Skip to content

11 Best Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems of 2023

The best POS systems and software depend a lot on the type of business you have. Here are our top picks for each category.
Last updated on September 13, 2023
Edited bySally Lauckner
Fact checked and reviewed

⏰ Estimated read time: 18 minutes

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

The best point-of-sale (POS) systems do far more than handle customer payments. These systems help you manage sales, track inventory and improve daily business operations by offering numerous hardware options and feature-rich POS software.
Transparent pricing, intuitive flows and access to live support are also important when selecting your POS systems and software. Here are our top picks.

Best Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems

Loan calculator icon

Calculate your monthly cost estimate

Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best value
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
Cost Estimate
Payment processing fees
Cost Estimate
Learn more

Shopify Retail POS

Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
4.0/5

Best for Shopify e-commerce users

In-person: 2.7% + $0.00

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$5

POS Lite; $89 POS Pro. (Paid Shopify plan is required for POS use.)

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

Square POS

Learn more

on Square POS's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Overall POS system

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$0

Free plan; $60 Plus plan for retailers and restaurants.

Learn more

on Square POS's secure website

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Hardware

In-person: 2.3% + $0.10

Online: 3.5% + $0.10

$15

$14.95 and up.

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Stripe Terminal

Learn more

on Stripe Terminal's secure website

5.0/5

Best for International businesses

In-person: 2.7% + $0.05

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$0

Learn more

on Stripe Terminal's secure website

Helcim

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

4.5/5

Best for High sales volumes

In-person: 0.4% + $0.08

Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

$0

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Lightspeed Retail POS

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Inventory management

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$89

for Lean plan, $149 for Standard plan, $269 for Advanced plan.

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

SpotOn Restaurant

Learn more

on SpotOn Restaurant's secure website

4.5/5

Best for Restaurants

1.99% + $0.25

$25

Learn more

on SpotOn Restaurant's secure website

TouchBistro

Learn more

on TouchBistro's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Food trucks

N/A

Quote-based.

$69

and up.

Learn more

on TouchBistro's secure website

U.S. Bank Merchant Services

4.0/5

Best for Bank POS provider

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$0

and up.

PayPal Zettle

4.5/5

Best for Software

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 3.49% + $0.49

$0

IT Retail

3.5/5

Best for Grocery stores

N/A

Quote-based.

$199

and up.

Our pick for

Shopify e-commerce users

Because users must have a Shopify e-commerce plan to use Shopify’s POS, this POS system makes the most sense for retailers that already use Shopify. The company offers a free POS software option with any of its paid e-commerce plans.

Shopify Retail POS

Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

Monthly fee

$5

POS Lite; $89 POS Pro. (Paid Shopify plan is required for POS use.)

Our pick for

Overall POS system

Square rises above competitors with a free version of its POS system that bakes in a great deal of functionality and for its transparent pricing, lack of a contract and hidden fees, and strong integrations with other hardware and software.

Square POS

Learn more

on Square POS's secure website

Monthly fee

$0

Free plan; $60 Plus plan for retailers and restaurants.

Our pick for

Hardware

Clover’s POS hardware may be priced higher than many of its competitors, but not without reason. The recognizable branded hardware is built to last and rests on a strong reputation of dependability.

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Monthly fee

$15

$14.95 and up.

Our pick for

International businesses

Stripe accepts payments in more than 135 currencies, making it a strong fit for businesses with global reach. Stripe Terminal is not a POS system but an integration that allows you to extend your online business to in-person sales. With some coding, it can be connected to your POS app.

Stripe Terminal

Learn more

on Stripe Terminal's secure website

Monthly fee

$0

Our pick for

High sales volumes

As a full-service merchant services provider, Helcim can essentially do it all for a business: payment processing, point of sale, invoicing and business management. Because it offers volume discounts, Helcim is especially cost-effective for businesses with high sales volumes.

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Monthly fee

$0

Our pick for

Inventory management

Lightspeed’s POS designed specifically for retailers offers several strong features, but it stands out particularly for its inventory management capabilities. The system is especially well suited for businesses with more than one location.

Lightspeed Retail POS

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

Monthly fee

$89

for Lean plan, $149 for Standard plan, $269 for Advanced plan.

Our pick for

Restaurants

SpotOn Restaurant earns the top spot on NerdWallet’s list of Best Restaurant POS systems. Solutions are custom fit for your specific restaurant needs and numerous software integrations can round out your system. The company’s Restaurant Advisory Council provides regular feedback for continual improvement.

SpotOn Restaurant

4.5
NerdWallet rating 
Learn more

on SpotOn Restaurant's secure website

Payment processing fees

1.99% + $0.25

Monthly fee

$25

Our pick for

Food trucks

TouchBistro is a POS system designed specifically for food-industry businesses. With a wealth of restaurant-related features and the ability to easily take payments on the go — with or without an internet connection — it’s a particularly good choice for food trucks.

TouchBistro

Learn more

on TouchBistro's secure website

Payment processing fees

N/A

Quote-based.

Monthly fee

$69

and up.

Our pick for

Bank POS provider

U.S. Bank Merchant Services offers payment processing and business bank accounts in addition to POS solutions, making it a one-stop shop for small businesses.

U.S. Bank Merchant Services

4.0
NerdWallet rating 
Monthly fee

$0

and up.

Our pick for

Software

This all-in-one POS and payment processing system is built for quick and easy setup and integrates seamlessly with many big names in business-related software. PayPal Zettle’s POS software is free, so business owners pay only for hardware and payment processing.

PayPal Zettle

Monthly fee

$0

Our pick for

Grocery stores

As a grocery store POS system designed by grocers, IT Retail stands out with an expansive list of industry-specific features to cover a wide range of food retail businesses. While the system’s features and capabilities receive standout marks, NerdWallet gives it only 3.5 out of 5 stars due primarily to a lack of transparency around pricing and fees.

IT Retail

3.5
NerdWallet rating 
Payment processing fees

N/A

Quote-based.

Monthly fee

$199

and up.

Square: Best overall POS system

Types of businesses supported: Retail, food and beverage, professional services (beauty, health, repair, etc.) and custom-built options.
Why we like it: The Square POS system is an excellent option for small businesses that are looking for an easy-to-run, cost-effective POS. Square stands out among its competitors by offering a free version of its POS that contains a great deal of functionality, including sales tracking, inventory management and an offline mode to accept transactions without a Wi-Fi connection. Square also is transparent with pricing, doesn’t require contracts or charge hidden fees, and integrates with third-party hardware and software. Additionally, Square offers a free 30-day trial of its paid plan for both its retail and restaurant solutions; businesses owners can easily downgrade to the free software plan at the end of the trial with no additional fee or penalty. This is one of the most generous free trials offered by a POS provider, especially in the restaurant space, where it’s rare to find a free trial offer. Read our full Square POS review.

PayPal Zettle: Best for software

Types of businesses supported: Retail, service and e-commerce businesses.
Why we like it: PayPal Zettle’s POS software can be downloaded for free to your mobile device. With a card reader and the creation of a PayPal Business account, you can quickly have a basic POS up and running for your business. Zettle POS includes a payment processing system that accepts all transaction types — cards, digital wallets, QR codes and keyed — along with standard POS functions such as sales tracking and reporting and inventory management. Another plus is the system’s easy integration with popular accounting and e-commerce software including QuickBooks, Shopify and BigCommerce. Read our full PayPal Zettle review.
Monthly POS software fee: $0.

Clover: Best for hardware

Types of businesses supported: Table service restaurants and cafes; counter service restaurants, cafes, diners and food trucks; and retail, service and e-commerce businesses.
Why we like it: Clover offers a lot of flexibility with its merchant processing. Its POS hardware does ring up at a higher price point, but it holds a strong reputation for quality design and dependable function. Add to that competitive flat-rate processing fees and affordable monthly software fees, and Clover makes for a solid choice for small business owners across every industry. Read our full Clover POS review.

Stripe Terminal: Best for international businesses

Types of businesses supported: Open application programming interface and ability to accept more than 135 currencies are primarily relevant to online sales.
Why we like it: Stripe Terminal extends Stripe Payments functionality for online businesses looking to add in-person payment capability. Because Stripe accepts all forms of payment — credit and debit cards, digital wallets, ACH transfers and even buy now, pay later options — in more than 135 currencies, it’s a solid option for online businesses that sell internationally. Stripe has a lot of customization options and some neat features that more tech-savvy business owners, or those with access to developers, may want to take advantage of. Read our full Stripe Terminal review.

Helcim: Best for high sales volumes

Types of businesses supported: Retail, service and e-commerce businesses.
Why we like it: Helcim is best known for payment processing, but its POS software isn’t something to gloss over — especially as it’s one of a few among the competition that works across both desktop and mobile, as well as Mac and Windows devices. Similar to Square, Helcim boasts no monthly or hidden fees and no contract, but it follows the interchange-plus pricing model for payment processing. Helcim offers competitive processing rates and offers discounted rates for businesses with $25,000 or more per month in card transactions, meaning it’s a particularly strong contender for businesses with higher sales volumes. Read our full Helcim review.
Monthly POS software fee: $0.

Lightspeed Retail: Best for inventory management

Types of businesses supported: Retail (apparel, bike, CBD, electronics, gift store, health, home decor, jewelry, pet, sporting goods, toy, vape, other).
Why we like it: Lightspeed Retail POS stands out for its top-notch inventory management features, which include cataloging and tracking functions that are especially useful for businesses with large inventories and multiple locations. Additional features include customer relationship management and loyalty programs, employee sales and performance tracking, and data analysis and reporting. And if your business requires more, Lightspeed offers an entire marketplace of app integrations. Read our full Lightspeed Retail POS review.

Shopify: Best for Shopify e-commerce users

Types of businesses supported: E-commerce and in-store retail.
Why we like it: Shopify POS is an ideal system for retailers and e-commerce businesses. The free POS available with any of Shopify’s e-commerce plans offers a number of valuable features, including customer profiles and history, inventory tracking, automatic sales tax calculations, basic reporting functions and more. Business owners looking for additional functionality can purchase the POS Pro plan, which offers inventory forecasting, alerts when stock is running low and a suite of useful staff-related features, among other capabilities. And with Shopify Payments, which charges flat-rate processing fees, business owners can run their store and accept payments in one unified solution. Retailers will also appreciate Shopify’s transparent pricing as well as its customer support resources. Read our full Shopify POS review.

SpotOn Restaurant: Best for restaurants

Types of businesses supported: Fine dining, casual dining, quick service, bar and nightclub, food trucks and custom-built options.
Why we like it: SpotOn’s monthly software fee and payment processing fees along with its ability to integrate with third-party hardware make this system an affordable and appealing option. SpotOn offers customizable add-on features such as a loyalty program and team management software. The company also has a strong reputation for its hands-on approach to customer support, from installation and training to 24/7 availability for assistance.

TouchBistro: Best for food trucks

Types of businesses supported: Restaurants (full service, fine dining, quick service and fast casual), food trucks, breweries and wineries, bars and clubs, cafes and coffee shops, and bakeries.
Why we like it: TouchBistro is a worthy contender in the restaurant POS space. Hardware that enables mobile and offline payments and software features such as menu scheduling, upselling reminders and low inventory alerts make TouchBistro an especially strong choice for a food truck business. The POS software comes with dozens of detailed reports to give you important business insights on everything from sales to customer behavior to staff performance. TouchBistro offers relevant add-ons such as gift cards and a loyalty program for an additional monthly cost. The company is not as transparent as some competitors with its pricing, and you will be bound to a long-term contract that’s not easy to terminate, but the 24/7 customer support it offers by phone, email and chat sets it apart from some other POS providers. Read our full TouchBistro review.

IT Retail: Best for grocery stores

Types of businesses supported: General, corner, dollar and natural food stores; butcher shops, fish markets and co-ops.
Why we like it: IT Retail is built specifically for grocery and related store needs, and excels in its POS software design. The list of software features it offers is extensive and includes a function for wholesale sales, a customer loyalty program as well as capabilities to accept EBT transactions and support sales of highly regulated items such as tobacco and liquor. IT Retail’s POS app runs on a local server but regularly auto-syncs to the cloud so store data is always up to date and available across multiple locations and devices. Like many of the more industry-specific POS systems, IT Retail’s pricing is primarily quote-based, which is a large contributing factor to the company’s lower overall star rating. Were IT Retail to more readily share pricing information around payment processing fees, monthly software pricing and hardware costs as well as any additional fees that may apply, this strong POS system would likely receive a significantly higher score.

U.S. Bank Merchant Services: Best bank POS provider

Types of businesses supported: In-person and online retail, bars, restaurants and personal, and professional services.
Why we like it: U.S. Bank is a merchant services provider that offers business banking, payment processing and POS solutions. In that way, it can serve as a solid option for a business that’s looking to consolidate all services under a single provider. It uses Talech and Elavon POS systems and accepts all major cards and contactless payment options. U.S. Bank’s processing rates are competitive and it offers a variety of software plans, all priced under $100 per month. With no long-term contracts, termination fees or PCI compliance fees, it stands apart from some on this list. U.S. Bank business account holders enjoy free same-day funding and a general funding schedule that allows for receipt of funds on any day of the week, weekends included.

What is a POS system?

A POS system makes it possible for your business to accept payments from customers during the checkout process. It can take the form of a countertop register with a cash drawer or a handheld device with a credit card reader, depending on whether you need to complete sales on the go. The system includes the POS hardware itself and the software you use to enter item prices and collect data on your sales, inventory, returns, etc. Strictly online businesses usually do not need hardware.
Providers may offer their own hardware options, like POS terminals with customer displays, receipt printers and cash drawers. Or, in some cases, you can simply download POS software to an iPad or tablet for a simpler, more portable solution. Similar to POS hardware, POS software varies in complexity and may include features specific to your industry.

Learn more about what a POS system does

Dig into how a POS system works, how much it costs and what it should accomplish for your business.

How much does a POS system cost?

These days, many POS systems are cloud-based software with monthly subscription fees that vary widely. Some basic plans are free or start at $10 per month; other basic plans start at $99 per month. In some cases, setup fees apply. However, to use that system, you might also need to pay for:
  • Hardware. Some POS systems offer a basic card reader for free, and you may be able to operate it using a phone, tablet or desktop computer you already have. In other cases, you might need proprietary hardware that can cost hundreds of dollars. Some POS systems charge monthly fees to use rented terminals.
  • Payment processing fees. Usually, a payment processor comes included with a POS system. Every time you accept a debit or credit card transaction, you’ll have to pay a transaction fee, usually around 2.5% to 3% of the transaction, plus 10 to 30 cents. Pricing can vary widely. Some processors use flat fees, so you pay the same rate for all in-person transactions, for instance. Others use interchange-plus fees, which means fees can vary depending on factors such as your industry and the type of card your client is using.
  • More expensive plans or add-ons. If you want multiple registers or locations or exceed a certain amount in revenue each month, a basic plan might not cut it. Certain features, such as inventory management features or loyalty program tools, might also be add-ons that cost extra.

What should a good POS system do?

A good POS system should come with features that help you run your business. These can vary widely by industry. Some examples of things you might want to look for:
  • Inventory management. Keep track of how many items you have on hand and when you need to reorder.
  • Table or menu management. View the status of tables in your restaurant, see how long it takes to turn tables, update menus and track when you run out of certain items.
  • Multilocation management. Track inventory, menus or service in multiple areas, set different prices and tax rules for each location, and run reports to see how each location is performing.
  • Loyalty program. Reengage your customers with a point- or discount-earning system that gives them a reason to keep coming back; be able to send custom discounts — for example, a discount for a customer’s birthday.
Aside from useful features, you'll also want a system that has:
  • Transparent pricing. You can expect to pay a monthly fee, along with payment processing fees and hardware fees. Generally, you want to avoid early termination fees or long contracts that are hard to cancel without penalty. If payment processing comes bundled with your POS, make sure you understand the pricing first and can avoid pesky fees such as PCI compliance fees and high chargeback fees.
  • Intuitive user flows. You want a system that’s easy to use and understand.
  • Robust customer support. While some answers might be easy to find online, it’s nice to be able to talk to someone who can help you troubleshoot when you need it.

How do I choose a POS system?

Choosing a POS system for your small business can be a big decision, especially with so many options on the market. Finding the right POS software for your business will come down to a few key considerations. These steps will help guide you through the process of selecting the system that best suits your business needs:
  1. Decide on the features you need. This will depend largely on what type of business you have. It might include items like the ability to manage tables and menus, track inventory or schedule appointments.
  2. Weigh functionality with upfront and ongoing costs. Once you have a handful of options that fit your needs, consider the costs. How much are the monthly service fees? What does the hardware cost? How much are the payment processing fees? Can you sign up without getting locked into a long contract? You might have to call some providers to collect quotes. Try free demos or watch videos of the software in action to get an idea of the user flows. Are they easy to understand? Would it work well with your specific business?
  3. Narrow your options. Which systems have the best customer service? Which ones might work with the hardware you already have? Which are the fastest and easiest to set up? These details might not be your biggest deciding factors, but they might be just important enough to help you make a final decision.
If you’d like to shop by POS software type, check out NerdWallet’s picks for:
Last updated on September 13, 2023

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.

Frequently Asked Questions