Best Mobile POS Systems
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Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best valueProduct | Cost Estimate | Payment processing fees | Cost Estimate | Learn more | ||
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Toast POS Learn more on Toast POS's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 4.5/5 Best for Restaurants | 2.49% + $0.15 if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option. | $0.00 Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Toast POS's secure website |
Clover POS Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Overall mobile POS system | In-person: 2.3% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $14.95 and up. | Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | ||
Square POS Learn more on Square POS's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Cost and transparency | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 and up. | Learn more on Square POS's secure website | ||
Lightspeed POS Learn more on Lightspeed POS's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Retail | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $69.00 and up. | Learn more on Lightspeed POS's secure website | ||
TouchBistro Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Cafes and food trucks | N/A Quote-based. | $69.00 and up. | Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website | ||
PayPal Zettle | 4.0/5 Best for Alternate payment options | In-person: 2.29% + $0.09 Online: 2.89% + $0.49 | $0.00 | |||
Helcim POS Learn more on Helcim POS's secure website | 4.5/5 Best for High sales volume | In-person: 0.4% + $0.08 Online: 0.5% + $0.25 Plus interchange | $0.00 | Learn more on Helcim POS's secure website | ||
Shopify Retail POS Learn more on Shopify POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Online-first businesses | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $39.00 and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89. | Learn more on Shopify POS's secure website |
Our pick for
Restaurants
Toast POS
on Toast POS's secure website
if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.
Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available.
Pros
- Free plan available with one or two POS terminals.
- 24/7 phone, email and chat support.
- Hardware is spill-resistant and built with restaurant-specific needs in mind.
Cons
- Contract required.
Our pick for
Overall mobile POS system
Clover POS
on Clover POS's secure website
and up.
Pros
- Can pay for hardware in installments.
- Clover Flex prints receipts.
- Customer loyalty program available.
- 24/7 live support with software plans.
Cons
- No free hardware options.
- Accounting integrations only available through third-party providers.
Our pick for
Cost and transparency
Square POS
on Square POS's secure website
and up.
Pros
- Offers free hardware and POS software with the option to scale up.
- POS software is designed to work well for in-person and online businesses.
- Pricing is competitive and transparent.
- Plans are month to month; you can cancel the service anytime at no cost.
Cons
- The hardware lineup is best suited for Apple devices, though it also works with Android devices.
- The free magstripe card reader doesn’t have the option to tap or dip a card.
Our pick for
Retail
Lightspeed POS
on Lightspeed POS's secure website
and up.
Pros
- Offers robust inventory management.
- Good customer service offerings.
- Lots of integrations.
Cons
- High price.
- Annual contracts required for lower pricing.
Our pick for
Cafes and food trucks
TouchBistro
on TouchBistro's secure website
Quote-based.
and up.
Pros
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support.
- Includes restaurant-specific features, like table and menu management.
- Optional profit management system provides tools for improving margins.
- As a hybrid POS system, TouchBistro can operate without the cloud. Offline capabilities include accepting payments, taking orders, editing menus and managing staff.
Cons
- Payment processing rates are quote-based, making them difficult to compare to the competition.
- Contracts are automatically renewed and can't be terminated early.
- No free plan options and charges setup fee.
- Ability to accept online orders costs extra.
Our pick for
Alternate payment options
PayPal Zettle
Pros
- In-person transaction costs are low compared with other flat-rate options.
- Low-cost hardware and free software.
- Ability to pay with PayPal or Venmo gives customers additional payment options.
- No long-term contract.
Cons
- The all-in-one POS terminal doesn’t have a built-in printer.
- Funds are initially transferred to your PayPal account and not a bank account.
Our pick for
High sales volume
Helcim POS
on Helcim POS's secure website
Pros
- Transparent interchange-plus payment processing.
- Free POS software plan.
- Offers volume discounts for businesses whose monthly credit card volume surpasses $50,000.
- No contract required.
Cons
- Some hardware, like barcode scanners and cash drawers, are only available through a third-party provider.
- May not be ideal for low-volume businesses.
Our pick for
Online-first businesses
Shopify Retail POS
on Shopify POS's secure website
and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.
Pros
- Offers a variety of tools for selling online.
- Competitive processing rates, which drop lower if you subscribe to higher-tier plans.
- 24/7 support.
Cons
- POS Pro upgrade for brick-and-mortar locations can be expensive.
Clover POS: Best overall mobile POS system
- $14.95 for Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter, Professional Services Starter and Standard and Home & Field Services plans.
- $49.95 for Retail Standard, Personal Services Standard and Advanced and Professional Services Advanced plans.
- $54.95 for Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans.
- $64.90 for Retail Advanced plan.
- $69.90 for Quick-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $84.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter plan.
- $99.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard plan.
- $114.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $49 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader.
- $599 for Clover Flex mobile POS with printer.
- $799 for Clover Mini POS.
- $1,699 for Clover Station Solo.
- $1,799 for Clover Station Duo.
- 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions for most plans, though rates may also vary by hardware type.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter and Professional Services Standard plans, as well as Home & Field Services Standard and Advanced plans.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
Toast: Best for restaurants
- $0 for Quick Start Bundle.
- $69 for Core plan.
- $110 plus $4 per employee for Restaurant Basics plan.
- $165 for Growth plan.
- Custom plans available.
- $799.20 for Handheld Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,024.20 for Countertop Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,339.20 for Guest Self-Service Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- 3.09% plus 15 cents per transaction, if you choose pay-as-you-go option on hardware.
- 2.49% plus 15 cents for card-present transactions, if you pay for hardware upfront.
- 3.50% plus 15 cents for card-not-present transactions, if you pay for hardware upfront.
Square POS: Best for cost and transparency
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $60 for Square Restaurant Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $192 and up for Square Restaurant Essentials Bundle.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail Premium plan.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $49 and up for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
PayPal Zettle: Best for alternate payment options
- $29 for first card reader; additional readers cost $79. Price includes USB cable.
- $199 for terminal only.
- $239 for terminal with barcode scanner built in.
- $249 for Store Kit Mini (screen terminal with card reader).
- $339 for Store Kit Portable kit with mobile card reader and printer.
- $499 for Store Kit Standard (adds printer).
- $699 for Store Kit Plus (adds barcode scanner).
- 2.29% plus 9 cents for in-person and QR code transactions.
- 3.49% plus 9 cents for manual-entry card transactions.
- 2.89% plus 49 cents for online card payments.
- 2.99% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with card).
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with PayPal).
Lightspeed POS: Best for retail
- $89 for Lean plan ($69 if billed annually).
- $149 for Standard plan ($119 if billed annually).
- $269 for Advanced plan ($199 if billed annually).
- $99 for Chipper 2X BT card reader.
- $199 for iPad stand or swivel stand.
- $299 for WisePOS E countertop reader.
- $429 for Lightspeed Lite Server for data backup and offline mode functionality.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
TouchBistro: Best for cafes and food trucks
- $69 for base plan.
- $25 for gift cards feature.
- $50 for online ordering feature.
- $99 for loyalty features or marketing features.
- $229 for reservations feature.
Helcim POS: Best for high sales volume
- $99 for a mobile card reader (with stand).
- $329 for a standalone terminal with built-in thermal printer.
- Interchange plus 0.4% and 8 cents per in-person transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per online or manually keyed transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- 0.5% plus 25 cents for ACH payments.
Shopify Retail POS: Best for online-first businesses
- $29 for Shopify Basic when billed annually (or $39 when paid monthly).
- $79 for regular Shopify when billed annually (or $105 when paid monthly).
- $299 for Shopify Advanced when billed annually (or $399 when paid monthly).
- Custom pricing for Shopify Plus.
- All e-commerce plans come with POS Lite for selling in-person. Upgrading to POS Pro for brick-and-mortar businesses costs an extra $89 per location.
- $5 for Starter plan, which includes one POS Lite location.
- $79 (when billed annually) for Retail plan, or $89 when paid monthly; includes one POS Pro location.
- $49 for Tap & Chip card reader.
- $219 for Tap & Chip countertop kit (iPad not included).
- $299 for Shopify POS Go mobile device.
- $349 for Shopify POS terminal.
- $459 and up for POS terminal countertop kits.
- 2.5%, 2.7% or 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- 2.4%, 2.5% or 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- Your industry. Restaurants that want to process sales tableside will require different features than retailers selling at pop-ups. POS system providers usually brand themselves as solutions for a particular industry.
- Software costs. If you need only the basics, look for a mobile POS system that offers a free software plan. And make sure to read the fine print to find out whether you’ll be locked in a contract.
- Payment processing costs. Payment processing costs vary from one mobile POS system to the next. Some integrate with third-party payment processing companies, while others only use their in-house option. Consider your sales volume and which types of payments you’d like to be able to accept.
- Hardware compatibility. Maybe you already have a tablet that you’d like to turn into a mobile POS system. Some mobile POS system providers are compatible with iOS and/or Android devices, but you’ll probably still have to buy a card reader. Other providers only offer their own proprietary hardware options. While the latter might be costly upfront, those devices often come with convenient features, like barcode scanners and receipt printers.