Our Nerdy picks for
Overall POS system
Square POSRestaurants
Toast POSInventory management
Lightspeed POSE-commerce
Shopify Retail POSHardware
Clover POSPOS software
PayPal ZettleBest Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems and Software
Product | Best for | Payment processing fees | Monthly fee | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|
Square POS Shop now on Square POS's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Overall POS system | 2.6% + 10¢ in-person; 2.6% + 30¢ or 2.9% + 30¢ online, depending on plan. | $0 Free plan; $29 Plus plan; $79 Premium plan. | Shop now on Square POS's secure website |
Toast POS Shop now on Toast POS 2's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Restaurants | 2.99% + $0.15 | $0 Starter Plan. Essentials Plan also available | Shop now on Toast POS 2's secure website |
Lightspeed POS Shop now on Lightspeed POS's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Inventory management | 2.6% + 10¢ in-person; 2.6% + 30¢ online. | $69 $69 and up. | Shop now on Lightspeed POS's secure website |
Shopify Retail POS Shop now on Shopify POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for E-commerce | 2.70% in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online (Basic plan). | $0 POS Lite; $89 POS Pro. | Shop now on Shopify POS's secure website |
Clover POS Shop now on Clover POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Hardware | 2.3% + 10¢ or 2.6% +10¢ in-person, depending on plan; 3.5% + 10¢ online. | $45 Starter and Standard plans; $54.90 Advanced plan when hardware is paid in full. Full-service plans available. | Shop now on Clover POS's secure website |
PayPal Zettle | 5.0/5 Best for POS software | 2.29% + 9¢ in-person; 3.49% + 49¢ online. | $0 | |
QuickBooks Desktop POS | 4.0/5 Best for QuickBooks Desktop integration | 2.7% in-person | $20/Month For lower processing rates | |
Stripe Shop now on Stripe Payments' secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Best POS for International Businesses | 2.7% + 5¢ in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online. | $0 | Shop now on Stripe Payments' secure website |
Our pick for
Overall POS system
Square POS
on Square POS's secure website
2.6% + 10¢
in-person; 2.6% + 30¢ or 2.9% + 30¢ online, depending on plan.
$0
Free plan; $29 Plus plan; $79 Premium plan.
Our pick for
Restaurants
Toast POS
on Toast POS 2's secure website
2.99% + $0.15
$0
Starter Plan. Essentials Plan also available
Our pick for
Inventory management
Lightspeed POS
on Lightspeed POS's secure website
2.6% + 10¢
in-person; 2.6% + 30¢ online.
$69
$69 and up.
Our pick for
E-commerce
Shopify Retail POS
on Shopify POS's secure website
2.70%
in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online (Basic plan).
$0
POS Lite; $89 POS Pro.
Our pick for
Hardware
Clover POS
on Clover POS's secure website
2.3% + 10¢
or 2.6% +10¢ in-person, depending on plan; 3.5% + 10¢ online.
$45
Starter and Standard plans; $54.90 Advanced plan when hardware is paid in full. Full-service plans available.
Our pick for
POS software
PayPal Zettle
2.29% + 9¢
in-person; 3.49% + 49¢ online.
$0
Our pick for
QuickBooks Desktop integration
QuickBooks Desktop POS
2.7%
in-person
$20/Month
For lower processing rates
Our pick for
Best POS for International Businesses
Stripe
on Stripe Payments' secure website
2.7% + 5¢
in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.
$0
Square: Best overall POS system
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square POS Plus and Square Appointments Plus plans.
- $60 for Restaurant Plus and Retail Plus plans.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $49 for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer.
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system.
- $659-$1,479 for various bundles of stands, cash drawers, printers and card readers.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions (2.5% plus 10 cents with Retail Plus plan).
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions or invoices without a card on file.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions or card-on-file invoices.
Toast: Best POS for restaurants
- $0 for Starter Kit plan.
- $69 for Point of Sale plan.
- $140 + $4 per employee for Restaurant Basics plan.
- $165 for Essentials plan.
- Custom plans available.
- $799 for Countertop Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $609 for Handheld Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $999 for Guest Self-Service Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- 2.99% 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.
Lightspeed: Best POS for inventory management
- $89 for Lean plan ($69 if billed annually).
- $149 for Standard plan ($119 if billed annually).
- $269 for Advanced plan ($199 if billed annually).
- $119 for Lean plan ($99 if billed annually).
- $179 for Standard plan ($149 if billed annually).
- $299 for Advanced plan ($229 if billed annually).
- 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction.
- 2.6% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions.
Shopify: Best POS for e-commerce
- $29 for Shopify Basic.
- $79 for regular Shopify.
- $299 for Shopify Advanced.
- $2,000 for Shopify Plus.
- $0 for Shopify POS Lite (free with all Shopify plans).
- $89 per location for Shopify POS Pro (free with Shopify Plus).
- $49 for Chipper 2X BT card reader or Tap & Chip card reader.
- $219 for Retail Kit.
- $399 for Shopify POS Go mobile device ($429 with case).
- 2.4%, 2.6% or 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- 2.4%, 2.5% or 2.7% for in-person payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
Clover: Best hardware
- $14.95 for Starter Retail, Starter and Standard Professional Services, and Home & Field Services plans.
- $44.95 for Standard Retail, Starter and Standard QSR, and Advanced Professional Services plans.
- $54.90 for Advanced Retail and Advanced QSR plans.
- $74.95 for Starter Full-Service Dining plan.
- $84.90 for Standard Full-Service Dining plan.
- $94.85 for Advanced Full-Service Dining plan.
- 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions for most plans.
- 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.
PayPal Zettle: Best POS software
- $29 for first card reader; additional readers cost $79. Price includes USB cable.
- $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.
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for invoicing transactions.
QuickBooks Desktop: Best POS for QuickBooks Desktop integration
- $1,200 one-time fee for POS Basic.
- $1,700 one-time for POS Pro.
- $1,900 one-tine for POS Multi-Store.
- Pay as you go: 2.7% for in-person transactions; 3.5% per keyed transaction.
- Pay monthly: $20 per month; 2.3% plus 25 cents for in-person transaction; 3.2% plus 25 cents per keyed transaction.
- 1% for ACH transactions.
- Pay as you go: 2.7% for in-person transactions; 3.5% per keyed transaction.
- Pay monthly: $20 per month; 2.3% plus 25 cents for in-person transaction; 3.2% plus 25 cents per keyed transaction.
- 1% for ACH transactions.
Stripe Terminal: Best POS for International Businesses
- $0 for standard Stripe Connect.
- $2 per account for Stripe Express (for marketplaces) or Stripe Custom (the white-label option).
- $59 for Stripe Reader M2.
- $249 for BBPOS WidePOS E card reader.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person transactions.
- 3.4% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.9% plus 30 cents for international cards or currency conversion.
Methodology
Frequently Asked Questions
- 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.
- Multi-location 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.
- 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 and can avoid 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- Narrow your options. Which systems have the best customer service? Which ones might work with the hardware you have? Which are the fastest and easiest to set up? These details might not be your biggest deciding factors, but they might be important enough to help you make a decision.
- 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. Some POS systems charge monthly fees to use rented terminals.
- Payment processing fees. Usually, a payment processor comes 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 you 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 be add-ons that cost extra.