Integrating your point-of-sale (POS) system with your QuickBooks account minimizes double data entry and ensures sales are accurately reflected in your books. For a small-business owner, it’s a surefire way to save time and energy. Direct, built-in integrations are ideal, but third-party apps also can sync your data. Make sure the integration receives positive reviews before relying on it (or potentially paying for it).
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
Objective and comprehensive point-of-sale systems ratings rubric. (Learn more about our star ratings.)
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including POS systems, payment processing, accounting and payroll. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Here are the best POS systems that integrate with QuickBooks.
Best POS Systems That Integrate With QuickBooks From Our Partners
Calculate your monthly cost estimate
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. | 4.5/5 Best for QuickBooks Desktop integration | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $39.00 and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Shopify POS's secure website |
Square POS Learn more on Square POS's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Free POS software plan | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 and up. | Learn more on Square POS's secure website | ||
Clover POS Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Mobile transactions | In-person: 2.3% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $0.00 and up. | Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | ||
Toast POS Learn more on Toast POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Established restaurants | 2.49% + $0.15 if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option. | $0.00 Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan. | Learn more on Toast POS's secure website | ||
TouchBistro Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Locally installed option for restaurants | N/A Quote-based. | $69.00 and up. | Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website |
Our pick for
QuickBooks Desktop integration
Shopify Retail POS
Learn more
on Shopify POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$39.00
and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.
Shopify POS syncs directly with the Shopify e-commerce platform. However, Shopify does not offer free POS software, and the platform is retail-focused.Read full review
Pros
- No long-term contracts or termination fees.
- All plans include an online store.
- Built specifically for online sellers.
- 24/7 chat support.
Cons
- No free plan options.
- Cannot process cards in offline mode.
Our pick for
Free POS software plan
Square POS
Learn more
on Square POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$0.00
and up.
Square is one of a few in the space that offers a free version of its POS system. Even the free version comes with a long list of features and functionality, including sales tracking and reporting, offline mode for accepting payments without a Wi-Fi connection and a customizable interface. It’s a strong choice for businesses that don’t require specialized or advanced POS features.Read full review
Pros
- Free plan option available.
- Offers helpful related services, like payroll, that integrate closely with its POS system.
- No long-term contracts or termination fees.
- All plans include a free online store.
Cons
- Can’t run on Windows devices.
- Complex industries might prefer a more specialized system.
Our pick for
Mobile transactions
Clover POS
Learn more
on Clover POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$0.00
and up.
Clover point-of-sale hardware is pricey, but the reasonable monthly cost and low payment processing fees may help offset that upfront investment over time.Read full review
Pros
- Free plan available if you’re only using a mobile card reader.
- 24/7 phone support.
- All restaurant plans include no-fee online ordering, and retail plans let you integrate with existing online stores.
- Offers a variety of plans tailored to six specific types of businesses.
- Can pair POS systems with third-party payment processors.
Cons
- Promotions require a three-year contract.
- May be subject to early termination fees if you use Clover as your payment processor.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
Our pick for
Established restaurants
Toast POS
Learn more
on Toast POS's secure website
Payment processing fees
2.49% + $0.15
if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.
Monthly fee
$0.00
Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan.
Every element of Toast's POS system is designed in a restaurant-first way. Hardware options are made to withstand spills, grease and heat. These include self-serve kiosks, kitchen display systems, handheld POS systems and guest displays that let customers view orders. Its free plan also offers 24/7 support via email, live chat and phone, just like its higher-tier plans do.Read full review
Pros
- Free plan available for restaurants with up to two POS terminals.
- 24/7 support via web messaging.
- Offers helpful related services, like payroll and team management software, that integrate closely with its POS system.
- Built specifically for restaurants with in-house delivery platform available, among other industry-specific features.
Cons
- Requires a two-year contract and charges early termination fees.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
- Charges setup fee, and offline mode includes hidden cost of backup router.
- Online ordering and accounting integrations cost extra.
Our pick for
Locally installed option for restaurants
TouchBistro
Learn more
on TouchBistro's secure website
Payment processing fees
N/A
Quote-based.
Monthly fee
$69.00
and up.
For restaurants that haven’t warmed to the idea of a totally cloud-based POS system, TouchBistro is a solid option. It’s a hybrid POS, meaning it’s locally installed but data is still sent to the cloud. Although other cloud-based POS systems can accept payments in offline mode, the TouchBistro system will maintain additional capabilities, like real-time reporting, in a Wi-Fi outage.Read full review
Pros
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support.
- Includes restaurant-specific features, like table and menu management.
- Optional profit management system provides tools for improving margins.
- As a hybrid POS system, TouchBistro can operate without the cloud. Offline capabilities include accepting payments, taking orders, editing menus and managing staff.
Cons
- Payment processing rates are quote-based, making them difficult to compare to the competition.
- Contracts are automatically renewed and can't be terminated early.
- No free plan options and charges setup fee.
- Ability to accept online orders costs extra.
Square POS: Best free POS software plan
Why we like it: New businesses may decide to start out with Square’s free POS plan and upgrade to the paid Plus plan as they grow. The free plan includes the ability to accept in-person and online payments, create a website, send invoices and track employee time, among other capabilities.
The Square by Commerce Sync app connects Square with QuickBooks through a paid service that costs $17.95 per month for QuickBooks Online and $41.95 per month for QuickBooks Desktop. Multiple positive reviews of the app specifically cite helpful and responsive customer support. (Be aware that Commerce Sync charges an additional $29 for each month of historical data it ports over.) QuickBooks’ own Connect to Square app is free and imports sales transactions from all of a business’s Square locations into QuickBooks Online. However, reviewers claim the integration is glitchy and that it can be difficult to solve syncing issues, so this free option is not recommended. Read our full Square POS review.
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium and Square Restaurants Plus plans.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $165 for Square Restaurant Premium plan.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail plan.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $59 for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).
- 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.
- Free plan available.
- No long-term contracts, startup fees or PCI compliance fees.
- Allows businesses to pause subscriptions for up to three months.
- Can finance hardware and pay for it in monthly installments.
- Not all plans include 24/7 support.
- Free integration app receives poor reviews (other integrations are available).
Clover POS: Best for mobile transactions
Why we like it: Clover has a wide variety of hardware options, including POS stations with customer-facing displays and a mini station with a built-in card reader. Its Flex handheld POS system stands out in particular for its versatility. It can be used to take payments and orders in-line, at customers’ tables or in a different location.
QuickBooks Online users can download the Clover by Commerce Sync app to automatically transfer POS sales activity to their books. Most of the integration reviews are positive, and subscription prices start at $28.95 per month per location. Read our full Clover POS review.
- $0 for Clover Go Payments, Retail Starter and Personal Services Starter plans.
- $14.95 for Clover Go Essentials, Professional Services Starter, and Standard and Home & Field Services Starter and Standard plans.
- $59.95 for Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans.
- $79.90 for Quick-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $84.95 for Retail Standard and Professional, Personal Services Standard and Advanced, and Home & Field Services Advanced plans.
- $89.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter plan.
- $104.90 for Retail Advanced plan.
- $109.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard plan.
- $129.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $199 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader.
- $279 for countertop card reader.
- $649 for Clover Flex mobile POS with receipt printer.
- $599 for slimmer Flex Pocket with no printer.
- $799 for Clover Mini POS.
- $799-$899 + $25 per month for kitchen display system.
- $1,699 for Clover Station Solo.
- $1,799 for Clover Station Duo.
- $3,499 + $34.95 per month for self-ordering kiosk.
- 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Full-Service and Quick-Service Restaurant plans.
- 2.5% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Standard and Advanced plans, Professional and Personal Services Standard and Advanced plans, and the Home and Field Services Advanced plan.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on the Retail and Personal Services Starter plans and the Home and Field Services Standard plan.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
- 24/7 customer support.
- Installment plans available for hardware.
- Large hardware lineup.
- Cannot use tablets that weren’t bought through Clover.
Shopify: Best QuickBooks Desktop integration
Why we like it: Shopify is an affordable option for small businesses that do most of their sales online and occasionally sell items in person. The Basic plan includes an online store, unlimited products, 24/7 support, gift cards and the ability to print shipping labels. You’ll need the Shopify or Advanced plan if you want to run more than basic reports. There’s a $5 per month Starter plan, too, for business owners who want to share purchase links to their existing platforms. However, it doesn’t let you build an online store.
As the preferred POS solution for QuickBooks (now replacing QuickBooks POS), Shopify integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks Desktop Accounting software without the need for a third-party app. Read our full Shopify POS review.
Shopify e-commerce plans:
- $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.
- All e-commerce plans come with POS Lite for selling in-person. Upgrading to POS Pro for brick-and-mortar businesses costs an extra $89 per location.
Shopify’s alternative solutions for mainly selling in-person:
- $5 for Starter plan, which includes one POS Lite location.
- $79 (when billed annually) for Retail plan, or $89 when paid monthly; includes one POS Pro location.
- $49 for Tap & Chip card reader.
- $219 for Tap & Chip countertop kit (iPad not included).
- $349 for Shopify POS terminal.
- $459 and up for POS terminal countertop kits.
- 2.5%, 2.7% or 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- 2.4%, 2.5% or 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- 24/7 support with all plans.
- Plans are month-to-month.
- Paid Shopify plan for e-commerce is required to use Shopify POS.
- Payment processing fees are higher for lower cost monthly plans.
» MORE: QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop
Toast POS: Best for established restaurants
Why we like it: Developed specifically for restaurants, Toast features a spill-resistant hardware lineup, in-house delivery platform and add-ons for digital ordering, loyalty programs and marketing. All plans let restaurant owners run reports and manage tables, orders and menus.
Toast connects to QuickBooks Online through xtraCHEF, a restaurant management platform that Toast acquired in 2021. One of its premium features, called Sync, sends sales data to QuickBooks Online so it can create automatic journal entries. User reviews of this integration are mixed. Read our full Toast review.
- $0 for Starter Kit plan.
- $69 Point of Sale plan.
- Custom plans available.
- $799.20 for Handheld Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,024.20 for Countertop Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,339.20 for Guest Self-Service Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- 3.09-3.69% plus 15 cents per transaction, if you choose a pay-as-you-go plan.
- 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.
- 24/7 phone, email and chat support with every plan.
- Free plan available for restaurants with one or two POS terminals.
- Offers 0% interest financing, subject to approval, and pay-as-you-go plans.
- Longer-term contracts (one to three years) required.
- Integration is not free and requires a QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus or Advanced plan.
TouchBistro: Best locally installed option for restaurants
Why we like it: TouchBistro is an iPad POS system tailored for myriad restaurant types, including quick-service restaurants, cafes, food trucks, bakeries and breweries. The solution is a hybrid system — its software is locally installed so that it can function offline, and data is transferred to the cloud so that it can be accessed anywhere.
TouchBistro connects to QuickBooks through either MarginEdge or Shogo. Shogo costs $35 per month for one location and decreases in price as the number of locations increases. MarginEdge costs $300 per month per location (when paid annually). The latter includes other restaurant management features like recipe costing, inventory tracking and automated invoice processing. User reviews are largely positive for both apps. Read our full TouchBistro review.
- $69 for base plan.
- $25 for gift cards feature.
- $50 for online ordering feature.
- $99 for loyalty features or marketing features.
- $229 for reservations feature.
Quote-based.
Quote-based if you choose to use TouchBistro Payments.
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support with all plans.
- Remote POS system issue diagnosis.
- Offline mode enables many functions across multiple devices.
- Integration is not free.
- Contracts are automatically renewed and cancellation requires at least 30 days’ notice.
Software products’ websites usually list all of their built-in integrations. If you were on QuickBooks’ app marketplace, for example, you’d search for POS integrations to see what’s available. Or, you could search for a QuickBooks integration on your POS system’s website.
Once you’ve found an app that facilitates the integration, download it and follow the directions. For example, Clover by Commerce Sync, which integrates Clover sales data with QuickBooks, prompts you to log into your QuickBooks account, give the app permission to sync information and select which QuickBooks account you’d like your sales data to show up in.
The activation walkthrough for most integrations should be straightforward and only take minutes.
Find the right QuickBooks product for your business
Learn about QuickBooks’ desktop-based and online accounting software products and how to choose the best fit for your business.
Integrations between QuickBooks and POS systems can vary greatly — and you may even have more than one option to sync these products. For instance, QuickBooks offers a native integration with Square, but there are also multiple third-party options.
When considering POS system integrations with QuickBooks, ask the following questions:
Who developed the integration?
Ideally, the developer will be the POS system provider or Intuit, QuickBooks’ parent company. Third-party companies develop integrations, too, but they’re more likely to come with monthly fees. For example, TouchBistro integrates with QuickBooks through Shogo or MarginEdge, which cost $35 per month (for one location) and $300 per month (when paid annually), respectively. Plus, it’s simpler to avoid introducing another product to your business software ecosystem if you can help it.
Does the integration cost extra?
Some in-house integrations, like the one through QuickBooks Online’s Connect to Square app, are free. Others, like Toast’s QuickBooks Online integration through xtraCHEF, require a subscription add-on. If an additional monthly fee or more expensive POS plan is involved, factor those additional costs into your monthly expenses.
What types of data are exchanged?
Review what types of POS data do and do not get funneled into QuickBooks. Chances are, not every single piece of information from your POS system needs to be transferred over. But at a minimum, you’ll want QuickBooks to have access to sales transactions, taxes and any important details about the products or services sold (e.g., product variations or categories, discounts applied).
How often does POS data sync with QuickBooks?
Ideally, it will be every day or more frequently. Regardless, it’s important to be aware of when the sync happens, so that you know whether your sales revenue is up to date. Also, pay attention to how sales transactions will be categorized in your books to make sure it’s logical and aligned with how you’ve organized your accounting system.
Last updated on January 2, 2024
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.
