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Shopify POS is an industry-leading point-of-sale solution with the best ecommerce features and integrations on the market. Its built-in web builder and powerful sales tools, combined with its surprisingly low learning curve, make it one of the best POS systems for retail businesses we tested, making it an asset to omnichannel and in-person sellers.
However, Shopify POS doesn’t have a free plan like Square, and users must have a base Shopify plan to access its POS, which starts at $29 per month. Shopify is also exclusively for retail businesses, so business owners in other industries should consider alternatives that better suit their needs.
This Shopify POS review covers everything you need to know about the solution, including its pricing plans, features, pros, cons, and how it weighs up to other systems on the market.
- Shopify POS requires an underlying Shopify ecommerce plan starting at $29 per month, which includes Shopify POS Lite at no additional charge.
- Upgrading to POS Pro adds $89 per month per location ($79 billed annually) to unlock essential multi-location inventory transfers, staff PIN controls, and in-store pickup order fulfillment.
- Choosing an external payment provider instead of Shopify Payments may result in additional charges of 0.6% to 2.0%.
- Shopify offers 24/7 email and live chat support, whereas phone support is only available for Plus users.
- Choose Lightspeed for granular stock tracking for complex inventories, or consider Clover for dedicated retail hardware and faster onboarding.
The Tech.co team pours hundreds of hours into researching the best POS systems because it’s the only way to ensure we’re providing our readers with the most accurate, up-to-date information possible.
We’ve spoken to daily POS users working in restaurants, retail and more, and have tested out more than 20 point-of-sale platforms ourselves, paying close attention to everything from the quality and feel of the hardware to how easy the software is to use, to help you make a clear decision for your business needs.
Ready to get selling online?
Shopify POS is best for ecommerce. It's highly adaptable, compatible with most POS hardware and is one of the most popular providers in the game.
What is Shopify POS and how does it work?
There’s a lot to know about Shopify as a whole, let alone its popular POS system. In an effort to help you understand the basics about this provider, here are some quick facts to get you started:
- Shopify is ideal for businesses that want to both sell online and in-person.
- Shopify has excellent 24/7 customer support for all users.
- Shopify POS syncs directly with the Shopify ecommerce platform, so you will need a Shopify Ecommerce account.
- Shopify POS is easy to use, with a particularly intuitive front-end experience.
- The Shopify app offers robust functionality, including accepting payments.
- Shopify can get expensive, with high transaction fees for cheaper plans.
Shopify POS
In Short
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Pros
- Very strong ecommerce integration
- 24/7 support via phone, live chat, and email
- Works with lots of different hardware options
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Cons
- Exclusively focused on retail and ecommerce
- Charges transaction fees unless you’re using Shopify’s own payment processing system
- Only available with a base Shopify subscription
Pricing
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$0/month for Shopify POS Lite
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$89/month/location for Shopify POS Pro
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What are the key features for Shopify POS?
Shopify offers two POS plans: POS Lite or POS Pro. Both require a Shopify ecommerce account, though POS Lite is included in your base plan at no extra cost, while POS Pro is an extra $89/month/location ($79 if billed annually).
The features you get will depend on the package you choose. Here’s a breakdown of what you get with each one:
Shopify POS Lite: Core Included Features
POS Lite gives you a full point-of-sale checkout system out of the box at no extra monthly cost. Its main features include:
- Payments & Checkout: Accepts chip, tap, contactless (including Tap to Pay on iPhone/Android), cash, digital gift cards, and split tenders.
- Shared catalog: Syncs inventory in real time with your online Shopify store and updates stock quantities on sale.
- Discounts: Businesses can apply manual percentage or dollar-amount discounts directly to line items or entire carts.
- Receipts & customers: Allows businesses to capture customer emails/phone numbers at checkout, view recent customer order histories, and issue digital receipts.
- Cash tracking: Staff can log cash drawer balances and reconcile cash tenders at the end of shifts.
“Shopify gives you the option to sell in over 20 languages, and offers a plethora of handy multilingual apps, and 70 payment gateway integrations. In comparison, other leading POS systems like Square and Clover only let you sell in around 10 languages, making Shopify easily one of the best POS systems out there for international sellers.”
Shopify POS Pro: Advanced In-Store Add-On Features
Upgrading to POS Pro adds advanced retail capabilities by unlocking extra features that eliminate friction in physical stores:
- Role-based staff controls: Add unlimited cashiers with unique PINs without having to give them Shopify Admin access. Set rules requiring a manager’s PIN for actions like manual discounts, refunds, or tax edits.
- Exchanges & cross-channel returns: Handle direct item swaps (such as swapping a size small for a medium) without processing a return and separate repurchase, and accept in-store returns for orders placed online.
- Advanced multi-location stock transfers: Request, send, and receive product inventory transfers directly between physical store locations or warehouses.
- Omnichannel pickup (BOPIS): Manage online pickup orders directly from the POS interface, alerting staff when orders are ready for collection.
- Draft orders and saved carts: Save an in-progress cart so another customer can be rung up, or email a saved cart to a customer so they can complete a purchase online at home.
- Staff performance tracking: Attribute specific transactions to individual staff members to monitor sales performance or calculate sales commissions.
Is Shopify POS right for your business?
If your business is retail-focused it just might be. Learn more, or sign up today and get a free 14-day trial.
How much does Shopify POS cost?
Shopify POS requires an ecommerce plan, which includes Basic ($29/month), Grow ($79/month) and Advanced ($299/month). It also offers the Plus plan, but this starts at $2,300 per month and requires a contract (one to three years).
Each plan offers an increasing number of ecommerce website building and online store features, and a subscription to one of them is required for POS functionality.
Like with other POS systems, credit card transaction fees are charged on top of monthly rates. The fees will depend on your chosen package:
- Basic: 2.6% + $0.10 in-person and 2.9% + $0.30 online
- Grow: 2.5% + $0.10 in-person and 2.7% + $0.30 online
- Advanced: 2.4% + $0.10 in-person and 2.5% + $0.30 online
- Plus: 2.3% + $0.10 in-person and 2.25% + $0.30 online (negotiable at high volume)
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Plan
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Price
Monthly cost of the software.
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Transaction fees
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Users
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24/7 live support
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Shopify Lite |
Shopify POS Pro |
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$0/month (free with every base plan) |
$89/month |
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Basic: 2.6% + 10¢ |
Basic: 2.6% + 10¢ |
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1 |
Unlimited |
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Check out our Shopify ecommerce pricing guide to learn more.
What hardware does Shopify POS offer?
Shopify POS hardware starts at $49 for the mobile Tap & Chip Card Reader, scaling up to $459 for complete countertop terminal kits, and requires no proprietary register if using compatible iOS or Android devices
With a card reader, you’ll be able to take payments from your smartphone or tablet on the Shopify POS app, but you can choose to boost your POS game by connecting hardware accessories like barcode scanners, printers and cash drawers.
To help you understand how much a Shopify hardware setup could cost you, here are the prices of some devices below:
- Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader: $49
- Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader with Countertop Dock: $89
- Shopify POS USB-C Tablet Stand: $149
- Shopify Touchscreen POS Terminal: $349
- Shopify POS Terminal Countertop Kit: $459
All Shopify hardware comes with a 1-year warranty, 24/7 support, plus free shipping and returns, which makes it more worthwhile in the long run. If you’re using an Android device, you’ll need a Swipe card reader, but if you’re on Apple iOS, you’ll just need the Shopify POS app.
What is Shopify’s customer support like?
Shopify provides 24/7 live chat and email support across all subscription tiers, while direct phone support is strictly restricted to Shopify Plus merchants using POS Pro.
Online resources include guides, a help center, a community discussion forum, and multiple podcasts aimed at educating and entertaining Shopify users.
Another online resource accessible via Shopify’s website is the Shopify Academy, a free online training program that lets users learn both how to use the service itself and how to expand their business more broadly. The on-demand courses include lessons like “how to grow a business with Instagram” or “how to build a print-on-demand empire”.
What add-ons does Shopify offer?
The Shopify App Store hosts over 8,000 integrations for retail accounting, loyalty rewards, and automated inventory management.
Apps I found to be most useful included the no-contact delivery option, free loyalty program, and the newly added Shopify Balance add-on — a small business banking solution that can integrate directly with your Shopify account.
Shopify also offers a variety of free add-ons, such as:
- Shopify Inbox: Real-time customer chat on your storefront and inside the Shop app.
- Shopify Email: Email marketing automation (first 10,000 emails per month free, then $1 per 1,000 emails).
- Shopify Search & Discovery: Customizes store search filters, product boosts, and automated cross-sell recommendations.
- Shopify Flow: Advanced visual logic automation (such as trigger fulfillment holds, auto-tag VIP customers, notify staff on low stock).
- Shopify Collabs: An in-platform influencer and affiliate management tool.
- Shopify Forms: Custom lead-capture popups and discount forms that sync directly to customer profiles.
Some add-ons cost extra, though, so it’s worth prioritizing the features you need most. Still, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
Not sure which POS is best for your business?
If you're looking to take your in-store and online business to the next level but don't know where to start, you can't go wrong with Shopify POS. It's highly adaptable, compatible with most POS hardware and is the best POS for ecommerce.
What are the pros and cons of Shopify POS?
The primary advantage of Shopify POS is its native unified catalog connecting web orders and store registers, while its primary limitation is the lack of offline card processing and mandatory base ecommerce subscriptions.
Shopify POS Pro now offers online ordering for curbside pickup, QR code shopping and multi-location management, which allows businesses to be more mobile and competitive in a post-pandemic world.
However, Shopify falls short in its offline functionality. While its POS can process basic cash sales during internet disruptions, processing card payments offline is constrained compared to other terminals. This can be a drawback for businesses that rely on uninterrupted transactions, particularly in areas with unreliable internet connections.
See other Shopify POS pros and cons below.
- Unlike standalone POS systems that rely on clunky third-party connectors, Shopify POS shares a single unified backend with your online storefront
- Easily supports Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS), in-store returns for online purchases, and ship-to-customer from retail floor inventory
- The checkout interface is customizable and easy to learn, allowing cashiers to pin their most used products, discounts and customer actions for quicker checkouts
- You cannot subscribe to Shopify POS as a standalone tool (you must pay for a core Shopify plan first)
- Advanced brick-and-mortar features—such as custom staff permissions, manager PIN overrides and inventory transfers—require upgrading to POS Pro
- If you choose not to use Shopify Payments for in-person transactions, Shopify levies a platform surcharge (0.6% to 2.0% depending on your plan)
What are the alternatives to Shopify POS?
The top alternatives to Shopify POS are Clover for ready-made brick-and-mortar retail setups, Square for zero-subscription mobile selling, and Lightspeed for complex multi-store inventory management.
Lightspeed works with different third-party services to expand the number of features on offer. Its granular stock management tools also give Shopify a run for its money, making it a great alternative for businesses with large or complex inventories.
Learn more about how the providers compare in our Lightspeed vs Shopify POS guide.
Square, on the other hand, has significant brand recognition and a large community of users — they can help you find solutions for any problems you might encounter. However, Clover is the best retail POS system I’ve researched and tested, offering an extremely low learning curve and useful hardware and software packages that allow businesses to hit the ground running.
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Price
The typical lowest starting price. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs
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Tech.co retail rating
Score out of 5 for general retail suitability based on Tech.co's independent market research
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Best for
Tech.co's verdict to help you identify the most suitable choice for your retail business
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Hardware
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iPad app
Is there a version of the software made specifically for iPad use?
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Android app
Is there a version of the software made specifically for Android tablet use?
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24/7 support
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Get started
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BEST ECOMMERCE POS
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Shopify POS |
Square POS |
Clover |
PayPal POS |
SpotOn |
Epos Now |
Lightspeed |
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From $0/month (requires base subscription) |
From $0/month |
From $16/month for 36 months (depending on plan) |
From $0/month |
From $0/month |
From $0/month |
Around $39-$79/month |
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4.3
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4.8
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4.5
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4.2
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4.2
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4.2
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4.0
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4.1
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Managing in-store and online sales in one platform |
Ease of use |
Managing rapid retail expansion |
Best for a managing sales on-the-go free option |
Great customization options |
Best small business growth features |
Convenience stores with large inventories |
Managing multiple stores |
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Sold by Shopify, but also works with iPads and Android tablets |
Sold by Square, separately or bundled. Works with most leading brands and has a great free trial. |
Sells a broad range of hardware, including full cash stations and mobile card readers |
Retails a range of hardware solutions, including card readers and cash registers |
Broad range, packaged with software for a one-time fee |
Available through third-party vendors. |
Works with a range of third-party peripherals |
Specialized hardware available. Not compatible with weighing scales |
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| Try Shopify | Try Square | Compare Prices | Compare Prices | Compare Quotes | Compare prices | Compare Quotes | Compare Quotes |
How did we research Shopify and other POS systems?
By testing 16 POS systems and conducting rigorous research, we carried out 40 user testing sessions, which amounted to 720 hours of testing in total.
These categories were broken down into a further 41 subcategories, so we were able to drill down further into certain topics to make our insights as granular and useful as possible. Here’s an overview of our main testing categories for POS systems:
- Software (35%): Floor plans and table management, order bill-splitting, ingredient-level inventory tracking, offline reliability, KDS integration, menu customization, and third-party app marketplace integrations.
- Hardware (20%): Build quality of primary registers, mobility of handheld ordering devices, KDS screens, receipt printers, and connectivity (like scanners and cash drawers).
- Usability (20%): User testing task completion speed, ease of staff training, workflow simplicity, layout customization, and front-end transaction efficiency.
- Pricing (10%): Software subscription plans, card processing transaction fees (flat-rate vs. custom interchange-plus), hardware purchase/lease terms, and contract commitments.
- Help & Support (10%): Availability of 24/7 phone support, live chat resolution speed, dedicated account management, on-site setup options, and training resources.
- Reputation (5%): Customer sentiment across review platforms (like Trustpilot, Capterra, and Reddit), brand market share, and peer recommendations.
If you’re a fan of Shopify’s ecommerce platform, there’s no better POS system for business than Shopify POS. It’s easy to use, offers am intuitive interface, and includes great multichannel features, integrations and 24/7 support — making it the perfect POS for businesses interested in selling online and in-person.
If you’re not interested in ecommerce though, the pricing could be a challenge to get your head around, particularly with so many other POS options that aren’t geared towards ecommerce. Still, with thousands of apps, add-ons and useful business tools included in every package, Shopify POS might just be the point-of-sale system that you need.
FAQs
No. The dedicated Shopify POS app is designed specifically for mobile and tablet operating systems (iOS and Android).
While you can access the Shopify admin dashboard on any web browser to manage products, settings, and orders, day-to-day register checkouts and card reader pairings must be run via compatible iPad, iPhone, or Android tablet/phone devices.
You can use external card readers from independent merchant account providers, but they will not integrate directly into the Shopify POS software workflow.
Transactions must be keyed manually into the third-party terminal, marked as an “External Terminal” sale in Shopify, and will still incur Shopify’s platform transaction surcharge (0.6% to 2.0% depending on your base ecommerce plan).
Yes. As Shopify POS runs on iOS and Android devices, you can pair a mobile card reader (or use Tap to Pay on supported phones) over a cellular data connection. Any sales made at events automatically sync in real time with your main online store catalog, preventing overselling.
Shopify uses location-based tax rules. When checking out via Shopify POS, the system automatically detects the physical retail location (or assigned tax jurisdiction) and applies the corresponding local sales tax rates, while online orders calculate tax based on the customer’s shipping destination.
Yes. Shopify uses a unified backend across channels, so standard Shopify digital gift cards and store credit can be issued online and scanned/entered at an in-store POS checkout, or purchased in-store and redeemed online.
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