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6 Best POS Systems for Liquor Stores of October 2024

The best liquor store POS systems allow for detailed inventory tracking and management and are equipped for the safe sale of age-restricted items.
By Olivia Chen
Last updated on August 8, 2024
Edited byRyan Lane
Fact checked and reviewed

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Liquor store POS systems should have inventory management features, loyalty program add-ons and ID scanning, among other capabilities. Many times, general POS systems check enough boxes to help you efficiently run your liquor store.
Those options typically come from recognizable brands and offer a range of plans and pricing options. While industry-specific POS systems don't always have those perks, they may be a better choice if you need niche features like the ability to categorize items, such as wine bottles, by their region or grape varietal. The list below includes both types of systems.
Here are our top picks for liquor store POS systems:

Best POS Systems for Liquor Stores

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Estimates assume an average interchange fee of 1.81% + $0.10, based on our latest available data. Estimates provided reflect online and in-person transactions, but exclude any keyed transactions. Estimates are based on the lowest monthly plan and processing fees for each provider.

Product
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Payment processing fees
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Square Retail POS

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on Square Retail POS's secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
5.0/5

Best for Free liquor store POS system

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$0.00

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89, custom.

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on Square Retail POS's secure website

Lightspeed Retail POS

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on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

3.5/5

Best for Liquor stores with multiple locations

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$109.00

for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan.

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

mPower Beverage

Best for Industry-specific features

N/A

Varies by processor.

$120.00

for one register + one-time upfront fee of $1,000. Additional fees for each new register.

POS Nation

Best for Overall liquor store POS system

2% + $0.00

to 2.5%

$49.00

and up.

IT Retail

3.0/5

Best for Grocery stores that sell liquor

N/A

Quote-based.

$69.00

and up.

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Free loyalty program

In-person: 2.3% + $0.10

Online: 3.5% + $0.10

$0.00

and up.

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Our pick for

Free liquor store POS system

Square Retail POS

Learn more

on Square Retail POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89, custom.

Our pick for

Liquor stores with multiple locations

Lightspeed Retail POS

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$109.00

for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan.

Our pick for

Industry-specific features

mPower Beverage

Payment processing fees
N/A

Varies by processor.

Monthly fee
$120.00

for one register + one-time upfront fee of $1,000. Additional fees for each new register.

Our pick for

Overall liquor store POS system

POS Nation

Payment processing fees
2% + $0.00

to 2.5%

Monthly fee
$49.00

and up.

Our pick for

Grocery stores that sell liquor

IT Retail

3.0
NerdWallet rating 
Payment processing fees
N/A

Quote-based.

Monthly fee
$69.00

and up.

Our pick for

Free loyalty program

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

and up.

Our picks for the best liquor store POS systems

POS Nation

Best for overall liquor store POS system
Why we like it: POS Nation is built specifically for grocery and convenience stores but checks many of the boxes that are ideal for liquor stores as well. You can track individual sales from cases or packs, scan IDs for age-restricted items and manage, report and order inventory across locations. The system has robust employee-monitoring features designed specifically to help with loss prevention. These allow you to flag returns that have been damaged, for example, and to set employee permission at an individual level so new employees don’t have the same access to returns or refunds as experienced managers. POS Nation also offers 24/7 technical support.
Much of POS Nation’s pricing is quote-based, but what it makes readily available is comparable to competitors. You can also add upgrades to your plan like liquor licensing and tobacco POS software. All plans are contract free.

mPower Beverage

Best for industry-specific features
Why we like it: MPower Beverage is a POS system built specifically for liquor store operations and draws from the input of liquor store owners and operators, which shows through the level of detail in many of its features. Its inventory management features allow you to track items across locations, set low stock alerts and sell and track by the case, pack or individual bottle or can without creating a separate stock-keeping unit, or SKU. You can create custom beverage-specific attributes, such as region, flavor profile and age. You can also add details like food pairings and reviews to each product that will show up as your customers browse online or in the store.
MPower Beverage is fairly transparent in its pricing, and though its prices are on the higher end — especially for multiple locations — you get a unique level of detail and hands-on customer service. For instance, when you sign up, there is an in-person installation process to help you get set up and integrate existing data into the system. One register is included in the upfront price, and there is a fee and additional monthly cost for any additional register. POS hardware includes an ID-scanning feature for age-restricted items.

IT Retail

Best for grocery stores that sell liquor
Why we like it: IT Retail specializes in grocery store POS systems and offers custom plans for several types of grocers, like butcher shops and fish markets. Its corner store option includes features that are also well suited for a liquor store, such as ID scanning, customer loyalty programs and inventory management that works for beverage sales.
Additional features include cash discount capabilities, offline mode and a customizable touch screen. Although not all of IT Retail’s pricing is transparent, you can build customized plans that include different types of hardware specific to your needs. All plans require you to enter a processing agreement but don’t include long-term contracts.

Square Retail

Best for free liquor store POS system
Why we like it: Square for Retail POS is an all-around great option for inventory-heavy businesses, especially for those seeking a cost-effective option. Its retail POS software has an option that is marketed specifically to wine shops, breweries and liquor stores and focuses on inventory management, customer rewards and multichannel sales. Square is transparent on its pricing, and it’s easy to upgrade your plan to a paid version, making it a good option for businesses that may want to scale up. Read our full Square for Retail POS review.

Lightspeed Retail

Best for liquor stores with multiple locations
Why we like it: Lightspeed Retail stands out as an option for many retailers for its robust inventory management features, particularly across multiple locations. The system can be integrated with a host of external partners, and the plans include e-commerce if you plan to expand online. It also offers features to support customer loyalty online or in store, loyalty tracking from the POS and customer tracking. Customer support is available through various channels 24/7, which could come in handy if you operate outside standard business hours. Read our full Lightspeed Retail POS review.

Clover

Best for free loyalty program
Why we like it: Each of Clover’s retail POS software plans, which can support liquor stores, includes a customer loyalty plan at no added cost. You can use it to ask for feedback on receipts, implement a rewards program, create customer profiles and send promotions through text, email or social media. Combined, these abilities can be a powerful tool for retaining customers and building brand loyalty. Read our full Clover POS review.

Looking for more liquor store POS options?

For more POS systems and accessories that might work for your liquor store business, try exploring these additional product roundups:
Last updated on August 8, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s point-of-sale systems provider ratings reward companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including cost, system capabilities, contract requirements, customer service and integrations and add-ons. Learn more about how we rate point-of-sale (POS) systems providers.
These ratings are a guide, but services, hardware and pricing can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
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