Lightspeed Retail is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system that offers tools designed for retail businesses: an in-house ecommerce platform solution, integrated payments, robust register features, and advanced reporting and management tools. However, Lightspeed’s retail POS stands out because of its granular inventory controls and best-in-class analytics platform.
In our evaluation, Lightspeed Retail scored 4.24 out of 5. While Lightspeed earned high marks for its robust inventory, workflow, and analytics features, it lost points for its high price point, lack of interface customization, and a few key inventory features being locked behind paywalls. Lightspeed Retail has an average score of 4 from third-party review sites and is priced at $89–$289 monthly.
Lightspeed Retail POS Overview
Pros
- Granular matrix inventory management
- 50-plus preset reports with data visualizations and customization options
- Native ecommerce platform
- 24/7 customer support and onboarding
- 14-day free trial
- Choice of built-in or third-party payment processor
Cons
- User interface (UI) can take time to learn
- Can be expensive for small businesses (No free plan)
- Only three shipping integrations available
- Additional monthly fee if you opt for a third-party payment processor
Deciding Factors
Supported Business Types | General retail, wholesalers, dropshippers, businesses with large or complex inventories |
Standout Features |
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Software Fees | Monthly pricing: $109–$289 Annual pricing: $89–$239 + $59 per additional register |
Setup and Installation Fees | $0 DIY installation only |
Contract Length | Month-to-month Lower your monthly cost by signing up for an annual plan |
Free Trial | 14 days |
Payment Processing Options | Built-in: Lightspeed Payments Third-party processor options (US): PayPal, Stripe, Klarna, Cayan, Authorize.net |
Payment Processing Fees (Lightspeed Payments) | In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents Online: 2.6% + 30 cents |
Customer Support | 24/7 technical support via phone and chat |
Why You Can Trust My Recommendation
I’ve been writing about retail topics—and point-of-sale software in particular—for over two years. I’ve researched, evaluated, and tested dozens of POS systems for a variety of specialized purposes (inventory management, ecommerce, in-person sales, etc.) and industries (retail, restaurant, services, etc).
For this Lightspeed retail POS review, I assessed the pricing, standout features, and user reviews. I also explored the system myself to get an inside look at its management tools, ease of use, and functionality.
Is Lightspeed Retail Right for You?
Lightspeed Retail is a great POS system for businesses with large or complex product assortments—in fact, this software tops our list of the leading POS inventory management systems. It also works well for businesses that rely heavily on multichannel sales, as its Core and Plus subscriptions come with a fully integrated Lightspeed ecommerce site.
However, you might want to use a different POS system if you have a smaller inventory assortment to manage; in this case, Lightspeed Retail might be more than you need. You should also choose different software if you need a free POS option.
Restaurants and appointment-based businesses would also be better served with a good restaurant-specific POS system or a stand-alone appointment scheduling software (we recommend Square Appointments if you need integrated appointment management tools).
If you still want to explore other POS options, you can check out our guide to the best POS systems for small businesses. Or, you can compare Lightspeed Retail with other popular retail POS systems.
Lightspeed Retail POS Alternatives
Best For | Monthly Fee From | Learn More | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Retail businesses, restaurants, and services | $0+ | |
 | Ecommerce and multichannel retail | $89+ | |
 | Restaurants | $0+ |
In-depth Comparisons of Lightspeed Retail vs Other Software
Lightspeed POS Reviews From Users
| Users Like | Users Dislike |
|---|---|
| Robust inventory management tools | Expensive software |
| Easy implementation with lots of documentation | Inconsistent/unreliable customer support |
| Good reporting features | Busy interface |
Users were unanimous in their praise of Lightspeed Retail’s inventory management features—particularly the level of granularity and the system’s ability to handle bulk orders and seasonal inventory, plus various checkout features that make transactions more convenient. The system’s reporting tools (even on the base plans) are another plus for users. Reviews also report that figuring out the POS came easily due to a smooth implementation process, lots of available training documentation, and reliable customer support.
Lightspeed Retail’s downsides, according to users, include its price, which is higher than many other POS systems and could be on the verge of being unreachable for a very small business. Some users also reported that the POS interface was somewhat cluttered and busy, and that the system’s functionality is significantly reduced if the internet connection is lost. Finally, a few users reported unreliable or hard-to-reach customer support.
Users agree with our assessment of Lightspeed Retail as a top POS choice for inventory management. At the time of publication, it earned the following scores on popular user review sites:
Lightspeed Retail POS Pricing
Lightspeed Retail POS has three plans with monthly fees that vary based on available features and which payment processor you use. Each plan offers unlimited products and transactions and built-in payment processing via Lightspeed Payments. Higher plans offer additional features to support you as you grow, such as a more robust online store, advanced reporting, API access, and accounting tools.
Lightspeed Retail POS lost points for not offering a free plan (as we see with Square), the generally high price point, and the limited features in the base plan. It does offer a 14-day free trial, though.
The prices below are for a single register, which is included in each plan—additional registers are $59 per register, per month. Enterprise-level and high-volume customers can negotiate custom packages.
Plans | Basic | Core | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
Monthly price (monthly contract, single location) | $109 | $179 | $339 |
Monthly price (annual contract, single location) | $89 | $149 | $289 |
POS and Payments | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ecommerce | Basic | ✓ | ✓ |
Accounting | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
In-store Loyalty | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Advanced Reporting | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom Reporting | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Every Lightspeed POS account includes Lightspeed’s in-house payment processor, Lightspeed Payments. This means that you can start accepting payments and processing transactions as soon as you sign up—there is no need to integrate a third-party payment processor.
Lightspeed Payments offers a flat processing rate across plans with 2.6% plus 10 cents for chip, tap, and swipe payments and 2.6% plus 30 cents for keyed-in payments. High-volume retailers and large businesses, however, are eligible for volume processing rates.
Lightspeed can take all major credit cards via contactless, chip, and swipe. You will also have access to dispute management officers and chargeback assistance, and Lightspeed Payments has taken steps to ensure your and your customers’ information stays secure with EMV-compliant end-to-end encryption.
If you would rather use a third-party payments processor or operate outside of North America, Lightspeed integrates with several other options, including Cayan and Vantiv.
To run your POS system, you can either use your own third-party hardware or purchase kits and individual items directly from Lightspeed. For new businesses needing hardware, you will be paired with a sales manager who will help match you with the right equipment from top to bottom.
Unfortunately, Lightspeed is not very transparent with its hardware pricing and you cannot purchase it directly from the site. Rather, you work with a sales associate who will offer you a quote. While Lightspeed has not revealed its pricing to us, some sites say that Lightspeed’s hardware can cost upwards of $1,400 for a complete kit.
Lightspeed desktop hardware hit. (Source: Lightspeed)
Supplement your current hardware with POS accessories like tablet stands, cash drawers, barcode scanners, and card readers. (Source: Lightspeed)
Lightspeed Retail POS Register & Checkout Features
Lightspeed features an easy-to-use checkout process with both mobile app and desktop checkout options. The system prompts you through each transaction, making it nearly impossible for you or your staff to make errors. There is also a convenient spot on every transaction to leave notes and add customer information. Lightspeed lost points for its lack of interface customization options.
Lightspeed makes the checkout process easy with its user-friendly and option-rich interface. (Source: Lightspeed)
Lightspeed has both barcode scanning and a product search function right on the checkout screen. You can search products by name, product code, and keyword, making it easy to track down anything you need. You’ll also have a variety of tender options with Lightspeed’s checkout process, including gift cards, layaway, store credit, on-hold, cash, check, credit and debit cards, and near-field communication (NFC) mobile wallet payments.
Detailed Customer Profiles
Lightspeed allows you to attach a customer to the sale, create customer profiles, and add custom notes to each transaction as you make your sales. You can also view customer profiles during a transaction, so you can see purchase histories, loyalty status and points, contact information, and other shopper notes. Lightspeed also has a new advanced customer search option, allowing you to “force search” a particular field if your general search does not yield the results you need.
Controlled Discounts & Promotions
When checking out, you can add discounts and promos to individual items and your entire sales, but only those preprogrammed into your POS by someone with discounting permissions. Limiting the applicable discounts ensures that your employees only add valid discounts and make no promotional errors. Available discounts include:
- Percent discount
- Buy one, get one free
- Seasonal sales
- VIP discounts
- Giveaways
- Donations
- Free shipping
Customize the appearance of your Lightspeed checkout screen and ring up sales with lots of visual references. (Source: Dakis)
Lightspeed Retail POS Management Tools
In addition to a feature-rich checkout, Lightspeed has tons of backend tools to help you better understand and manage your business, earning it an impressive 4.75 out of 5 in our scoring. Not only that, but Lightspeed also includes a pre-integrated ecommerce website platform, Lightspeed Ecommerce, and a fully integrated loyalty program in its Core and Plus subscriptions.
Where Lightspeed stands out in the management category and the POS market overall is in its inventory management tools, making it ideal for businesses with large or complex inventories.
Lightspeed’s inventory management tools are advanced and comprehensive, including features like:
- Customizable matrix inventory
- Built-in purchase ordering
- More than 3,000 preloaded vendor catalogs
- Serial number and stock keeping unit (SKU) tracking
- Real-time low-stock alerts
- Bulk import, edit, and download tools
- Track assembled products
- Work order management
- Track unit costs
- Change pricing and price rules in bulk
- Granular variant control
- Automated return management
- Vendor returns
- Multilocation syncing
- Integrated supplier network catalog (more than 3,000 vendors)
- Mobile access
- Bulk pricing
While Lightspeed’s price tag is slightly higher than its competition, the POS system’s robust inventory features are included with every plan—even the Basic subscription plan. Of everything that Lightspeed has to offer, what sets it apart from other POS systems is its advanced inventory controls and reporting capabilities. Unlike competitors Square or Shopify, Lightspeed is made to organize and track large quantities of inventory and help you manage high sales and order volumes.
Its software covers all the inventory tracking basics—real-time stock counts based on transactions across sales channels, low stock alerts with customizable reorder points, detailed inventory catalogs with rich product descriptions, and options to organize products with tags and categories.
You can also create and track serial numbers and/or SKUs and manage bundled or kitted products to monitor joint performances. All information about your inventory is broken down on the analytics page, where Lightspeed will also provide you with tips and key takeaways.
Do you want to try out Lightspeed’s inventory management with its 14-day trial? Upload our downloadable inventory list to Lightspeed’s inventory so that you can experiment with all the tools that the platform has to offer.
Lightspeed lets you set reorder points, categorize products, and filter your inventory catalog by a variety of metrics.
(Source: Lightspeed)
Lightspeed’s standout features come into play with larger inventory quantities and its order management features. With the POS system, you can manage products purchased in bulk yet sold individually, such as water bottles or build-your-own six-packs. You can also manage your inventory orders with its built-in purchase order forms, order tracking, and integrated supplier network catalog.
Essentially, Lightspeed lets you discover vendors, purchase their products, and then organize and track those products all from one dashboard―without involving any third parties.
Lightspeed has also developed a services module, which allows you to create and schedule service offerings from the POS itself as well as include back-ordered items. This module is a useful tool for businesses that sell items but also include service components—think bicycle, sporting goods, and jewelry shops.
To learn more about how to use Lightspeed’s inventory tools, read our how-to guide on managing inventory with Lightspeed Retail.
Although Lightspeed’s advanced analytics platform—which we highly recommend for businesses looking to scale—is only available to higher-tier subscribers, Lightspeed Reporting is included with every plan and is a very comprehensive reporting tool for most retailers.
Reporting
- Included in every plan
- 50-plus built-in reports
- Sales tracking
- Multilocation management
- Employee performance tracking
- Graphs to view information easily
- Print and export reports
- Filter data
- Segmented inventory reports
- Identify best and worst performing products
- Identify peak and low traffic periods
Analytics
- Create custom reports (only available in Plus plan at $289 per month on monthly billing)
- Automated data visualizations
- Three separate dashboards for inventory, employees, and customers/marketing
- Guides for how to use reports
- Data analysis and suggestions
- Schedule custom report emails
- Set and measure company and individual goals
- A/B testing
- Automated detection of indexing errors
What sets Lightspeed’s reporting tools apart is that they not only show you how your store is performing but also anticipate shopping trends, collect and present valuable shopper data, reveal outstanding and underperforming employees, and alert you to projected stock outages—on either your in-store POS system or your mobile device.
This makes it simple to stay on top of crucial functions such as keeping the right items in stock at the right time, coaching employees who need additional training, and keeping customers engaged and loyal. Overall, Lightspeed’s reporting capabilities make it ideal for people looking to incorporate basic demand forecasting or more data-driven decisions into their business model.
Lightspeed’s analytics give you at-a-glance information on crucial markers such as customer demand, store performance, sales per employee, and average transaction value. (Source: Lightspeed)
Although Lightspeed’s ecommerce platform, Lightspeed eCom, did not make the list for the best ecommerce platforms for small businesses, it offers a powerful online selling solution and comes included with Core and Plus Lightspeed POS accounts.
- 30-plus mobile-friendly, customizable themes
- Industry-specific website templates
- Syncs with in-store POS
- Centralized product, data, and customer management
- Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS)
- Customers can leave product reviews
- Shipment tracking codes
- Order tracking
- Conversion reports
- Google Pay and Apple Pay one-click checkout
- Built-in SEO tools
- Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok integrations
- Monitor marketing campaigns
- Shopper profiles for returns and wish lists
- 14 languages, multiple currencies, and international shipping options
- Integrated shipping carriers
- Real-time product counts across in-store and online orders so you can’t oversell items
- Integrations with Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Google Shopping
When designing your site, you can use tons of tools to enhance its appearance and functionality. You can add descriptions and keywords to your product pages, incorporate page headers and product categories, upload high-definition (HD) photos, and optimize your product listings for SEO. You can also incorporate extra features like a blog, testimonials, size guides, and embedded videos. If you have an existing WordPress, Wix, or Weebly website, you can connect Lightspeed to it instantly.
Lightspeed offers a huge library of themes that you can filter by industry. (Source: Lightspeed)
Once live, all activities in your ecommerce store will be fully integrated into your POS. You can view reports about your online store, analyze its performance, manage your orders, and watch as your customer database grows across your sales channels—all from a single platform. Inventory will also be synced.
Lightspeed acquired Ecwid in October 2021. Ecwid is now called Ecwid by Lightspeed or Lightspeed eCom (E-series), so you can connect your Ecwid store to your Retail POS with the click of a few buttons. Ecwid is among our recommendations for the top ecommerce platforms.
You can also temporarily reserve stock when it is in someone’s cart on your ecommerce site, but it will unreserve and inventory levels will update if the reserved item is sold in-store. This should improve discrepancies between your Retail and eCom inventory totals.
Every one of Lightspeed’s plans includes a customer database where you can store customer information and view their purchase histories. If you move up to the Core plan, however, you will also get online marketing tools like email marketing, blogging, and customer behavior tracking.
Lightspeed’s loyalty, CRM, and marketing tools include:
- Customer database
- Points-based omnichannel loyalty program
- Auto-segment customers based on purchases
- Drag-and-drop email builder
- Short message service (SMS) and email promotions
- Sell products on Facebook and Instagram
- Built-in blogging tools
- Promotions and coupons
- Automated birthday coupons
- Track customer habits
- Gift cards with customizable fields
- Employee permissions for subscriptions
Additionally, with the Core plan, you get access to an omnichannel points-based loyalty program that rewards customers for purchases at any store location or through your online store. It also offers categorized rewards, automated smart customer groupings, and one-time rewards, such as for birthdays or VIP customers.
Lightspeed’s gift card loyalty program also includes customizable fields. Cards can now be customized with the names of the giver and receiver, plus a message for the recipient. This makes gift cards more personalized, resulting in a more pleasant experience for customers. You can even present customers with options for images that they can attach to the cards, which is good for both your marketing and customer satisfaction.
Finally, Lightspeed has added a safety and privacy feature for customers with subscriptions: the software now has new permission requirements for employees in order to restrict access to customer data (such as credit card information) to only employees with the necessary credentials.
Lightspeed Retail POS Ease of Use
In our evaluation, Lightspeed earned a perfect score for its customer support and ease of use. We love the incredible amount of control it allows you to have over your inventory and performance metrics. The built-in ecommerce platform is also strong, the online support is great, and the overall bank of features is rich.
The software also earned points for its pre-integrated payments and ecommerce store—making setup easy and allowing you to start taking sales as soon as you sign up. You’ll also have the choice of either going with Lightspeed’s built-in payment processor or finding a third-party option; this gives you the flexibility to find the most affordable or convenient solution for your business.
Lightspeed is compatible with any computer or iPad, and every POS subscriber gets a dedicated account manager to help you learn how to use the system and answer any questions. If you’d rather explore and learn about the system yourself, Lightspeed has an extensive library of guides and videos. In either case, 24/7 support is available if you get stuck at any point.
While Lightspeed offers many features, all those tools create a much busier interface than some of the other POS systems available to small businesses. Due to all the options and information, it can take some time to learn the ins and outs of Lightspeed and configure everything to your liking. It also has fewer dashboard customization options than software like Square or Shopify.
Are you looking for a more streamlined POS interface? Check out Square for Retail or Shopify POS.
Finally, Lightspeed has relatively high POS subscription fees compared to many other systems. However, given its rich set of features, we still believe that this system provides great value for money overall.
How We Evaluated Lightspeed Retail POS
In our Lightspeed review and all of our POS reviews, we start by looking for affordability and basic POS functions like check and order management, the ability to process multiple forms of payment, and inventory tracking.
We test every POS system ourselves, including Lightspeed, to determine ease of use, quality of features, any standout functionality, and limitations. Finally, we consider user reviews, the feedback we’ve received from talking to business owners, and our personal experience using the software.
For this review, I tested the system myself and scored it against our internal rubric. My findings and this review were fact-checked by Meaghan Brophy, who also added to the content.
Methodology
30% of Overall Score
20% of Overall Score
Businesses need speedy and customizable checkout tools, easy customer management, mobility to sell anywhere, a process to track orders, and a way to process online orders. Because the way businesses operate has changed so much in recent years, we also considered contactless payments, integrated online ordering, and online store features.
15% of Overall Score
15% of Overall Score
20% of Overall Score
Lightspeed POS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click through the following sections to learn more about Lightspeed Retail’s features, pricing, and comparison to other POS systems.
Lightspeed is a software provider that offers POS systems for retail, restaurants, and golf businesses. It also offers ecommerce and payment solutions that you can integrate with a Lightspeed POS system or third-party POS systems.
Lightspeed Retail has granular inventory management tools, in-house payment processing, reporting, customer management tools, a native ecommerce platform, a loyalty program, purchase order tools, integrated vendor catalogs, and staff management tools.
Compared to many other POS systems, Lightspeed is pricey. You’ll be paying anywhere from $89–$289 per month, depending on which subscription tier you choose, and whether you want to pay monthly or annually. There is no free plan available.
Lightspeed Retail and Shopify are two great POS systems for retailers. However, Shopify is better suited for retailers that operate primarily online, while Lightspeed is great for brick-and-mortar retailers with complex inventories and reporting needs.
Again, this depends on what kind of business you are running, and what your budget is. Lightspeed Retail is great for in-person selling and managing complex inventories, as well as generating high-level reports. Square is a better pick if you want a free POS plan, or if you’re operating a service business like a salon or gym.
Bottom Line
Lightspeed Retail offers incredibly robust inventory management ideal for almost any independent retailer. Plus, its user-friendly analytics platform provides insights to keep your business profitable, and its top-of-the-line ecommerce tools help your shop compete with the chain stores in your neighborhood.
Although Lightspeed is pricier than other options and has a more cluttered interface due to all the features, it offers a great overall value for retailers, especially if you are serious about growing your business. Begin its 14-day trial today―with no credit card required.