The best retail point-of-sale (POS) systems come with some combination of excellent inventory management capabilities, transparent pricing, valuable reports and other features that help to run your business smoothly. Depending on your sales channels, your POS system should give you a way to accept payments on the go, maintain an e-commerce store or manage multiple locations.
Here are our top picks for retail POS systems.
Best Retail 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shopify Retail POS Learn more on Shopify POS's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 4.0/5 Best for E-commerce | In-person: 2.7% + $0.00 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $5.00 POS Lite; $89 POS Pro. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Shopify POS's secure website |
Square Retail POS Learn more on Square Retail POS's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Overall retail POS | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89, custom. | Learn more on Square Retail POS's secure website | ||
Clover Flex Learn more on Clover Flex's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Mobile POS users | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $14.95 and up. | Learn more on Clover Flex'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 | $89.00 for Lean plan, $149 for Standard plan, $269 for Advanced plan. | Learn more on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website | ||
QuickBooks GoPayment | 5.0/5 Best for QuickBooks users who sell on the go | In-person: 2.5% + $0.00 Online: 2.99% + $0.00 | $0.00 |
Our pick for
E-commerce
Shopify Retail POS
Learn more
on Shopify POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$5.00
POS Lite; $89 POS Pro.
Square for Retail stands out for its transparent pricing, live support and wide range of useful features. With a user-friendly interface and free starter tier, it’s an excellent choice for retail businesses looking to get started quickly without a steep learning curve.
Pros
- Transparent, flat-rate payment processing fees.
- 24/7 customer support.
- E-commerce-friendly features, including access to vendors and resources to build an online store from scratch.
- Dropshipping, curbside pickup and local delivery options.
- Ability to automatically email customers who abandon carts and don’t complete purchases.
- Tracks inventory, hides out-of-stock products and offers inventory analysis.
- Plans are month-to-month and easy to cancel, upgrade or downgrade.
Cons
- You can “pause” your store for three months with no subscription fee or “pause and build” for a reduced monthly payment.
- true
Our pick for
Overall retail POS
Square Retail POS
Learn more
on Square Retail POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$0.00
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89, custom.
Ability to create and print barcodes isn’t available on the free version.
Pros
- Transparent, flat fees.
- First magstripe credit card reader is free; free plan available.
- No fees for early termination, PCI compliance, chargebacks or setup.
- Offers inventory management, multi-location setup and appointment scheduling.
- Live support available by phone, instant message or email.
Cons
- Subscription fees are generally month-to-month and easy to cancel if needed. You also have the option to pause your subscriptions for up to three months.
- Loyalty program and email marketing features cost extra; appointment-booking for more than one person is an additional fee.
Our pick for
Mobile POS users
Clover Flex
Learn more
on Clover Flex's secure website
Monthly fee
$14.95
and up.
If you’re looking for a happy medium between mobility and capability in your retail POS system — and you’re willing to pay for it — then our top pick is the Clover Flex. It packs several capabilities into a rectangular handheld retail POS system device. You can use it to process magstripe, chip and contactless payments from virtual wallets such as Apple Pay. The system also comes with a printer and a barcode scanner.
Pros
- All-in-one solution.
- Accepts payments offline and processes them when you can reconnect.
- Phone support.
- Includes customer engagement tools like discounts and perks.
Cons
- Contract termination fees may apply.
- No free hardware options.
Our pick for
Inventory management
Lightspeed Retail POS
Learn more
on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$89.00
for Lean plan, $149 for Standard plan, $269 for Advanced plan.
Shopify’s POS system is a great fit for businesses primarily selling items online. The Shopify e-commerce platform makes it easy for merchants who sell both online and in-person to manage all of their operations in a single place.
Pros
- Transparent, flat-rate fees.
- A comprehensive inventory management system to keep detailed records of your products across multiple locations and set automatic reorder points, so you don't run out.
- Offers option to use other payment processors in addition to in-house option.
- 24/7 phone support available in the U.S., plus chat and email support.
- No free plans available.
- Loyalty, e-commerce, accounting integrations and analytics features included only in more expensive plans.
- Prepaid annual and monthly fees are non-refundable; if you cancel your subscription, you’ll immediately owe the remaining installment fees in your plan, if any apply.
Cons
- Lightspeed Retail POS is a strong choice if you're looking to handle a high volume of transactions, a large inventory or operations in multiple locations. The versatile software starts at $69 per month, offering inventory management capabilities and a variety of other features, including employee and customer relationship management tools.
- Not ideal for businesses that don’t sell online.
Our pick for
QuickBooks users who sell on the go
QuickBooks GoPayment
Monthly fee
$0.00
QuickBooks GoPayment is a free app available for iPhone and Android which lets you sync transactions to your QuickBooks account. It works with QuickBooks Payments for payment processing, which offers competitive processing fees.
Pros
- No monthly fee for most plans ($20 for QuickBooks Desktop “Pay Monthly” Plan).
- Low payment processing fees.
- Free app for iPhone and Android.
- Automatically syncs transactions to QuickBooks Online account.
Cons
- Limited to businesses that use QuickBooks accounting software.
- Usually not compatible with software products outside the QuickBooks suite.
Square for Retail: Best overall retail POS
Why we like it: Square for Retail has no contract requirements, and with transparent, published prices, you know exactly what you’re signing up for. In addition to an array of retail-specific hardware and accessories, it's also compatible with both iOS and Android phones and tablets, offering flexibility for on-the-go shops making sales at flea markets, trade shows and more.
Once set up, the platform provides a range of reporting tools and customer, inventory and employee management options. There's also a variety of paid add-ons, including a loyalty program and payroll platform, all of which can be customized to match your preferences and business needs. Read our full Square for Retail POS review.
- $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.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail and Restaurant Premium plans.
- $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).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer.
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system.
- 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.
Clover Flex: Best for mobile POS users
Why we like it: One of the most notable perks of the Clover Flex is that it doesn’t rely on a smart device to be fully functional; unlike many other mobile POS systems for retail, it’s a standalone system. This makes the Clover Flex’s considerable price of $599 easier to understand, especially if your retail store doesn’t already have a dedicated smart device. Read our full Clover POS review.
$14.95 and up per month.
$599 for all-inclusive mobile device with printer and barcode scanner.
2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction for the Starter and Standard plans; 2.3% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction for the Advanced plan; 3.5% plus 10 cents per typed-in transaction for all plans.
QuickBooks GoPayment: Best for QuickBooks users who sell on the go
Why we like it: QuickBooks GoPayment is a mobile point-of-sale system app that uses QuickBooks Payments to process transactions. QuickBooks GoPayment's card reader can process both magstripe and chip card payments and connect to smart devices through Bluetooth. Even without the credit card reader, retail businesses can process keyed-in transactions through the GoPayment app. And unlike Square’s free reader, GoPayment’s can process chip cards and doesn’t require a jack to connect. However, QuickBooks Payments is only available to businesses that use QuickBooks for accounting. It’s a convenient, compatible low-cost add-on if you already rely on QuickBooks. Read our full QuickBooks GoPayment review.
Free app.
- $39 for QuickBooks charging stand.
- $49 for QuickBooks card reader.
- $79 for QuickBooks card reader with charging stand.
For QuickBooks Online users:
- 2.5% for in-person payments.
- 2.99% for online and invoiced payments.
- 3.5% for manually keyed payments.
- 1% for ACH transactions.
Shopify POS
Shopify POS: Best for e-commerce businesses
Why we like it: Each of Shopify’s POS system plans offers a dedicated POS and e-commerce website, with the higher-priced plans featuring lower credit card processing rates and more tools. (Note that you have to use Shopify Payments as your payment processor to lock in these rates.)
As an online-first POS, Shopify can host checkout, accept discounts, integrate with third-party applications, save customer information in a database, organize product catalogs and generate reports on your sales performance. You can also sell through multiple channels, including social media, and in multiple languages and dozens of currencies. Read our full Shopify POS review.
To use Shopify POS, you also must have a Shopify plan for e-commerce:
- $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.
Once you have a Shopify plan for e-commerce, add either:
- $5 for Shopify POS Lite.
- $79 per location for Shopify POS Pro when billed annually (or $89 when paid monthly).
- $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.
- 2.4%, 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.
Lightspeed Retail POS: Best for inventory management
Why we like it: Lightspeed Retail POS offers a selection of third-party applications that can extend the functionality of your store, as well as loyalty programs and e-commerce integrations included in its higher-priced plans. The company uses an in-house payment processor, Lightspeed Payments, to process transactions, but you have the option to use a third-party payment processor as well. Merchants processing a high annual volume can get cheaper quote-based pricing, making it a great choice for fast-growing businesses. Read our full Lightspeed Retail POS review.
- $89 for Lean plan ($69 if billed annually).
- $149 for Standard plan ($119 if billed annually).
- $269 for Advanced plan ($199 if billed annually).
Pricing for Lightspeed's iPad and desktop hardware kits is quote-based. Individual hardware products are listed in Lightspeed's online store:
- $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.
A retail POS system is the combination of POS hardware, software and payment processing services — each of which comes with its own separate costs. Some retail POS software is free, but paid plans typically give you access to more advanced features.
A basic retail POS system should let you record sales, accept customer payments, create receipts and track sales tax. Some will offer other more industry-specific functions as well, like inventory management, or generate sales reports that identify your bestsellers and let you know which products have the highest profit margins.
» MORE: What is a POS system?
Here’s what to take into account while trying to find the best retail POS system for your business:
Retail POS system costs
There are three main costs to consider while choosing a retail POS system:
- Software cost: Generally, you'll have to pay a monthly fee to use POS software, which may cost up to $89 or more per month. In some cases, however, free POS systems and less expensive plans are available.
- Hardware cost: This includes the cost of countertop terminals, handheld terminals, barcode scanners, receipt printers and card readers. Depending on the capabilities of the POS hardware, your costs could range from nothing to over $1,000. Certain retail businesses will be able to do most of their in-person sales through an inexpensive, or even free, mobile card reader.
- Payment processing fees: Often, but not always, a POS system comes bundled with payment processing services. Sometimes, processing rates are the same regardless of what type of card is used and how it’s used (in person, online, etc.). In other cases, processors charge interchange fees — which vary by card — plus a flat fee. The latter method can be less predictable but is more transparent.
Separately, watch out for hidden costs, such as PCI compliance fees or chargeback fees for charges returned to payment cards. It's best to have a processor with transparent, easy-to-understand rates and minimal fees.
Online vs. in-store sales
You should be able to use the same POS system for every retail channel, whether your business has multiple physical storefronts or you sell both in-person and online. But your business’s main sales channels play a role in dictating which retail POS system is ultimately best.
For example, POS systems that come with online stores may be best for e-commerce businesses and storefronts with an online presence. If you’re not as concerned with online sales, choose a POS system with robust countertop POS hardware options that your business’s employees can easily learn to use.
POS mobility
If you want your retail POS system to be as mobile as you and your employees are, then you should consider either supplementing your desktop POS system or replacing it with a handheld retail POS system. A more mobile POS system may be especially convenient for retail businesses that sell through booths and markets.
Inventory management
Since many retail businesses sell goods to customers, they need to keep track of how many items are on their shelves at any given time. That makes excellent inventory management capabilities a must for retail POS systems.
If you’re working with multiple locations, find a retail POS system that can help you keep track of inventory from location to location. If you handle large stocks of goods that you’re having trouble keeping up with, get a retail POS software that allows you to track purchase orders through it.
» MORE: Best inventory POS systems
Customer tracking
High-performing retail POS systems also allow business owners and employees to keep track of a customer’s history with their business. Knowing what specific purchases a given customer has made can inform future sales and whether you choose to offer individual discounts or promotions.
Employee management
Consider a retail POS system that can generate reports on employee sales performance. Some systems also include modules that let employees clock in and out from the POS terminal. That way, your business doesn’t have to pay for separate time tracking software.
A version of this article was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet. Claire Tsosie and Lisa Anthony, authors at NerdWallet, contributed to this article.
Last updated on October 3, 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
This will depend on the type of business you run, as well as your business’s specific needs. Square for Retail POS tops our list due to its transparent pricing, lack of contract and wide range of features.
The cost of a retail POS system can vary. If you are a brick-and-mortar retailer you will likely have some hardware costs — which can cost up to $1,000 — but you may opt to find a free software. If you need a more high-performing software, or something that provides more tracking functions, you may end up paying up to a few thousand dollars per year.
