Lightspeed is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system provider that offers POS systems specific to retail, restaurants, and golf businesses. It comes equipped with an in-house ecommerce platform solution, integrated payments, robust register features, and advanced reporting and management tools. However, what makes Lightspeed’s POS stand out is its granular inventory controls and best-in-class analytics platform.
In this Lightspeed review, we will focus on the retail POS system solution. In our evaluation of the best POS systems, Lightspeed Retail achieved a score of 4.24 out of 5, losing points for its lack of a free plan and generally high price point, no 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.
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Lightspeed Retail POS Overview
Pros
- Granular matrix inventory management
- 50-plus preset reports with data visualizations and customization options
- Integrated 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 | Retail Retailers, 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 | Excellent 24/7 technical support via phone and chat |
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 Standard and Advanced subscriptions come with a fully integrated Lightspeed ecommerce site.
However, you might want to go with a different POS system if you are a business with a small inventory; in this case, Lightspeed Retail might be more than you need. You should also go with 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 & Comparison
Lightspeed POS Reviews From Users
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
Speedy and helpful customer service | Pricey |
Comprehensive system | No features to manage rentals |
Detailed inventory management | Busy interface |
Easy implementation with lots of training | Reduced functionality without internet connection |
Ability to handle bulk orders and inventory |
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 inventory. 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.
Users agree with our assessment of Lightspeed Retail being 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
In May 2024, Lightspeed changed its pricing and the features included in each plan. This review reflects Lightspeed’s new pricing, as well as our adjusted rating of the product. The key changes are:
- Higher price points overall ($20 – $40 per month)
- Ecommerce is now included in the Basic plan
- Loyalty and advanced reporting is included in the Core plan
- Workforce management, appointments, work orders, and serialization are available as paid add-ons
Lightspeed Retail POS has three plans with monthly fees that vary based on features, payment processor, and payment cadence. It earned points because each of its plans offers unlimited products and transactions, along with built-in payment processing and ecommerce. Not only that, but the highest plan offers custom reporting capabilities, custom workflows and checkouts, and the ability to set custom user roles and permissions.
Lightspeed Retail POS lost points, however, for not offering a free plan (as we see with Square) and the generally high price point of its plans. 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 monthly. Enterprise-level and high-volume customers can negotiate custom packages.
Lightspeed Retail POS Register & Checkout Features
Lightspeed earned a 3.75 out of 5 in our evaluation of its checkout screen, mainly losing points for its lack of interface customization options, such as you find with Square or Vend POS systems. Lightspeed does, however, feature 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 has both barcode scanning and a product search function right on the checkout screen. You cannot only search products by name and product code but also by 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, on-hold, cash, check, credit and debit cards, and near-field communication (NFC) mobile wallet payments.
Detailed Customer Profiles
Lightspeed gives you the option 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 view 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. By limiting the applicable discounts, you ensure 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
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, in the Standard and Advanced plans and a fully integrated loyalty program for Advanced subscribers.
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 Lean 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’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 Advanced 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
- Only available in Advanced plan ($269 per month on monthly billing)
- Create custom reports
- 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 more data-driven decisions into their business model.
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 Standard and Advanced 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.
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 Standard 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 Advanced 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 has recently added customizable fields to its gift card loyalty program. 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
Lightspeed earned a perfect score for its customer support and ease of use. It is compatible with any computer or iPad and, unique to Lightspeed, every POS subscriber gets a dedicated account manager to help you learn how to use the system and answer any questions you may have. 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. Lightspeed 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.
While Lightspeed does have a lot to offer, it is feature-rich, and all those tools create a much busier interface than some of the other POS systems available to small businesses. It can take some time to learn the ins and outs of Lightspeed and configure everything to your liking, and 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.
Lightspeed Retail POS Expert Score
Lightspeed earned a 4.5 out of 5 in our expert score category. We love it for the incredible amount of control that 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.
However, all these features come at a cost, and Lightspeed is at the top end for POS subscription fees. Though, given the rich set of features, we still believe that this system provides overall great value for money. The user interface can also be a bit challenging to get the hang of, mainly because it has to accommodate so many options and information.
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.
Methodology
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The most important feature we considered was inventory tracking. We also considered how sophisticated and user-friendly the reporting dashboard of each system is and what marketing and employee management tools are available. Inventory and analytics is where Lightspeed really shines, so it earned very high marks here.
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Lightspeed POS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click through the questions below to get answers to some of your most-asked questions about Lightspeed.
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.
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.
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.