Our Take
4.5
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.
Shopify POS
Payment processing fees
2.70% in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online (Basic plan).
Monthly fee
$39.00 and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.
Learn more
on Shopify's website
Pros & Cons
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.
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.
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 either use Tap to Pay on iPhone or purchase Shopify POS hardware, and you’ll be ready to start taking customer orders.
Shopify POS is best for businesses that:
- Want to leverage Shopify's e-commerce features. While Shopify does offer two simple plans for business's that mostly sell in person or on social media, the bulk of its offerings are for omnichannel sellers who want to build a custom online store using Shopify.
- 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 |
|
Monthly fee | Shopify e-commerce plans:
Shopify’s alternative solutions for mainly selling in-person:
|
Hardware cost |
|
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
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.
- $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.
- 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.
- $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).
Clover
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.
- $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.
- 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.
- $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.
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
Shopify does not offer a free POS plan. Rather, you can only access its POS by subscribing to one of its paid plans, which includes basic POS Lite functionality. If you need more advanced POS features, you'll need to subscribe to POS Pro for an additional fee. Additionally, if you opt to use a third-party payment processor rather than Shopify Payments, Shopify will charge an additional transaction fee on top of the third-party processor rate.
Shopify charges a monthly fee, which varies depending on the plan you choose, as well as a monthly fee for use of the Pro version of its POS software. Additionally, you will pay a payment processing fee to Shopify for each card transaction if you choose to use its proprietary payments service, Shopify Payments.
In addition to its multichannel plans, Shopify also offers a basic Starter plan that allows subscribers to sell products at events and through social media and messaging apps.
