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Shopify POS Review 2023: Features and Pricing

For e-commerce businesses that want to sell online and in person, Shopify POS is a top choice.
Last updated on June 29, 2023
Edited bySally Lauckner
✅Fact checked and reviewed

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Our Take

4.0

NerdWallet rating 

The bottom line:

Shopify POS syncs a top-tier point-of-sale system with the Shopify e-commerce platform. Unlike some competitors, however, Shopify doesn’t offer free POS software, and the platform is retail-focused, so businesses in other industries may want to look for alternatives.
Full review

Shopify POS

Payment processing fees
2.70% in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online (Basic plan).
Monthly fee
$15.00 POS Lite; $89 POS Pro.
Learn more

on Shopify's website

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Has good features for multichannel selling.
  • Offers integrated, flat-rate payment processing.
  • Easy to use.

Cons

  • More e-commerce focused than other competitors.

Full Review

Shopify POS syncs one of the industry’s best point-of-sale systems with the Shopify e-commerce platform. With the Shopify POS app, you can sell your products or services in person and online — take orders from customers, accept payments and sync transactions across sales channels.
However, you have to purchase a Shopify e-commerce subscription to use the Shopify POS products. Even if you don’t want to sell online, you’ll use your Shopify e-commerce account to manage important details of your point-of-sale system, such as your customers, inventory and other administrative information.
Once you have a Shopify plan, you can download the Shopify POS app — available for iOS and Android devices. Using the app, you’ll be able to log in and start customizing your system. If you're selling in person, you can purchase Shopify POS hardware, and you’ll be ready to start taking customer orders.

Shopify POS is best for businesses that:

  • Already have a Shopify e-commerce plan. You’ll need to subscribe to one of Shopify’s several e-commerce plans to gain access to Shopify POS, even the POS Lite (free) plan.
  • Sell online and in person. Shopify POS is optimized for selling across online stores, social media channels and brick-and-mortar shops. The impressive lineup of features is ideal for omnichannel retailers.
  • Prefer to use a single provider for POS and payment processing. Shopify Payments is included with all monthly plans to process online transactions as well as in-person payments. You can use a third-party provider, such as Amazon Pay, Authorize.net or Braintree, to process payments. Your rates will likely differ from what Shopify Payments charges if you work with a third-party processor, however, and Shopify will charge you an additional transaction fee for not using its in-house product.

Deciding factors

Payment processing model
Flat rate.
Payment processing fees
  • 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.
Monthly fee
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:
  • $15 for Shopify POS Lite.
  • $79 per location for Shopify POS Pro when billed annually (or $89 when paid monthly).
Hardware cost
  • $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.
Contract length
No contract required. Plans are paid month to month unless you sign up for an annual, two-year or three-year plan.
Customer support
Chat, email and online knowledgebase.

Where Shopify POS stands out

Features for multichannel selling

Shopify POS offers robust features for small-business owners who want to sell online and in person. You can customize the smart grid interface of your app, check out customers on the go, offer custom discounts and send digital receipts. You can add and categorize an unlimited number of products, track inventory and sync orders across retail locations, online stores and other sales channels. You also can use Shopify POS to create email and social media marketing campaigns, develop a customer loyalty program and generate reports from online and in-person sales.

Integrated, flat-rate payment processing

All Shopify plans include built-in access to Shopify Payments and are compatible with the Shopify POS system. Unlike some credit card processing companies, which have quote-based rates or hidden fees, Shopify Payments offers flat-rate fees that are simple and easy to understand.
These processing rates do not vary based on the type of card your customer uses, and you can access lower processing rates with each higher-level e-commerce subscription plan tier.

Easy to use

Shopify POS is user-friendly and approachable for new and experienced business owners alike. It has a modern and intuitive interface and can be set up quickly and easily.
Shopify also offers 24/7 online customer support as well as a variety of onboarding and support resources on the Shopify website, including informational articles, webinars, a community forum, video tutorials and business courses.

Where Shopify POS falls short

More e-commerce focused

Shopify POS relies heavily on its connection with the Shopify e-commerce platform, which is great for multichannel sellers but may not be as appealing, useful or cost-effective for some brick-and-mortar retailers. Similarly, Shopify POS does not offer many features designed for restaurants or food-service businesses. Restaurant POS systems such as Toast or Clover can handle online ordering, tableside payments, menu and table management and delivery integrations.

Alternatives to Shopify POS

Square for Retail

Monthly fee:
  • $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
  • $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
  • $60 for Square Restaurant and Retail Plus plans.
  • $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
Payment processing fees:
  • 2.6% plus 10 cents (Free plan) or 2.5% plus 10 cents (Plus plan) for in-person transactions.
  • 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
  • 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions or card-on-file invoices.
Hardware:
  • $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.
Why we like it: Square’s retail solution offers a robust POS system for all merchants with a free plan and upgrade options and even allows a 30-day free trial to determine which plan is the best solution for you. The free POS system includes website hosting, online invoicing and staff management. Paid upgrades offer multilocation inventory, exchanges and vendor management, and all options let you work multiple sales channels. Square also offers flat, transparent pricing and a variety of card readers and accessories that work with its POS system. Read our full Square for Retail review.

Clover

Monthly fee:
  • $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.
Payment processing fees:
  • 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.
Hardware:
  • $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.
Why we like it: Clover offers POS solutions for e-commerce businesses and in-person shops to let businesses pick the combination they need. POS features vary by monthly plan. More expensive monthly plans include advanced inventory and reporting capabilities. Processing rates vary with each plan. Read our full Clover review.

Compare POS providers

To compare POS options, check out NerdWallet’s list of point-of-sale systems that are best for small-business owners. Our recommendations are based on the provider’s pricing and transparency, software and hardware options, system functionality, customer support, software integrations and contract requirements.

Learn more

on Shopify's website

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