easy to use. We also considered inventory management tools, online store and multichannel selling features, customer and employee management, payment processing options, reporting and accounting tools, customer support hours and quality, and third-party integrations. Finally, we considered our hands-on experience testing and using the software.
Each system on our list has multiple hardware options, including iPad apps, tools for selling online, and multiple plans so the software can grow with your business. Every system on this list is also cloud-based.
Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria:
15% of Overall Score
We prioritized low monthly fees, free trials, competitive payment processing fees, along with unlimited users, inventory, and transactions. POS systems with volume, employee, or product caps on plans did not earn full points.
20% of Overall Score
A streamlined and customizable checkout interface was the biggest factor we considered. We also looked for a variety of compatible payment methods, return and exchange management, mobility, and integrated online ordering.
30% of Overall Score
Inventory management took priority in this category. We also looked for purchase order and vendor management, easy stock counts, customer management tools, reporting and analytics, and employee management.
20% of Overall Score
We tested the interface of each POS for its ease of use. We also considered downtime and overall stability, customer support, installation options, and hardware compatibility, as people have different preferences around what devices are easiest to operate.
15% of Overall Score
Here we considered any standout features, unique details, the overall value for money each system offers, user reviews, our own experience testing and using each system, as well as feedback from small business owners.
Meet the Experts
The evaluation and selection of the POS systems that ended up on this list were performed by two of Fit Small Business’s top retail experts.
 | Brigitte Hodge is a retail specialist with several years of retail management experience. Before joining Fit Small Business, Brigitte worked on a variety of point-of-sale systems to run a store in downtown Denver. Brigitte has since been writing as a retail expert, evaluating POS systems and working with them firsthand to learn their ins and outs. |
 | Meaghan Brophy has 10-plus years of retail experience, during which she has operated a variety of cash registers and POS systems in different settings and applications. Since working in retail, Meaghan has 7-plus years of experience writing for retailers and 4-plus years of experience evaluating POS systems. |
How to Choose a Retail POS System
Choosing which POS your retail store will use is an important decision that can impact your daily operations, employee and customer satisfaction, and even your profitability.
Follow these steps to make sure you’re set up for success:
Step 1: Determine Your Budget
In our guide to retail budgeting, we recommend keeping your administrative and technology expenses below 5% of your total expenses. You can get a rough estimate of your POS budget by taking your sales data, determining what profit margin you want to have leftover each month after your expenses (or, what you typically have leftover each month after expenses).
Subtract the profit that you want each month from your monthly sales. That will give you an idea of your expense budget. Then, calculate about 3% of that number. This will give you a ballpark estimate of how much you can spend on your technology each month.
Total monthly sales – Desired or typical monthly profit = Expense budget
Expense budget x 0.03 = Ballpark POS technology budget
This number is primarily to make sure you don’t fall in love with a system that you can’t afford. Our guide features many low-cost and free POS, so don’t be nervous about choosing a starter system that is under budget.
However, each business is different, and there is certainly an argument that the right POS will boost your sales.
Step 2: Create a List of Your Must-have Features
This will vary depending on your business, but some starting points include:
- Payment methods: While all systems will handle cash and card payments, not every system has invoicing, layaway, store credit, buy-now-pay-later, and card-on-file options.
- Hardware needs: Do you want a countertop system or a mobile POS? Do you need a combination of both? How many registers will you need? Some systems charge per register or per user, while others offer unlimited terminals.
- Connecting to other software: Are you already using QuickBooks or another software that you’re planning on sticking with? Check potential POS systems compatibility with your existing software.
- Online sales: Do you need an ecommerce store? Do you already have one? Do you have a website but need to add shopping cart functionality? Every POS system varies in terms of native online store functions and integrations. Some systems, like Square, Shopify, and Lightspeed, offer their own ecommerce solutions that automatically sync with the POS. Other systems, like Clover, depend on third-party software.
- Inventory tracking: Do you have a large or complex product assortment? What level of variant tracking do you need? Do you have perishables? Are you just tracking individual items, or do you also need to track bundles or pallets? Each POS will have slightly different capabilities.
- Hotkeys and checkout customization: Do you need to be able to sell items by different measurements, like with an attached scale? Do you need to be able to customize the register screen with the latest promotions or discounts? Do you need employees to log in before processing a sale? Do you need prompts for age verification? Not every POS has these options.
- Employee management: Most POS systems will let you create logins and passcodes with restricted access levels for employees. However, not every POS has detailed employee reporting, commission tracking, or scheduling tools.
Tip: In addition to considering what features you need right now, consider your needs a year or three years from now. Migrating POS systems is a daunting task, so ideally, you’ll choose a system that can grow with your business.
Step 3: Compare Options
Once you have a rough budget and an idea of what your POS should be able to do, create a spreadsheet or chart comparing options that meet these qualifications.
It can be as simple as something like this:
POS 1 | POS 2 | POS 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Monthly fee | |||
Hardware cost | |||
Feature 1 | |||
Feature 2 | |||
Feature 3 | |||
…etc |
Seeing your options side-by-side will help you spot weaknesses in each one, which is hard to do just by looking at the marketing copy on the website or talking to sales reps—they don’t tell you what the POS can’t do.
Step 4: Get a Demo and Quotes From Your Top Contenders
After comparing several systems side-by-side, narrow your list down to a few options that are within your budget and have your must-have features.
From there, contact each one to get a personalized quote, a demo of the software, and ideally, a free trial. If you already have a staff or managers, bring them into the process so they can test their workflows on the system and ask any questions.
Step 5: Dedicate Time for Installation and Training
Once you have chosen a POS, if you’re operating a brick-and-mortar location, dedicate a day or two to set up your new system and hold staff training.
For established retailers or those with complex inventories, the most time-consuming part of this process will likely be getting your products entered into the POS. Many systems have bulk upload options, which can be handy if you already have a spreadsheet of that data. Otherwise, some systems will offer assistance with this step by request, sometimes for a fee.
If you have a large team, it may be worthwhile to invest in professional training. If it’s just you or a handful of employees, dedicating a few hours to test the system might be sufficient.
Of course, if you just need a casual mobile POS, the installation process could be as simple as downloading an app.
Retail POS Systems vs Cash Registers
If you’re looking for a way to process payments and track sales for your retail business, there is not really a question when it comes to cash registers or POS systems.
There are many free POS systems on the market that have richer features than cash registers and are easier to use. Plus, many of the most popular cash register manufacturers are discontinuing production.
You could spend a few hundred dollars on a cash register that you won’t be able to update and likely won’t be able to get support for in the coming years. Or, you could purchase an iPad or POS terminal for under $400 with free POS software that will continue to be updated and supported.
Learn more in our guide to cash registers vs POS systems.
Retail POS Systems Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A POS or point-of-sale system is the software and hardware that businesses use to process transactions and track business activities, like inventory, sales data, your staff, and more.
Learn more: What is a POS System
There are several POS system providers that offer completely free accounts. Our top pick for a free POS system is Square POS, as all the basic POS features are free for a single location, and there are affordable plans to support you as you grow.
Learn more: Best Free POS Systems
In our evaluation, Square offers the best POS system not only for retailers, but across the board for all types of small businesses.
Learn more: Best POS Systems for Small Businesses
Square offers the best POS system for retailers, with a free plan, tons of great tools, an included ecommerce site, and integrated payment processing.
Learn more: Square for Retail review
Square is the most common POS system, especially among small businesses and mobile sellers. Square offers a completely free, fully equipped POS system for a single location and a wide array of compatible and affordable hardware options.
There are free POS systems—in fact, quite a few. The top free POS system is Square’s POS system, with industry specific options for retailers, restaurants, and appointment-based businesses.
You should consider a few factors when choosing a POS system for retail, including price, inventory management functionality, CRM tools, reporting capabilities, and ease of use. There are a lot of POS options available to retailers, so weighing how these features compare across them and your business needs will be your best bet.
Bottom Line
A retail POS system is a crucial software tool that serves as the central hub for your retail business. In addition to processing sales, retail POS systems collect and analyze data to help inform purchasing and staffing decisions, manage employees and inventory, and help build your customer base with loyalty and marketing efforts.
Square for Retail is our top pick because it has a free plan to help new businesses (or businesses new to using a point of sale) get started, with plans and add-ons to grow with your business. Square also makes it easy and free to set up a basic online store with in-store pickup options, manage customers, and track sales. Visit Square to create a free account.
