Lightspeed Retail Review: Standout inventory tracking, but pricey
Lightspeed is a good investment for multi-location retail businesses. Solopreneurs and smaller retailers may opt for a less expensive solution.
The bottom line:
Lightspeed Retail has exceptional inventory tracking and reporting capabilities. But it’s expensive. You need to subscribe to the $179-per-month plan to access critical features, like accounting integrations and barcode scanning. This could be worth it for growing retailers. However, it might be too costly for the typical small business.
Software details
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$109
for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $339 for Plus plan.
Pros & Cons
Pros
All plans include inventory management.
Has a built-in purchase catalog and wholesale network.
24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
Discounts require an annual contract.
No integrations in the entry-level plan.
Compare to other products
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 3.3% + $0.30
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.5% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10
Need more options? Check our picks for best payment processing systems
Square: Better for cost-conscious retailers. Smaller businesses with less complex inventory tracking needs might opt for Square. It has a free plan that includes low-stock alerts, an online storefront and sales tracking. Read our full Square POS review.
Shopify: Better for online sellers. Businesses that focus mostly on online sales will get more value from Shopify vs. Lightspeed. It has a larger variety of website templates and is geared specifically toward online retailers. Lightspeed is more focused on brick-and-mortar businesses. Read our full Shopify POS review.
Clover POS: Better for using a third-party processor. Most POS systems make you use their in-house processing services. That’s not the case for Clover. This comes in handy if you prefer to use an interchange-plus option or a local processing company. Just make sure to buy Clover hardware from that provider, so that it’s programmed correctly. Read our full Clover POS review.
Full review
Lightspeed has been creating POS solutions since 2005. Its retail system was built particularly with multi-location businesses in mind. These types of operations often need more complex inventory tracking than the typical small business. And that’s exactly where Lightspeed delivers.
Its plans are expensive (starting at $109 per month unless you pay annually), but they all allow you to manage inventory and send purchase orders in one click. The introductory plan helps you spot top categories, sizes and colors as well. That way you can identify what specifically is selling best.
You can upgrade to the Core plan ($179 per month) to scan barcodes and speed up the stock counting process. This option also gives you access to advanced inventory reporting and a customer loyalty program. You’ll need to opt for the highest-tier Plus plan ($339 per month) for forecasting, order recommendations and automated workflows.
All Lightspeed Retail plans let you manage multiple locations, too. Just know that you’ll need to pay an extra $89 to $339 per location and additional register (beyond one per location). For example, a business with two locations and two registers would owe $358 per month (or $298 per month when paid annually) for the Core plan.
One thing we really don’t like: The entry-level plan doesn’t include accounting integrations. This is a must-have feature that most competitors (e.g., Square, PayPal POS, Shopify) include for free. Without it, you need to manually enter sales data into your accounting system. This process is tedious and prone to human error. That’s why we recommend most businesses subscribe to Lightspeed’s Core plan or higher.
Lightspeed is best for:
✔️ Growing retail businesses.
✔️ Streamlined purchasing.
✔️ Digging into sales trends.
» MORE: Best retail POS systems
Lightspeed Retail POS overview
| Payment processing model | Flat rate. |
| Payment processing fees |
|
| Monthly fee | Lightspeed offers three different plans for retail stores:
|
| Hardware cost | Pricing for Lightspeed's iPad and desktop hardware kits is quote-based. Individual hardware products are listed in Lightspeed's online store:
|
| Contract length | Annual contracts required for lower pricing. |
| Customer support | 24/7 chat support in all plans; 24/7 phone support for Plus plan subscribers. |
Where Lightspeed Retail stands out
Robust inventory management
Lightspeed’s system streamlines the inventory management process — all the way from ordering stock to counting it and figuring out what sells best.
The system connects directly to a wholesale platform called NuORDER. It has more than 5 million products from 4,000 brands. You can use it to browse items, create and send purchase orders and connect with potential B2B customers. And once you buy an item, you can import its photo, UPC and description straight to your POS system.
Other perks include low-stock alerts, automated restocks and multi-location tracking.
24/7 customer support
All of Lightspeed’s plans include some form of around-the-clock support. For the Basic and Core plans, it’s 24/7 chat support. Plus plan subscribers also get 24/7 phone support. This is especially important for retailers that are open on weekends and during non-business hours. If you need additional assistance in the beginning, you can pay extra for onboarding options.
» MORE: Best inventory POS systems
Where Lightspeed Retail falls short
Overall cost
Lightspeed’s biggest shortcoming is its pricing. Subscriptions add up quickly, especially if you have multiple locations. The only way to cut costs is to pay annually instead of monthly.
For example, the Basic plan costs $109 month to month. Or you could pay $1,068 upfront, which breaks down to $89 per month instead. The problem is that you’re stuck paying for the product for an entire year. That’s fine if you’re confident it’s the right choice for you. But signup discounts — as opposed to having to commit for a full year — are more ideal.
What small-business owners think of Lightspeed Retail
NerdWallet checked online forums like Reddit and reviews from sites like TrustPilot, G2, the App Store and Google Play to gauge how users feel about Lightspeed. We used an AI tool to help analyze this feedback. Here are the major trends we spotted.
👍 Ability to manage thousands of items
Online commenters appreciate how Lightspeed lets you track, categorize and sell thousands of different types of items. Even better, you can do so across multiple storefronts and platforms. The software centralizes all of the data into one program.
Just know that you’ll need to pay extra for each location.
👎 Complex setup and data migrations
Lightspeed is powerful in part because it can accommodate complex businesses. But online commenters suggest it also makes it difficult to set up (and leave if you change your mind). Others say you end up having to pay extra to achieve the functionality you need.
If you’re looking into Lightspeed, ask sales representatives about these added costs. You might even request quotes so you’re not surprised when it comes time to sign a contract or dedicate the time to importing your data.
How we evaluated Lightspeed Retail POS
NerdWallet’s writers and editors independently review POS systems, like Lightspeed Retail, by analyzing more than 30 data points. We collected data from Lightspeed’s public-facing website, help articles and company representatives.
Our evaluations also take user sentiment into account. This involves looking through individual reviews and feedback on sites like Trustpilot, the App Store, Google Play and Reddit. Then, we use AI tools to help spot larger trends within those comments. Since we cannot verify each user’s individual experience, we don’t incorporate user reviews in our star ratings. For more information on how we score POS systems, see our full methodology.